--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dissent is morally neutral. You can…" description: "\"Dissent is morally neutral. You can correctly call yourself a dissident because you like to kick puppies, but at the end of the day, you're just a jerk..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/jonah-goldberg-2339_dissent_dissent-is-morally-neutral-you-can-corre_3231542.png" --- # Dissent is morally neutral. You can correctly call… ![“Dissent is morally neutral. You can correctly call yourself a dissident because you like to kick puppies, but at the end of the day, you're just a jerk who likes to kick puppies.” quote by Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/jonah-goldberg-2339_dissent_dissent-is-morally-neutral-you-can-corre_3231542.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/jonah-goldberg-2339_dissent_dissent-is-morally-neutral-you-can-corre_3231542.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04f/jonah-goldberg-2339_dissent_dissent-is-morally-neutral-you-can-corre_3231542.png) > “Dissent is morally neutral. You can correctly call yourself a dissident because you like to kick puppies, but at the end of the day, you're just a jerk who likes to kick puppies.” [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being a dissident is morally neutral; the content of one's actions determines moral judgment. **In simple terms:** Dissent itself isn’t good or bad; actions matter. Key Takeaway Judge actions, not labels. Themes ethics politics identity Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - protest movements - online debates - political campaigns - personal branding Key Concepts moral relativism activism Questions to Reflect On - What values guide your dissent? - How do you ensure actions align with ethics? 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It was like the late '60s, early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/there-was-a-period-of-time-when-i-was-very-political-when-i-was-at/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [The whole dissident idea attracts a lot of crazies. And then all of a sudden, without realizing it, you've become one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-duesberg/the-whole-dissident-idea-attracts-a-lot-of-crazies-and-then-all-of-a/) [Peter Duesberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-duesberg/) > [There will always be dissident voices heard in the land, expressing opposition without alternatives, finding fault but never favor, perceiving gloom on every side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/there-will-always-be-dissident-voices-heard-in-the-land-expressing/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/in-some-ways-it-is-easier-to-be-a-dissident-for-then-one-is-without/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [The people we call the prophets I think are the earliest dissident intellectuals, and they're treated like most dissident intellectuals - very badly. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-people-we-call-the-prophets-i-think-are-the-earliest-dissident/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The role of dissident is not, and should not be, a claim of membership in a communion of saints. In other words, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-role-of-dissident-is-not-and-should-not-be-a-claim-of-membership/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The dissident does not operate in the realm of genuine power at all. He is not seeking power. He has no desire for office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/the-dissident-does-not-operate-in-the-realm-of-genuine-power-at-all-2/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [I don’t think of myself as a dissident, and I’m more of an immigrant than an exile,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-jin/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-dissident-and-i-m-more-of-an-immigrant/) [Ha Jin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-jin/) > [I know of only one country, at least to my knowledge, which has a dissident culture where leading figures, I mean, the most famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-know-of-only-one-country-at-least-to-my-knowledge-which-has-a/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“I am often described to my irritation as a 'contrarian' and even had the title inflicted on me by the publisher of one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-am-often-described-to-my-irritation-as-a-contrarian-and-even-had/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“adolescent who expresses dissident opinion more or less vocally can end up in a place like that. Some of the children arrive there from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/adolescent-who-expresses-dissident-opinion-more-or-less-vocally-can/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [The "prophets" were what we would call dissident intellectuals. They provided critical geopolitical analysis, condemned the crimes of the powerful, called for justice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-prophets-were-what-we-would-call-dissident-intellectuals-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Keep Hope alive, particularly if Hope is the name of a very cute puppy and not some ill-defined abstraction that is in fact code…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/keep-hope-alive-particularly-if-hope-is-the-name-of-a-very-cute-puppy/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [If you are creative, you must be dissident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/if-you-are-creative-you-must-be-dissident/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [“Zeena Schreck believes that the right-hand path and the left-hand path have traditionally had the same end goal; it is only the method that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeena-schreck/zeena-schreck-believes-that-the-right-hand-path-and-the-left-hand/) [Zeena Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeena-schreck/) ## More by Jonah Goldberg > [Not reassuring when weathermen say 'Today will be terrible but don't worry it won't be as terrible as tomorrow or Friday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/not-reassuring-when-weathermen-say-today-will-be-terrible-but-don-t/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Are you a producer or a looter? If diversity were always and everywhere good we would be clamoring for more midgets in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/are-you-a-producer-or-a-looter-if-diversity-were-always-and/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [You can make a very good argument that society would be much worse off if you let 10 rapists and murderers free rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/you-can-make-a-very-good-argument-that-society-would-be-much-worse/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“The nasty racism that infused the progressive eugenics of Margaret Sanger and others has largely melted away. But liberal fascists are still racist in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-nasty-racism-that-infused-the-progressive-eugenics-of-margaret/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Liberals are Nazis, and Nazis are liberals. 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Cowardice is a failing of character. Appeasement is a failure of policy. Stalin appeased Hitler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-t-is-simply-wrong-to-confuse-cowardice-with-appeasement-cowardice/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Social distinctions tend to matter only at your own level and above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/social-distinctions-tend-to-matter-only-at-your-own-level-and-above/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [The logical upshot of liberalism's hatred of hypocrisy is that it is better for the liar to champion lying, the glutton to advocate gluttony,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-logical-upshot-of-liberalism-s-hatred-of-hypocrisy-is-that-it-is/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“No nation influenced American thinking more profoundly than Germany, W.E.B. DuBois, Charles Beard, Walter Weyl, Richard Ely, Richard Ely, Nicholas Murray Butler, and countless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/no-nation-influenced-american-thinking-more-profoundly-than-germany-w/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [In Europe and America alike, voters increasingly recognize that the benefits of the green revolution aren't worth the costs, particularly when the revolutionaries don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/in-europe-and-america-alike-voters-increasingly-recognize-that-the/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [“Tom Friedman says China is so awesome they make kosher pigs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/tom-friedman-says-china-is-so-awesome-they-make-kosher-pigs/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Facts are mere speed bumps on the road to lefty moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/facts-are-mere-speed-bumps-on-the-road-to-lefty-moral-outrage/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [There was no intellectual movement in American history called social Darwinism. The people who were supposedly the leaders of the social Darwinist movement never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-was-no-intellectual-movement-in-american-history-called-social/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) [Explore all 171 Jonah Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) ## More Dissent quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I find myself frequently placed where I dare give neither assent nor dissent to propositions that are submitted to me; for there is danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/i-find-myself-frequently-placed-where-i-dare-give-neither-assent-nor/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [The original crime of niggers and lesbians is that they prefer themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-original-crime-of-niggers-and-lesbians-is-that-they-prefer/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/it-is-dissent-from-government-policies-which-defines-the-true-patriot/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [In America, you can segregate the people, but the problems will travel. From slavery to equal rights, from state suppression of dissent to crime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-jordan/in-america-you-can-segregate-the-people-but-the-problems-will-travel/) [June Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-jordan/) > [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/i-am-aware-that-many-object-to-the-severity-of-my-language-but-is/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [In religion, it is not the sycophants or those who cling most faithfully to the status quo who are ultimately praised. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/in-religion-it-is-not-the-sycophants-or-those-who-cling-most/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [“Protection, therefore, against tyranny of the magistrate is not enough: there needs protection also against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling; against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/protection-therefore-against-tyranny-of-the-magistrate-is-not-enough/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-intolerant-man-will-not-rely-on-persuasion-or-on-the-worth-of-the/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [“That there must be heresies is true, not onely in our Church, but also in any other; even in Doctrines hereticall there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/that-there-must-be-heresies-is-true-not-onely-in-our-church-but-also/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [In sum, the Court's conclusion that a constitutionally adequate recount is impractical is a prophecy the Court's own judgment will not allow to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/in-sum-the-court-s-conclusion-that-a-constitutionally-adequate/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [Lonely dissent doesn't feel like going to school dressed in black. It feels like going to school wearing a clown suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/lonely-dissent-doesn-t-feel-like-going-to-school-dressed-in-black-it/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) [Browse all 440 Dissent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Dissent is morally neutral. 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