--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the Olympics fail, human rights will…" description: "\"If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest of the world. I personally think: we want th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg" --- # If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The… ![“If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest of the world. I personally think: we want the Games and we want human rights to be respected.” quote by Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg) > “If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest of the world. I personally think: we want the Games and we want human rights to be respected.” [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author warns that neglecting human rights in the context of the Olympics undermines global standards, linking the Games’ credibility to ethical treatment. **In simple terms:** Olympics should uphold human rights. Key Takeaway Tie sports events to human rights monitoring. Themes sports human rights global governance ethics politics Mood critical hopeful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - Olympic bidding - host country policies - media coverage - activist campaigns Key Concepts soft power international law civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - Can sports be truly apolitical? - What mechanisms hold host nations accountable? A Different Perspective Balancing sport and politics is complex and contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Olympics Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics-fail-3632437/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rights Respected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-respected-1656684/) [Rights Suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-suffer-1770917/) [Suffer Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-government-962748/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [As a former teacher, it pains me to watch such an essential and rewarding profession suffer due to government neglect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/as-a-former-teacher-it-pains-me-to-watch-such-an-essential-and/) [Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/) > [“in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/in-every-state-is-a-blessing-but-government-even-in-its-best-state-is/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I hope the example of Saddam Hussein will give a lesson to leaders of other countries where human rights are not respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/i-hope-the-example-of-saddam-hussein-will-give-a-lesson-to-leaders-of/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Freedom of movement is the very essence of our free society -- once the right to travel is curtailed, all other rights suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/freedom-of-movement-is-the-very-essence-of-our-free-society-once-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There's a dilemma over how to balance concrete economic interests with critical opinions on the state of human rights. It's the human rights that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/there-s-a-dilemma-over-how-to-balance-concrete-economic-interests/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [This freedom of movement is the very essence of our free society, setting us apart. Like the right of assembly and the right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/this-freedom-of-movement-is-the-very-essence-of-our-free-society/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I adapt to almost anything. The primary condition is that one of my elementary rights be respected my dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-fulger/i-adapt-to-almost-anything-the-primary-condition-is-that-one-of-my/) [Mariana Fulger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-fulger/) > [Workers' rights must be respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciana-berger/workers-rights-must-be-respected/) [Luciana Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciana-berger/) > [All people deserve to be treated with dignity and have their human rights respected, no matter who they are or whom they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/all-people-deserve-to-be-treated-with-dignity-and-have-their-human/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I have gotten the sense that developments when it comes to human rights are very alarming. In the long term, it needs to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/i-have-gotten-the-sense-that-developments-when-it-comes-to-human/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [Working in a situation with men and women, and seeing women take on roles equal to the roles taken by men made you understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bond/working-in-a-situation-with-men-and-women-and-seeing-women-take-on/) [Julian Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bond/) > [Human rights transcend local or ethnocentric values, conferring equal dignity and value on all humanity regardless of sex, ethnicity, sexual preference, or religion. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/human-rights-transcend-local-or-ethnocentric-values-conferring-equal/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [I have always believed that I should have had no difficulty in causing my rights to be respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-whitney/i-have-always-believed-that-i-should-have-had-no-difficulty-in/) [Eli Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-whitney/) > [We know that society is better - more prosperous, more stable, more peaceful, more cohesive - when women's rights are respected and when women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/we-know-that-society-is-better-more-prosperous-more-stable-more/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [It was in that uncertain world that the European Convention on Human Rights was shaped. Written by Conservatives, it set out the principles which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-grayling/it-was-in-that-uncertain-world-that-the-european-convention-on-human/) [Chris Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-grayling/) ## More by Liu Xiaobo > [It took Hong Kong 100 years to become what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/it-took-hong-kong-100-years-to-become-what-it-is/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [Ultimately, change will happen when problems persist and enough people are concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/ultimately-change-will-happen-when-problems-persist-and-enough-people/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [“The ease with which money forgives bayonets and lies to justify the massacre with reasoned arguments”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/the-ease-with-which-money-forgives-bayonets-and-lies-to-justify-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [My dear, with your love I can calmly face my impending trial, having no regrets about the choices I've made and optimistically awaiting tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-dear-with-your-love-i-can-calmly-face-my-impending-trial-having-no/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I always think that reforms and turning China into a free country is a long and tortuous process. Despite this, in a totalitarian state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-always-think-that-reforms-and-turning-china-into-a-free-country-is/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [China, as a major nation of the world, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and as a member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/china-as-a-major-nation-of-the-world-as-one-of-five-permanent-members/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I can't imagine here would be a Chinese Gorbachev. But the party will gradually open up. For instance, it has already set a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-can-t-imagine-here-would-be-a-chinese-gorbachev-but-the-party-will/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me resist the temptations to join the world of lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-survived-helps-me-resist-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I do my best to make every word from my pen a cry from the heart for the souls of the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-do-my-best-to-make-every-word-from-my-pen-a-cry-from-the-heart-for/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [Our political system continues to produce human rights disasters and social crises, thereby not only constricting China's own development but also limiting the progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/our-political-system-continues-to-produce-human-rights-disasters-and/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I have viewed the West as if it were not only the salvation of China but also the natural and ultimate destination of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-have-viewed-the-west-as-if-it-were-not-only-the-salvation-of-china/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [There is no force that can put an end to the human quest for freedom, and China will, in the end, become a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/there-is-no-force-that-can-put-an-end-to-the-human-quest-for-freedom/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [In order to exercise the right to freedom of speech conferred by the Constitution, one should fulfill the social responsibility of a Chinese citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/in-order-to-exercise-the-right-to-freedom-of-speech-conferred-by-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [In my view, Reform and Opening Up began with the abandonment of the 'using class struggle as guiding principle' government policy of the Mao…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/in-my-view-reform-and-opening-up-began-with-the-abandonment-of-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [If there has been any progress in the Chinese society and politics over the last 20 years, it is all because the citizens have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-there-has-been-any-progress-in-the-chinese-society-and-politics/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) [Explore all 48 Liu Xiaobo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest of the world. I personally think: we want the Games and we want human rights to be respected.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Liu Xiaobo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-suffer-the-government-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-suffer-the-government-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c81/liu-xiaobo-13994_attention_if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-s_1205409.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the Olympics fail, human rights will suffer. The government would stop paying any attention to the rest…” — Liu Xiaobo", "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": "Liu Xiaobo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the Olympics fail, human rights...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-suffer-the-government-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-the-olympics-fail-human-rights-will-suffer-the-government-would/#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 } } ] } ```