--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should not label people who speak up…" description: "\"We should not label people who speak up, because it should not be the exception - it should be the norm. When you see something wrong, you speak up.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/manal-al-sharif-12323_people_we-should-not-label-people-who-speak-up_1187503.jpg" --- # We should not label people who speak up, because it should… ![“We should not label people who speak up, because it should not be the exception - it should be the norm. When you see something wrong, you speak up.” quote by Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/manal-al-sharif-12323_people_we-should-not-label-people-who-speak-up_1187503.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/manal-al-sharif-12323_people_we-should-not-label-people-who-speak-up_1187503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ec/manal-al-sharif-12323_people_we-should-not-label-people-who-speak-up_1187503.jpg) > “We should not label people who speak up, because it should not be the exception - it should be the norm. When you see something wrong, you speak up.” [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages normalizing speaking up against wrongdoing rather than treating it as exceptional. **In simple terms:** Speak up should be a habit. Key Takeaway Make speaking up a regular practice. Themes courage activism social norms Mood determined empowering Type activist motivational When to use this quote - workplace - community meetings - schools - online forums Key Concepts whistleblowing ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What barriers stop you from speaking up? - How can you create safe spaces for speaking up? A Different Perspective May fear of retaliation silence voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exception Norm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exception-norm-2301051/) [Label People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/label-people-1193255/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-speak/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak Exception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-exception-3509174/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-speak-1601289/) ## Related quotes > [When I see something wrong, I speak up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/when-i-see-something-wrong-i-speak-up/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [Sustaining Peace is happening. But it is the exception - not the norm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-lajcak/sustaining-peace-is-happening-but-it-is-the-exception-not-the-norm/) [Miroslav Lajcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-lajcak/) > [If there's something wrong, speak up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/if-there-s-something-wrong-speak-up/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [If you see something wrong, if you speak out...you can change it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-kennedy/if-you-see-something-wrong-if-you-speak-out-you-can-change-it/) [Ethel Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-kennedy/) > [“The count came back to young Morcerf. 'Don't you think,' he said, 'on reflection that you were wrong to speak in that way about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/the-count-came-back-to-young-morcerf-don-t-you-think-he-said-on/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [In Washington, there's always an effort to label people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-norton/in-washington-there-s-always-an-effort-to-label-people/) [Gale Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-norton/) > [People want to label people and that's all they want to do. They don't want to get to know them, they don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gatlin/people-want-to-label-people-and-that-s-all-they-want-to-do-they-don-t/) [Justin Gatlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gatlin/) > [“We consistently label people, actions, words, situations, and events as “bad”, “not good enough”, or “wrong”. We say, “She is annoying”, “She is boring”,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-elkrief/we-consistently-label-people-actions-words-situations-and-events-as/) [Noah Elkrief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-elkrief/) > [Be tolerant of differences, rich & poor, big & small. Don't label people from another social circle. We don't want that to happen to us too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mufti-ismail-menk/be-tolerant-of-differences-rich-poor-big-small-don-t-label-people/) [Mufti Ismail Menk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mufti-ismail-menk/) > [I met a lot of label people at the start of doing this music thing, and I just realised soon that it wasn't much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-orange-county/i-met-a-lot-of-label-people-at-the-start-of-doing-this-music-thing/) [Rex Orange County](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-orange-county/) > [Labels can be really helpful when we have the autonomy to label ourselves. But when other people label us without our permission, that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asia-kate-dillon/labels-can-be-really-helpful-when-we-have-the-autonomy-to-label/) [Asia Kate Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asia-kate-dillon/) > [I decided to start my own label because so many people with talent come to me wanting to know how they can get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-decided-to-start-my-own-label-because-so-many-people-with-talent/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [We could have done a better job explaining what was in the Affordable Care Act, but when you talk to people and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/we-could-have-done-a-better-job-explaining-what-was-in-the-affordable/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [Because we are Nashville-based and predominately a country label, people obviously think of us in that way, and that's fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-borchetta/because-we-are-nashville-based-and-predominately-a-country-label/) [Scott Borchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-borchetta/) > [“Heroism is a label most people get for doing shit they’d never do if they were really thinking about it.” Anna”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/heroism-is-a-label-most-people-get-for-doing-shit-they-d-never-do-if/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) ## More by Manal al-Sharif > [“Freedom is to live with dignity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/freedom-is-to-live-with-dignity/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [“I had to smuggle an early Nokia camera cell phone into the country from Bahrain in 2004. There was a large black market for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/i-had-to-smuggle-an-early-nokia-camera-cell-phone-into-the-country/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [I love my sons, I love my husband, and I love my country. But in kingdoms of men, there are few - if any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/i-love-my-sons-i-love-my-husband-and-i-love-my-country-but-in/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [When I see something wrong, I speak up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/when-i-see-something-wrong-i-speak-up/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [Who do you think is more difficult to face: oppressive governments, or oppressive societies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/who-do-you-think-is-more-difficult-to-face-oppressive-governments-or/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [I realised it is impossible to live with the rules they give Saudi women. Just impossible. You trying to do everything by the book,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/i-realised-it-is-impossible-to-live-with-the-rules-they-give-saudi/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [“Because my mother couldn't change my present, I decided to change my daughter's future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/because-my-mother-couldn-t-change-my-present-i-decided-to-change-my/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [For us, driving is not what we are looking for, but being in the driver's seat of our only destiny. That means ending guardianship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/for-us-driving-is-not-what-we-are-looking-for-but-being-in-the-driver/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [The Saudi ideal of a woman is a religious mother who rarely ventures out: She shouldn't work with men, she should be completely covered,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/the-saudi-ideal-of-a-woman-is-a-religious-mother-who-rarely-ventures/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [Women's rights are nothing but a part of the bigger picture, which is human rights. Women are trusted with the lives of their kids,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/women-s-rights-are-nothing-but-a-part-of-the-bigger-picture-which-is/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [“We were like captive animals that had lost the will to fight. We even went so far as to defend the very constraints that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/we-were-like-captive-animals-that-had-lost-the-will-to-fight-we-even/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [The rain begins with a single drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/the-rain-begins-with-a-single-drop/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [I'm just a human being who would not accept being wronged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/i-m-just-a-human-being-who-would-not-accept-being-wronged/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [My father's generation of Saudi men are more liberal than the men of my generation. But with women, it's the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/my-father-s-generation-of-saudi-men-are-more-liberal-than-the-men-of/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [That is life for a Saudi woman: wherever we go, whatever we achieve, we are the property of a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/that-is-life-for-a-saudi-woman-wherever-we-go-whatever-we-achieve-we/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) [Explore all 54 Manal al-Sharif quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. 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