--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would rather be exposed to all their…" description: "\"“I would rather be exposed to all their torments than be obliged to think about them in order to protect myself from their attacks.”\" — Jean-Jacques Ro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png" --- # I would rather be exposed to all their torments than be… ![“I would rather be exposed to all their torments than be obliged to think about them in order to protect myself from their attacks.” quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png) > ““I would rather be exposed to all their torments than be obliged to think about them in order to protect myself from their attacks.”” [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing others' suffering directly is more honest than avoiding it for self‑preservation. **In simple terms:** Better to confront pain than hide. Key Takeaway Embrace discomfort to protect yourself. Themes ethics empathy self‑preservation Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - activism - personal growth - conflict resolution - volunteering Key Concepts moral courage psychological defense Questions to Reflect On - What fears keep you from confronting others' suffering? - Can avoidance ever be justified? A Different Perspective Avoiding pain can lead to greater harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacks/) [Exposed Torments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposed-torments-3181285/) [Protect Attacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-attacks-3181287/) [Protect Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-myself/) [Torments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torments/) [Torments Obliged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torments-obliged-3181286/) ## Related quotes > [I try to write about the stuff that torments us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/i-try-to-write-about-the-stuff-that-torments-us-all/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [“I've nothing to say of the sun and world - I see only the torments of man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bryant/i-ve-nothing-to-say-of-the-sun-and-world-i-see-only-the-torments-of/) [Justin Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bryant/) > [“The butterfly's wing beat of love can engender a mystical attraction in the neural meanders of our mind and generate emotional torments with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/the-butterfly-s-wing-beat-of-love-can-engender-a-mystical-attraction/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [The mind is the result of the torments the flesh undergoes or inflicts upon itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/the-mind-is-the-result-of-the-torments-the-flesh-undergoes-or/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [My mind torments me more than my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mind-torments-me-more-than-my-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have a mind that never stops working. As a matter of fact, it torments me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-sparks/i-have-a-mind-that-never-stops-working-as-a-matter-of-fact-it/) [Clinton Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clinton-sparks/) > [There is always something missing that torments me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-claudel/there-is-always-something-missing-that-torments-me/) [Camille Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-claudel/) > [I can't help it, the idea of the infinite torments me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-musset/i-can-t-help-it-the-idea-of-the-infinite-torments-me/) [Alfred de Musset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-musset/) > [Our torments also may in length of time Become our Elements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/our-torments-also-may-in-length-of-time-become-our-elements/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Children blessings seem, but torments are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-otway/children-blessings-seem-but-torments-are/) [Thomas Otway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-otway/) > [Oh! How many torments lie in the small circle of a wedding ring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/oh-how-many-torments-lie-in-the-small-circle-of-a-wedding-ring/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [Ah, me, if this is love, then how it torments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/ah-me-if-this-is-love-then-how-it-torments/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [...What torments of pain have you endured that haven't as yet arrived? and may never!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/what-torments-of-pain-have-you-endured-that-haven-t-as-yet-arrived/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“People will rather pass by the weak, the lame, the beggars, the orphans, the tormented, the widows and take their large offerings to church,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/people-will-rather-pass-by-the-weak-the-lame-the-beggars-the-orphans/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The torments of my mind and the source of my hell now fit into a prescribed form. They had always had a name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-pierce/the-torments-of-my-mind-and-the-source-of-my-hell-now-fit-into-a/) [Bethany Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-pierce/) ## More by Jean-Jacques Rousseau > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take the course opposite to custom and you will almost always do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-the-course-opposite-to-custom-and-you-will-almost-always-do-well/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given to us by education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/everything-we-do-not-have-at-our-birth-and-which-we-need-when-we-are/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [...in respect of riches, no citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and none poor enough to be forced to sell himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/in-respect-of-riches-no-citizen-shall-ever-be-wealthy-enough-to-buy/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Men, in general, are not this or that, they are what they are made to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/men-in-general-are-not-this-or-that-they-are-what-they-are-made-to-be/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I would rather be a man of paradoxes than a man of prejudices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-a-man-of-paradoxes-than-a-man-of-prejudices/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“O Fabricius! What would your great soul have thought, if to your own misfortune you had been called back to life and had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/o-fabricius-what-would-your-great-soul-have-thought-if-to-your-own/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“The sword wears out its sheath, as it is sometimes said. That is my story. My passions have made me live, and my passions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-sword-wears-out-its-sheath-as-it-is-sometimes-said-that-is-my/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“If one divided all of human science into two parts - the one common to all men, the other particular to the learned -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/if-one-divided-all-of-human-science-into-two-parts-the-one-common-to/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The social compact sets up among the citizens as equality of such kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-social-compact-sets-up-among-the-citizens-as-equality-of-such/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I do not know is a phrase which becomes us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-do-not-know-is-a-phrase-which-becomes-us/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“How could I become wicked, when I had nothing but examples of gentleness before my eyes, and none around me but the best people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/how-could-i-become-wicked-when-i-had-nothing-but-examples-of/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) [Explore all 518 Jean-Jacques Rousseau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More Attacks quotes > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) > [I personally felt that his ad hominen attacks on British architects were not the sort of thing a Prince of Wales should be doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/i-personally-felt-that-his-ad-hominen-attacks-on-british-architects/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [The administration of George W. Bush, emboldened by the Sept. 11 attacks and the backing of a Republican Congress, has sought to further extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-administration-of-george-w-bush-emboldened-by-the-sept-11-attacks/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [If nothing else, the cyber attacks that occurred during the 2016 presidential election have laid bare the very real vulnerabilities that exist across our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/if-nothing-else-the-cyber-attacks-that-occurred-during-the-2016/) [Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/) > [We've had Saudis and Jordanians and Pakistanis who have - and Syrians - who have been involved in armed attacks against coalition forces in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/we-ve-had-saudis-and-jordanians-and-pakistanis-who-have-and-syrians/) [Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/) > [“At the same time that we see a massive deployment of wireless radiation, we see the most violent attacks on modern society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/at-the-same-time-that-we-see-a-massive-deployment-of-wireless/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [At sleepovers I would have panic attacks trying to break it to girls that they didn't want to kiss me without outing myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/io-tillett-wright/at-sleepovers-i-would-have-panic-attacks-trying-to-break-it-to-girls/) [iO Tillett Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/io-tillett-wright/) > [I knew I was having a panic attack. I hadn't had one in a while, though, and I'd forgotton how it makes me feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemantsmarty/i-knew-i-was-having-a-panic-attack-i-hadn-t-had-one-in-a-while-though/) [Hemantsmarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemantsmarty/) > [We now know that gun-free zones, though well intentioned, do not prevent attacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-prince/we-now-know-that-gun-free-zones-though-well-intentioned-do-not/) [Erik Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-prince/) > [Weichel hits very hard and is very good with the timing of his attacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricio-freire/weichel-hits-very-hard-and-is-very-good-with-the-timing-of-his-attacks/) [Patricio Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricio-freire/) > [The wrongful arrest of tens of thousands of British Muslims after the September 11 attacks can be explained by the very poor intelligence the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/the-wrongful-arrest-of-tens-of-thousands-of-british-muslims-after-the/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [Mediocrity always attacks excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/mediocrity-always-attacks-excellence/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [The majority of terrorist attacks that have been disrupted in the United States have been disrupted due to things like the Time Square bomber,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-majority-of-terrorist-attacks-that-have-been-disrupted-in-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We can't gather the intelligence we need to foil future attacks, if we are blindly granting terrorists the right to remain silent. But for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-can-t-gather-the-intelligence-we-need-to-foil-future-attacks-if-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Less than a year after the Sept. 11 attacks, al-Qaida attacks were continuing: the firebombing of a synagogue in Tunisia in April, a bomb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/less-than-a-year-after-the-sept-11-attacks-al-qaida-attacks-were/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) [Browse all 291 Attacks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacks/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I would rather be exposed to all their torments than be obliged to think about them in order to protect myself from their attacks.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-torments-than-be-obliged-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attacks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-torments-than-be-obliged-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a4/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_attacks_i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-t_1141118.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would rather be exposed to all their torments than be obliged to think about them in order to protect…” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "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": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I would rather be exposed to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-torments-than-be-obliged-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-exposed-to-all-their-torments-than-be-obliged-to/#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 } } ] } ```