--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I knew I was breaking about a dozen laws…" description: "\"I knew I was breaking about a dozen laws but I guess I had different attitudes to stuff like that since the war. Laws were for the stupid the immature ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/john-marsden-3782_attitude_i-knew-i-was-breaking-about-a-dozen-laws_1083969.jpg" --- # I knew I was breaking about a dozen laws but I guess I had… ![“I knew I was breaking about a dozen laws but I guess I had different attitudes to stuff like that since the war. Laws were for the stupid the immature the irresponsible. The inflexible and the narrow-minded. The prejudiced. The obsessive. The lazy and careless and selfish and spoilt. The violent.” quote by John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/john-marsden-3782_attitude_i-knew-i-was-breaking-about-a-dozen-laws_1083969.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/john-marsden-3782_attitude_i-knew-i-was-breaking-about-a-dozen-laws_1083969.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/john-marsden-3782_attitude_i-knew-i-was-breaking-about-a-dozen-laws_1083969.jpg) > “I knew I was breaking about a dozen laws but I guess I had different attitudes to stuff like that since the war. Laws were for the stupid the immature the irresponsible. The inflexible and the narrow-minded. The prejudiced. The obsessive. The lazy and careless and selfish and spoilt. The violent.” [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laws are portrayed as tools for the immature and narrow‑minded, while the truly free reject them. **In simple terms:** Laws serve the immature; the free reject them. Key Takeaway Question authority when it limits growth. Themes rebellion freedom authority Mood critical defiant thought‑provoking Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political activism - personal moral decisions - challenging unjust rules - self‑discipline Key Concepts anarchism social contract personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Do you distinguish between oppressive and protective laws? - When is breaking a law justified? A Different Perspective Not all laws are harmful; some protect society and vulnerable people. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Careless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careless/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-attitude/) [Different Attitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-attitudes-329400/) [Dozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen/) [Dozen Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen-laws-2766858/) [Immature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immature/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Laws Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-stupid-2766859/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Minded Prejudiced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minded-prejudiced-1376662/) [Narrow minded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrow-minded/) [Obsessive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessive/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Spoilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoilt/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-laws-1877463/) ## Related quotes > [My parents were Hungarian immigrants; my father was a tailor and we lived in the back of a tailor store. And that was my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-curtis/my-parents-were-hungarian-immigrants-my-father-was-a-tailor-and-we/) [Tony Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-curtis/) > [I don't have multiple personalities ...But I have different attitudes and my attitudes towards you depends on you ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venkat-desireddy/i-don-t-have-multiple-personalities-but-i-have-different-attitudes/) [Venkat Desireddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venkat-desireddy/) > [Its impossible for two people to be together when both of them have a different attitudes. Its kinda like an oil and water whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teejay-david/its-impossible-for-two-people-to-be-together-when-both-of-them-have-a/) [Teejay David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teejay-david/) > [Now, there are two different attitudes towards learning from others. One is the dogmatic attitude of transplanting everything, whether or not it is suited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/now-there-are-two-different-attitudes-towards-learning-from-others/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [Different times call for different attitudes. But I love your generation because you are so creative and innovative in how you wear things, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/different-times-call-for-different-attitudes-but-i-love-your/) [Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/) > [There is a great need for nurturing different ways of thinking and different attitudes, rather than being supressing and uncaring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/there-is-a-great-need-for-nurturing-different-ways-of-thinking-and/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I dont have multiple personalities. but I have different attitudes and my attitude towards you depends on you. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-have-multiple-personalities-but-i-have-different-attitudes-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People have different attitudes about the universal value of life, but that value, with few exceptions, is scaled to how similar or dissimilar a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-miller/people-have-different-attitudes-about-the-universal-value-of-life-but/) [Rory Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-miller/) > [Bans are laws for the stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-von-tresckow/bans-are-laws-for-the-stupid/) [Henning von Tresckow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-von-tresckow/) > [“...and I want you all to remember- that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/and-i-want-you-all-to-remember-that-you-must-not-dream-yourselves/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [In time of war the laws are silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/in-time-of-war-the-laws-are-silent/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [During war, the laws are silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quintus-tullius-cicero/during-war-the-laws-are-silent/) [Quintus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quintus-tullius-cicero/) > [There is such a thing as legitimate warfare: war has its laws; there are things which may fairly be done, and things which may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henry-newman/there-is-such-a-thing-as-legitimate-warfare-war-has-its-laws-there/) [John Henry Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henry-newman/) > [“He had conquered murder only to be faced with war. There were no laws for that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/he-had-conquered-murder-only-to-be-faced-with-war-there-were-no-laws/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“mood can change quickly, but an attitude changes only through awareness and a true desire to choose a different one. Attitudes influence and flavor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jensen/mood-can-change-quickly-but-an-attitude-changes-only-through/) [Eric Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jensen/) ## More by John Marsden > [“I make people uncomfortable. The kind ones get angry because their kindness doesn't work. The unkind ones get angry because they think I'm attacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-make-people-uncomfortable-the-kind-ones-get-angry-because-their/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [So, that was Nature's way. The mosquito felt pain and panic but the dragonfly knew nothing of cruelty. Humans would call it evil, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/so-that-was-nature-s-way-the-mosquito-felt-pain-and-panic-but-the/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“We'll never feel safe again, and so it's bye-bye innocence. It's been nice knowing you, but you're gone now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-ll-never-feel-safe-again-and-so-it-s-bye-bye-innocence-it-s-been/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [My pen.’ Funny, I wrote that without noticing. ‘The torch’, ‘the paper’, but ‘my pen’. That shows what writing means to me, I guess.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/my-pen-funny-i-wrote-that-without-noticing-the-torch-the-paper-but-my/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Life’s about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It’s about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/ask-for-forgiveness-not-permission/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“I lay there with my mind running amuck, on the brink of madness. And somehow, gradually, early Sunday morning, I became calm. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-lay-there-with-my-mind-running-amuck-on-the-brink-of-madness-and/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“In this life of froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/in-this-life-of-froth-and-bubble-two-things-stand-like-stone-kindness/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“There’s life in his face again. It occurs to me that this is the best thing I could have done, it’s actually a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/there-s-life-in-his-face-again-it-occurs-to-me-that-this-is-the-best/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [Life's about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It's about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling-2/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“It'd be funny if one of them was called Gavin. Funny but irrelevant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-d-be-funny-if-one-of-them-was-called-gavin-funny-but-irrelevant/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [When you're scared you can either give in to the panic and let your mind fall apart, or you can take charge of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/when-you-re-scared-you-can-either-give-in-to-the-panic-and-let-your/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Cynicism is like gastro: it goes through your whole system and makes you shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/cynicism-is-like-gastro-it-goes-through-your-whole-system-and-makes/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-seems-like-suffering-s-the-only-time-we-can-see-what-s-essential/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“But somehow, standing in the clear night air, under a sky that glowed like a shower of sparks, none of that stuff mattered. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/but-somehow-standing-in-the-clear-night-air-under-a-sky-that-glowed/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) [Explore all 121 John Marsden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) [Sheye Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheye-hassan/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I knew I was breaking about a dozen laws but I guess I had different attitudes to stuff like that since the war. Laws were for the stupid the immature the irresponsible. The inflexible and the narrow-minded. The prejudiced. The obsessive. 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