--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What goes on in the world and who's…" description: "\"What goes on in the world and who's defining what is right or wrong in anything? Is there a place in any of our existence where we need judgment any lo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg" --- # What goes on in the world and who's defining what is right… ![“What goes on in the world and who's defining what is right or wrong in anything? Is there a place in any of our existence where we need judgment any longer? But we should have empathy towards each other and break away from those categories that politics and religion keep throwing back at us.” quote by John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg) > “What goes on in the world and who's defining what is right or wrong in anything? Is there a place in any of our existence where we need judgment any longer? But we should have empathy towards each other and break away from those categories that politics and religion keep throwing back at us.” [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning moral authority and urging empathy over judgment in society. **In simple terms:** Ask who decides right and wrong; promote empathy. Key Takeaway Seek understanding, not judgment. Themes ethics empathy politics religion social critique Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - public discourse - personal relationships - policy debates Key Concepts moral relativism identity group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Who defines moral standards? - How can empathy reshape political rhetoric? A Different Perspective Empathy alone may not resolve deep conflicts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) [Defining Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining-right-2292918/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Need Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-judgment-1414861/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics And Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-and-religion/) [Politics Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-religion/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion and politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-and-politics/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Throwing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throwing/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-defining-2292919/) ## Related quotes > [Politics and religion are topics that people tend to stay away from in their conversations, because they're polarising. But they are important topics, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lindland/politics-and-religion-are-topics-that-people-tend-to-stay-away-from/) [Matt Lindland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lindland/) > [Those who believe that politics and religion do not mix, understand neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/those-who-believe-that-politics-and-religion-do-not-mix-understand/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I do not want to end up with an American style of politics, with us going out there beating our chest about our faith.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-do-not-want-to-end-up-with-an-american-style-of-politics-with-us/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [The proper reply to right wing religiosity is not to insist that politics and religion don't mix. This is the stock response of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/the-proper-reply-to-right-wing-religiosity-is-not-to-insist-that/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Your mom was right when she told you never to discuss politics and religion because emotions run so high in those arenas. Especially religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/your-mom-was-right-when-she-told-you-never-to-discuss-politics-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-righteous-mind-why-good-people-are-divided-by-politics-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [politics and religion in the United States work like the twin grips of a pair of pliers on a critical mass of the masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/politics-and-religion-in-the-united-states-work-like-the-twin-grips/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [Adherents of the new religious right reject the separation of politics and religion, but they bring no spiritual insights to politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/adherents-of-the-new-religious-right-reject-the-separation-of/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [When politics and religion are intermingled, a people is suffused with a sense of invulnerability, and gathering speed in their forward charge, they fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/when-politics-and-religion-are-intermingled-a-people-is-suffused-with/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up reasons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/as-a-species-we-re-fundamentally-insane-put-more-than-two-of-us-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Politics And Religion Are Obsolete, The Time Has Come For Science And Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinoba-bhave/politics-and-religion-are-obsolete-the-time-has-come-for-science-and/) [Vinoba Bhave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinoba-bhave/) > [Culture is a way of coping with the world by defining it in detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-bradbury/culture-is-a-way-of-coping-with-the-world-by-defining-it-in-detail/) [Malcolm Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-bradbury/) > [“I see the confusion of politics and religion as one of the greatest barriers to grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-see-the-confusion-of-politics-and-religion-as-one-of-the-greatest/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“party politics and religion now substituting for class conflict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/party-politics-and-religion-now-substituting-for-class-conflict/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Life becomes more beautiful when you live as if politics and religion don't exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raigon-stanley/life-becomes-more-beautiful-when-you-live-as-if-politics-and-religion/) [Raigon Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raigon-stanley/) ## More by John Lydon > [Music is escapism from the grim realities of life. But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not one for like soul-searching, sour fizzy moments. I come from the school of hard knocks, "f\*\*king get on with it", that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-one-for-like-soul-searching-sour-fizzy-moments-i-come-from/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [All the things that you would have thought would have made me a professional A1 criminal... wrong. I decided that was too lazy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/all-the-things-that-you-would-have-thought-would-have-made-me-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/stroll-into-work-at-10-lunch-from-12-till-three-leave-work-at-five/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Live music is healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/live-music-is-healthy/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I never wore a studded leather jacket, y'know. Ne-va! If I had had the money I wouldn't have spent it on shit like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-never-wore-a-studded-leather-jacket-y-know-ne-va-if-i-had-had-the/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I've always strived to maintain a very healthy, friendly working situation, and lo and behold, it only took forty years, so the next sixty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-ve-always-strived-to-maintain-a-very-healthy-friendly-working/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [This is a very difficult thing to remain independent and persistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/this-is-a-very-difficult-thing-to-remain-independent-and-persistent/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [A record company used to be a very good thing, but they ended up soul-destroyingly trapping people in the accounting department. And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Destroy everything. That's all well and fine, but you got to offer something in it's place. Since I always have a point and purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/destroy-everything-that-s-all-well-and-fine-but-you-got-to-offer/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [For me people are people, without meaning to sound corny, it's a plain natural fact, music is a universal language and I've always known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/for-me-people-are-people-without-meaning-to-sound-corny-it-s-a-plain/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-great-at-dealing-with-death-i-have-to-say-i-find-death-very/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [The joy of life is in the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/the-joy-of-life-is-in-the-work/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-have-a-sensible-set-of-values-that-tell-me-to-never-lie/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I always knew the Sixties wasn't a revolution. It really was just a bunch of university students with wealthy parents having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-always-knew-the-sixties-wasn-t-a-revolution-it-really-was-just-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) [Explore all 269 John Lydon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) [Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What goes on in the world and who's defining what is right or wrong in anything? Is there a place in any of our existence where we need judgment any longer? But we should have empathy towards each other and break away from those categories that politics and religion keep throwing back at us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lydon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defining-what-is-right-or-wrong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defining-what-is-right-or-wrong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b5/john-lydon-1234_break_what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defi_2643898.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What goes on in the world and who's defining what is right or wrong in anything? Is there a place in any of…” — John Lydon", "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": "John Lydon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What goes on in the world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defining-what-is-right-or-wrong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/what-goes-on-in-the-world-and-who-s-defining-what-is-right-or-wrong/#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 } } ] } ```