--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All the screen cowboys behaved like real…" description: "\"All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. They didn't drink, they didn't smoke. When they knocked the bad guy down, they always stood with th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/john-wayne-2572_always_all-the-screen-cowboys-behaved-like-real_654446.jpg" --- # All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. They… ![“All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. They didn't drink, they didn't smoke. When they knocked the bad guy down, they always stood with their fists up, waiting for the heavy to get back on his feet. I decided I was going to drag the bad guy to his feet and keep hitting him.” quote by John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/john-wayne-2572_always_all-the-screen-cowboys-behaved-like-real_654446.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/john-wayne-2572_always_all-the-screen-cowboys-behaved-like-real_654446.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/john-wayne-2572_always_all-the-screen-cowboys-behaved-like-real_654446.jpg) > “All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. They didn't drink, they didn't smoke. When they knocked the bad guy down, they always stood with their fists up, waiting for the heavy to get back on his feet. I decided I was going to drag the bad guy to his feet and keep hitting him.” [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cowboys embody idealized honor and restraint, contrasting with violent conflict. **In simple terms:** Cowboys show honor and restraint. Key Takeaway Emulate honor in conflict. Themes honor restraint conflict masculinity Mood reflective nostalgic Type inspirational ethical When to use this quote - law enforcement - sportsmanship - personal disputes Key Concepts heroism ethical conduct self‑control Questions to Reflect On - When is restraint appropriate? - How to balance honor with justice? A Different Perspective Romanticizing restraint may ignore necessary force. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Bad guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) [Behaved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaved/) [Behaved Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaved-like-1673467/) [Cowboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowboy/) [Cowboys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowboys/) [Cowboys Behaved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cowboys-behaved-5226524/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Drag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drag/) [Drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Fists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fists/) [Gentlemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentlemen/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Heavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy/) [Him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/him/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Hitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitting/) [Keep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keep/) [Knocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knocked/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Screen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screen/) [Screen Cowboys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screen-cowboys-5226525/) [Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoke/) [Stood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stood/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [“He always behaved like one who has been deprived of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-howarth/he-always-behaved-like-one-who-has-been-deprived-of-love/) [David Howarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-howarth/) > [“Well, if she behaved like a normal person, she wouldn’t be Nora, would she?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/well-if-she-behaved-like-a-normal-person-she-wouldn-t-be-nora-would/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [COWBOYS, just like the word says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/cowboys-just-like-the-word-says/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Life is getting up one more time than you've been knocked down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-is-getting-up-one-more-time-than-you-ve-been-knocked-down/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [But I think that sometimes, when one's behaved like a rather second-rate person, the way I did at breakfast, then in a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-lurie/but-i-think-that-sometimes-when-one-s-behaved-like-a-rather-second/) [Alison Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-lurie/) > [I play tough guys in movies and behaved like one in front of the press because I thought that was what a man did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sizemore/i-play-tough-guys-in-movies-and-behaved-like-one-in-front-of-the/) [Tom Sizemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sizemore/) > [“And yet Alan had behaved like a child, and (what is worse) a treacherous child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/and-yet-alan-had-behaved-like-a-child-and-what-is-worse-a-treacherous/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“Both of the twins exhibited a sort of prized Wisconsin Aryan-ness that excused them from blame for almost any caper. they looked liked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-kilmer-purcell/both-of-the-twins-exhibited-a-sort-of-prized-wisconsin-aryan-ness/) [Josh Kilmer-Purcell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-kilmer-purcell/) > [“Listen," she said taking my hand. "Tell me: you wouldn't have behaved like this, would you? You would not have abandoned a girl who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/listen-she-said-taking-my-hand-tell-me-you-wouldn-t-have-behaved-like/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I always knew I could rap, and in a sense I always rapped. And I've always behaved like a rapper. But I started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-thug/i-always-knew-i-could-rap-and-in-a-sense-i-always-rapped-and-i-ve/) [Young Thug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-thug/) > [He behaved like an ostrich and put his head in the sand, thereby exposing his thinking parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carman/he-behaved-like-an-ostrich-and-put-his-head-in-the-sand-thereby/) [George Carman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carman/) > [Our officers and men behaved like men who are determined to be free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-wayne/our-officers-and-men-behaved-like-men-who-are-determined-to-be-free/) [Anthony Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-wayne/) > [All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper - just running down the edges of different countries and continents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/all-my-life-i-have-lived-and-behaved-very-much-like-the-sandpiper/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [I have never behaved like a star kid, and since a lot of people in the Tamil and Malayalam film industries know my parents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keerthy-suresh/i-have-never-behaved-like-a-star-kid-and-since-a-lot-of-people-in-the/) [Keerthy Suresh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keerthy-suresh/) > [I've pretty much behaved like a knucklehead my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-diaz/i-ve-pretty-much-behaved-like-a-knucklehead-my-entire-life/) [Cameron Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-diaz/) ## More by John Wayne > [When I was a sophomore at USC, I was a socialist, pretty much to the left. But not when I left the university. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/when-i-was-a-sophomore-at-usc-i-was-a-socialist-pretty-much-to-the/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Don't ever for a minute make the mistake of looking down your nose at westerns. They're art - the good ones, I mean. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/don-t-ever-for-a-minute-make-the-mistake-of-looking-down-your-nose-at/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I'd read up on the history of our country and I'd become fascinated with the story of the Alamo. To me it represented the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-d-read-up-on-the-history-of-our-country-and-i-d-become-fascinated/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [This kind of war, you've gotta believe in what you're fighting for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/this-kind-of-war-you-ve-gotta-believe-in-what-you-re-fighting-for/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That's why I started in with the props.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-was-ashamed-to-admit-i-was-hipped-to-the-idea-of-acting-that-s-why/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [TRUE Courage is when you are scared to death and STILL saddle up and ride in!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/true-courage-is-when-you-are-scared-to-death-and-still-saddle-up-and/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [“The worst part of it has been, I think, the adverse effect on family life. It kills off family conversation. And it’s harder to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/the-worst-part-of-it-has-been-i-think-the-adverse-effect-on-family/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Nothing is so discouraging to an actor than to have to work for long hours upon hours in brightly lighted interior sets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/nothing-is-so-discouraging-to-an-actor-than-to-have-to-work-for-long/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I don't have to assert my virility. I think my career has shown that I'm not exactly a pantywaist. But I do take pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-don-t-have-to-assert-my-virility-i-think-my-career-has-shown-that-i/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Government has no wealth, and when a politician promises to give you something for nothing, he must first confiscate that wealth from you --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/government-has-no-wealth-and-when-a-politician-promises-to-give-you/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [True grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/true-grit-is-making-a-decision-and-standing-by-it-doing-what-must-be/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/when-you-come-slam-bang-up-against-trouble-it-never-looks-half-as-bad/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [Life is hard, but it's even harder when you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/life-is-hard-but-it-s-even-harder-when-you-re-stupid/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I never killed a man I didn't have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-never-killed-a-man-i-didn-t-have-to/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I eat as much as I ever did, I drink more than I should, and my sex life is none of your goddamned business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-eat-as-much-as-i-ever-did-i-drink-more-than-i-should-and-my-sex/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) [Explore all 160 John Wayne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [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/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All the screen cowboys behaved like real gentlemen. 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