---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you know something is morally…"
description: "\"If you know something is morally reprehensible, then it is your moral obligation to stop it as soon as possible.\" — Jane Velez-Mitchell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg"
---

#  If you know something is morally reprehensible, then it is…

![“If you know something is morally reprehensible, then it is your moral obligation to stop it as soon as possible.” quote by Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg)

> “If you know something is morally reprehensible, then it is your moral obligation to stop it as soon as possible.”

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When you recognize an act as immoral, you have a duty to intervene quickly to prevent harm.

**In simple terms:** Stop immoral actions promptly.

Key Takeaway

Act immediately when you see wrongdoing.

Themes

ethics responsibility activism

Mood

urgent determined

Type

ethical motivational

When to use this quote

- workplace harassment
- environmental damage
- online bullying
- human rights violations

Key Concepts

moral duty social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- What barriers stop you from acting?
- How can you safely intervene?

A Different Perspective

Intervention may be dangerous or limited by authority.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-obligation/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/)

## Related quotes

> [I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/i-am-free-because-i-know-that-i-alone-am-morally-responsible-for/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [“Don’t do things that you know are morally wrong. Not because someone is watching, but because you are. Self-esteem is just the reputation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/don-t-do-things-that-you-know-are-morally-wrong-not-because-someone/)

[Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/)

> [“I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-heinlein/i-am-free-because-i-know-that-i-alone-am-morally-responsible/)

[Robert Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-heinlein/)

> [I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-free-because-i-know-that-i-alone-am-morally-responsible-for-3/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-are-no-easy-answers-but-there-are-simple-answers-we-must-have/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Never again will I allow our political self-interest to deter us from doing what we know to be morally right. Atrocity and terror are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/never-again-will-i-allow-our-political-self-interest-to-deter-us-from/)

[Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/)

> [I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-free-no-matter-what-rules-surround-me-if-i-find-them-tolerable-i/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein-2/i-am-free-because-i-know-that-i-alone-am-morally-responsible-for-2/)

[Robert A Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein-2/)

> [It would be morally reprehensible not to tell the truth... Everything I have written has stood the test of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-kelley/it-would-be-morally-reprehensible-not-to-tell-the-truth-everything-i/)

[Kitty Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-kelley/)

> [Leaving American disaster victims to languish is morally reprehensible and un-American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-richmond/leaving-american-disaster-victims-to-languish-is-morally/)

[Cedric Richmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-richmond/)

> [You know, we think about addiction as a morally reprehensible choice, but addicts act crazy because, in a way, that they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/you-know-we-think-about-addiction-as-a-morally-reprehensible-choice/)

[David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/)

> [We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction, yet morally acceptable for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/we-must-abandon-the-unworkable-notion-that-it-is-morally/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [“The answer to these questions is tied to the public's attitude about suicide. For many people, suicide is morally reprehensible. It's against their religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bateson/the-answer-to-these-questions-is-tied-to-the-public-s-attitude-about/)

John Bateson

> [The idea that we industrialized humans are immune to the natural laws that have restrained growth in other species-and humans in past social regimes-is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-heinberg/the-idea-that-we-industrialized-humans-are-immune-to-the-natural-laws/)

[Richard Heinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-heinberg/)

> [“To saddle the next generation with unimaginable debt is not only callous, it is morally reprehensible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/to-saddle-the-next-generation-with-unimaginable-debt-is-not-only/)

[Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/)

## More by Jane Velez-Mitchell

> [There's no better feeling in the world than knowing that my show played a role in stopping animal abuse or alleviating animal suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/there-s-no-better-feeling-in-the-world-than-knowing-that-my-show/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [We have got to stop being a society that turns our heads and looks the other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/we-have-got-to-stop-being-a-society-that-turns-our-heads-and-looks/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [I am what I want. What I seek to consume, possess, and achieve is a mirror that reflects my lusts and cravings, values and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/i-am-what-i-want-what-i-seek-to-consume-possess-and-achieve-is-a/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [I love working with PETA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/i-love-working-with-peta/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [How is justice served if the victim and the accused are working together to make it all go away? Somebody please explain that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/how-is-justice-served-if-the-victim-and-the-accused-are-working/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [What's it like to figure out you're gay and then begin the process of coming out? Well, for most of my life, I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/what-s-it-like-to-figure-out-you-re-gay-and-then-begin-the-process-of/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [Unfortunately, addicts don't respond to reason or rationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/unfortunately-addicts-don-t-respond-to-reason-or-rationality/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [When you're in the closet, you feel like the sky will fall down if anyone finds out. A lot of the fear is self-generated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/when-you-re-in-the-closet-you-feel-like-the-sky-will-fall-down-if/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [Nature did not put whales on this earth to splash kids while stuck in a pen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/nature-did-not-put-whales-on-this-earth-to-splash-kids-while-stuck-in/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [Now, Spitzer was an anti-crime crusader cracking down on prostitution and Wall Street corruption. So some people were looking to take him down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/now-spitzer-was-an-anti-crime-crusader-cracking-down-on-prostitution/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [Obesity affects every aspect of a people's lives, from health to relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/obesity-affects-every-aspect-of-a-people-s-lives-from-health-to/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [The killer whale Tilikum has helped SeaWorld sell millions of dollars worth of tickets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/the-killer-whale-tilikum-has-helped-seaworld-sell-millions-of-dollars/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [I dream of a post-racial society that is not categorized by the color of their skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/i-dream-of-a-post-racial-society-that-is-not-categorized-by-the-color/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [What does homophobia look like when it's stripped bare of fancy costumes like family values and tradition? It looks like that group of strange,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/what-does-homophobia-look-like-when-it-s-stripped-bare-of-fancy/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

> [There is a severe horse overpopulation crisis caused by overbreeding in the racing industry. It's time for that industry to accept responsibility for its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/there-is-a-severe-horse-overpopulation-crisis-caused-by-overbreeding/)

[Jane Velez-Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

[Explore all 88 Jane Velez-Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/)

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

David Hudgins

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you know something is morally reprehensible, then it is your moral obligation to stop it as soon as possible.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jane Velez-Mitchell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehensible-then-it-is-your-moral/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehensible-then-it-is-your-moral/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30a/jane-velez-mitchell-7722_character_if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehe_591545.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you know something is morally reprehensible, then it is your moral obligation to stop it as soon as…” — Jane Velez-Mitchell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jane Velez-Mitchell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-velez-mitchell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you know something is morally...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehensible-then-it-is-your-moral/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-velez-mitchell/if-you-know-something-is-morally-reprehensible-then-it-is-your-moral/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
