--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They would say well there's always been…" description: "\"They would say well there's always been wars, men have always beaten women. But it isn't true in all cultures. It doesn't have to be true. And the firs..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/gloria-steinem-277_beaten_they-would-say-well-there-s-always-been_1720458.jpg" --- # They would say well there's always been wars, men have… ![“They would say well there's always been wars, men have always beaten women. But it isn't true in all cultures. It doesn't have to be true. And the first step is imaging.” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/gloria-steinem-277_beaten_they-would-say-well-there-s-always-been_1720458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/gloria-steinem-277_beaten_they-would-say-well-there-s-always-been_1720458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be6/gloria-steinem-277_beaten_they-would-say-well-there-s-always-been_1720458.jpg) > “They would say well there's always been wars, men have always beaten women. But it isn't true in all cultures. It doesn't have to be true. And the first step is imaging.” [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Not all cultures justify violence against women; imagining alternatives is the first step toward change. **In simple terms:** Violence isn’t universal; imagining alternatives starts change. Key Takeaway Challenge harmful norms by envisioning equality. Themes gender culture violence imagination social change Mood hopeful determined Type activist philosophical When to use this quote - activism - education - media campaigns - policy advocacy Key Concepts patriarchal structures cultural relativism empowerment Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives can be imagined? - How to translate imagination into policy? A Different Perspective Imagining change can be abstract without concrete actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [First step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-step/) [First steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-steps/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) ## Related quotes > [“We fight wars over dirt and oil and ego when we should fight wars against men who force women to live that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/we-fight-wars-over-dirt-and-oil-and-ego-when-we-should-fight-wars/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“Even animals know how stupid the wars are, but men, know not yet!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/even-animals-know-how-stupid-the-wars-are-but-men-know-not-yet/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [There’ll always be wars because men love wars. Women don’t, but men do..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/there-ll-always-be-wars-because-men-love-wars-women-don-t-but-men-do/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [Mythology has largely been written by men and focusses on men - on wars and men, who went to war. But, there are women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudha-murty/mythology-has-largely-been-written-by-men-and-focusses-on-men-on-wars/) [Sudha Murty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudha-murty/) > [All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/all-wars-are-civil-wars-because-all-men-are-brothers/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [All wars are civil wars because all men are brothers... Each one owes infinitely more to the human race than to the particular country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-wars-are-civil-wars-because-all-men-are-brothers-each-one-owes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Empowering women isn’t just the right thing to do - it’s the smart thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/empowering-women-isn-t-just-the-right-thing-to-do-it-s-the-smart/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [One thing that I can say is that I think it's important that there's some sort of celebration of beautiful women that isn't just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-ratajkowski/one-thing-that-i-can-say-is-that-i-think-it-s-important-that-there-s/) [Emily Ratajkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-ratajkowski/) > [Empowering women isn't for women, but for the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-richards/empowering-women-isn-t-for-women-but-for-the-world/) [Amy Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-richards/) > [“Funny how men call it being free and women call it being alone, isn't it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-burgess-a-girl-like-you/funny-how-men-call-it-being-free-and-women-call-it-being-alone-isn-t/) Gemma Burgess A Girl Like You > [There is still a perception that the way women are isn't necessarily what you need for the powerhouse start-ups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-borg/there-is-still-a-perception-that-the-way-women-are-isn-t-necessarily/) [Anita Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-borg/) > [“Have you thought this through? People die, love. I'm all for women, but this isn't a woman's game.' For some reason, this irritates me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/have-you-thought-this-through-people-die-love-i-m-all-for-women-but/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [Violence against women isn't cultural, it's criminal. Equality cannot come eventually, it's something we must fight for now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/violence-against-women-isn-t-cultural-it-s-criminal-equality-cannot/) [Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/) > [We have to nurture our young women and understand the beauty and the strength of being a woman. It's kind of a catch-22: Strength…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-pinkett-smith/we-have-to-nurture-our-young-women-and-understand-the-beauty-and-the/) [Jada Pinkett Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-pinkett-smith/) > [Violence toward women isn't cultural; it's criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/violence-toward-women-isn-t-cultural-it-s-criminal/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More by Gloria Steinem > [People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/people-waste-more-time-waiting-for-someone-to-take-charge-of-their/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Women are never again going to be mindless coffee-makers or mindless policy-makers in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-are-never-again-going-to-be-mindless-coffee-makers-or-mindless/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that 'art' was what men did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-state-of-female-artists-is-very-good-but-the-very-definition-of/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Proust's tea cake has nothing on one hour in a college dorm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/proust-s-tea-cake-has-nothing-on-one-hour-in-a-college-dorm/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Sadomasochiasm - which we know very well doesn't exist in societies that don't have child abuse - is regarded some sort of natural sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/sadomasochiasm-which-we-know-very-well-doesn-t-exist-in-societies/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Part of traveling over years means coming back to the same place and knowing it for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/part-of-traveling-over-years-means-coming-back-to-the-same-place-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-say-i-m-for-equal-pay-that-s-a-reform-but-if-you-say-i-m-a/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I think that part of everybody's success is due to their looks, but it just works in different ways. If you're whatever society calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-think-that-part-of-everybody-s-success-is-due-to-their-looks-but-it/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) [Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More Beaten quotes > [I think children have talent and insight, but it gets beaten out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-think-children-have-talent-and-insight-but-it-gets-beaten-out-of/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [It's kind of the yin and yang that fascinate me. That for all the evil men do, there are also people who work obnoxiously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/it-s-kind-of-the-yin-and-yang-that-fascinate-me-that-for-all-the-evil/) [Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/) > [It's always a wake-up call to get beaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usain-bolt/it-s-always-a-wake-up-call-to-get-beaten/) [Usain Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usain-bolt/) > [“I felt my heart skip a beat, just one, but it was enough that I took notice. It was nice to know that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-stunich/i-felt-my-heart-skip-a-beat-just-one-but-it-was-enough-that-i-took/) [C.M. Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/) > [Class clowns are never allowed to date anybody decent, but you don't get beaten up, you're invited to parties, and everybody likes you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/class-clowns-are-never-allowed-to-date-anybody-decent-but-you-don-t/) [Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/) > [I know from my own clinical work that when people are beaten and hurt, they numb out so that they cant feel anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/i-know-from-my-own-clinical-work-that-when-people-are-beaten-and-hurt/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [You could be beaten down by anybody and by everybody and it doesn't matter what everybody else thinks it's how you see yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/you-could-be-beaten-down-by-anybody-and-by-everybody-and-it-doesn-t/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [Could beauty be beaten out, O youth the cities have sent to strike at each other's strength, it is you who have kept her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/could-beauty-be-beaten-out-o-youth-the-cities-have-sent-to-strike-at/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) > [The midget, Bush, and that Rumsfeld deserve only to be beaten with shoes by freedom loving people everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/the-midget-bush-and-that-rumsfeld-deserve-only-to-be-beaten-with/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [Like with every form of cancer, early detection is what it is all about. I urge everyone to learn the facts about this condition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/like-with-every-form-of-cancer-early-detection-is-what-it-is-all/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [In our culture of constant access and nonstop media, nothing feels more like a curse from God than time in the wilderness. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-martin/in-our-culture-of-constant-access-and-nonstop-media-nothing-feels/) [Jonathan Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-martin/) > [A man who is determined never to move out of the beaten road cannot lose his way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-man-who-is-determined-never-to-move-out-of-the-beaten-road-cannot/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [I admit that I've been beaten up so many times in films, but we do not fake it - we actually have to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-sik-choi/i-admit-that-i-ve-been-beaten-up-so-many-times-in-films-but-we-do-not/) [Min-sik Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-sik-choi/) > [I do not approve of children being beaten. It is always a confession of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/i-do-not-approve-of-children-being-beaten-it-is-always-a-confession/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [If you can feel that staying human is worth while, even when it can't have any practical result whatsoever, you've beaten them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-you-can-feel-that-staying-human-is-worth-while-even-when-it-can-t/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) Browse all 665 Beaten quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They would say well there's always been wars, men have always beaten women. But it isn't true in all cultures. It doesn't have to be true. 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