---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes them haughty and strong is…"
description: "\"“What makes them haughty and strong is that they've studied to be authorities so that the law will be obeyed. The law has always been hard. They say th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg"
---

#  What makes them haughty and strong is that they've studied…

![“What makes them haughty and strong is that they've studied to be authorities so that the law will be obeyed. The law has always been hard. They say that only by being that way can they force you to obey the law; there are people who won't be good otherwise. We're only interested in being bad, they…” quote by Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg)

> ““What makes them haughty and strong is that they've studied to be authorities so that the law will be obeyed. The law has always been hard. They say that only by being that way can they force you to obey the law; there are people who won't be good otherwise. We're only interested in being bad, they say. I don't know, I've never done anything bad to anyone, not to José or to my children . . . They defend private property--that principle--is sacred--because it is possible for our hands to be stained with blood; but to appropriate what isn't ours, that's out of the question.””

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Authority and law are upheld by those who study them, but some reject obedience, valuing personal morality over imposed rules.

**In simple terms:** People study law to enforce it, yet some choose personal ethics.

Key Takeaway

Question authority, uphold personal values.

Themes

law morality authority rebellion

Mood

reflective tense

Type

philosophical controversial

When to use this quote

- legal profession
- activism
- parenting

Key Concepts

ethical philosophy social contract civil disobedience

Questions to Reflect On

- When is breaking a law justified?
- How do personal morals clash with legal duties?

A Different Perspective

Rigid law can suppress individuality; conflict may arise.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Police violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-violence/)

## Related quotes

> [First, there is the law. It must be obeyed. But the law is the minimum. You must act ethically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-rodgers/first-there-is-the-law-it-must-be-obeyed-but-the-law-is-the-minimum/)

[Buck Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-rodgers/)

> [I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is the strongest. What force has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-was-not-born-to-be-forced-i-will-breathe-after-my-own-fashion-let/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [It is not doubted, and you know it, that Ireland and all those islands which have received the faith, belong to the Church of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-adrian-iv/it-is-not-doubted-and-you-know-it-that-ireland-and-all-those-islands/)

Pope Adrian IV

> [“We see here that Plato recognizes only one ultimate standard, the interest of the state. Everything that furthers it is good and virtuous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-popper/we-see-here-that-plato-recognizes-only-one-ultimate-standard-the/)

[Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-popper/)

> [“One of the most damaging, longest-lasting consequences of the War on Terror years is an utter obliteration of the obvious moral case for nonviolence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-el-akkad/one-of-the-most-damaging-longest-lasting-consequences-of-the-war-on/)

[Omar El Akkad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-el-akkad/)

> [“In another city. In another place. Luk would have had to submit his plans for approval. Months would have been lost. Waiting. The Ministry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-chua/in-another-city-in-another-place-luk-would-have-had-to-submit-his/)

[Lawrence Chua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-chua/)

> [“As long as the law, the people representing the law, as long as they abide by the law they represent, they’re in a safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin-marynick/as-long-as-the-law-the-people-representing-the-law-as-long-as-they/)

[Marlin Marynick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin-marynick/)

> [The law is whatever people determine it to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/the-law-is-whatever-people-determine-it-to-be/)

[David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/)

> [“Dude, there should be a law against people singing that bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-dean/dude-there-should-be-a-law-against-people-singing-that-bad/)

[Carolee Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-dean/)

> [Custom, that unwritten law, By which the people keep even kings in awe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-davenport/custom-that-unwritten-law-by-which-the-people-keep-even-kings-in-awe/)

Charles Davenport

> [At the moment we have a ruling class that has one law and the people the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-khan/at-the-moment-we-have-a-ruling-class-that-has-one-law-and-the-people/)

[Imran Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-khan/)

> [The law's the law, but people are people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-law-s-the-law-but-people-are-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There ought to be an onus on the people that want a law, rather than people that don't need a new law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/there-ought-to-be-an-onus-on-the-people-that-want-a-law-rather-than/)

[Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/)

> [There should be a law to the People besides its own will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-should-be-a-law-to-the-people-besides-its-own-will/)

[Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/)

> [“The judge does not make the law. It is the people that make the law. It is the duty of a judge to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/the-judge-does-not-make-the-law-it-is-the-people-that-make-the-law-it/)

[Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/)

## More by Manlio Argueta

> [“Guadalupe Fuentes: --They're not paid to kill honest people, to shoot for no good reasons. Rubenia Fuentes: --Ah, my little girl, then why do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/guadalupe-fuentes-they-re-not-paid-to-kill-honest-people-to-shoot-for/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“It was nicer that way. knowing that something called rights existed. The right to health care, to good and to schooling for our children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/it-was-nicer-that-way-knowing-that-something-called-rights-existed/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“Life gets harder and harder. They say we have a lot of people in this country. And the most abundant are the poor. Hordes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/life-gets-harder-and-harder-they-say-we-have-a-lot-of-people-in-this/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“If I’m called on to shed my blood, it doesn't matter because it's for the good of everyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/if-i-m-called-on-to-shed-my-blood-it-doesn-t-matter-because-it-s-for/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“No one forgets his pain, that’s a lie. It’s buried there in memory and remains in you forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/no-one-forgets-his-pain-that-s-a-lie-it-s-buried-there-in-memory-and/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“The road to Hell is paved with evildoers, they'd tell us. And the evildoers were those who had bad thoughts. We always wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-evildoers-they-d-tell-us-and-the/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“They taught us to manage money and how to et a good price for our eggs, chickens or pigs. We used to know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/they-taught-us-to-manage-money-and-how-to-et-a-good-price-for-our/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“We call our worst enemies dogs, but they don't deserve it because dogs are the friends of man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/we-call-our-worst-enemies-dogs-but-they-don-t-deserve-it-because-dogs/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“Even innocent people find themselves in trouble, Adolfina is innocent. We're all innocent. The only ones at fault for the bad things that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/even-innocent-people-find-themselves-in-trouble-adolfina-is-innocent/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“The guardsmen dragged him to the Detour; the mules they had ridden were there. The corpse was buried near here or the buzzards ate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/the-guardsmen-dragged-him-to-the-detour-the-mules-they-had-ridden/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“Dogs have something of us in them. Something of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/dogs-have-something-of-us-in-them-something-of-god/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

> [“We have to be well fed, the gringo tells us, so we can defend the country. In exchange for these pleasures, we cannot let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/we-have-to-be-well-fed-the-gringo-tells-us-so-we-can-defend-the/)

[Manlio Argueta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

[Explore all 13 Manlio Argueta quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/)

## More Police violence quotes

> [Police violence is the tip of the iceberg when it relates to the conditions overall of black people across the globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-garza/police-violence-is-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-when-it-relates-to-the/)

[Alicia Garza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-garza/)

> [You know, my mom, she's a little older than me. Her history in watching, you know, police violence and violence, period, over the years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-king/you-know-my-mom-she-s-a-little-older-than-me-her-history-in-watching/)

[Rodney King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-king/)

> [Another bigger problem is the fact that these incidents of police violence continue to occur because far too often the officers on the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakeem-jeffries/another-bigger-problem-is-the-fact-that-these-incidents-of-police/)

[Hakeem Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakeem-jeffries/)

> [I am often asked what it is like to be on the 'front line.' But I do not use the term 'front line' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/i-am-often-asked-what-it-is-like-to-be-on-the-front-line-but-i-do-not/)

[DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/)

> [Nothing will ever bring back George Floyd, or any of the thousands of others we have lost to racist police violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaal-bowman/nothing-will-ever-bring-back-george-floyd-or-any-of-the-thousands-of/)

[Jamaal Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaal-bowman/)

> [I think that the response to the OJ Simpson trial was based on a kind of sensibility that emerged out of the many campaigns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-that-the-response-to-the-oj-simpson-trial-was-based-on-a-kind/)

[Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/)

> [Decade after decade, the police culture has been just the very opposite. And that's been to ignore or to rally around. And that's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakeem-jeffries/decade-after-decade-the-police-culture-has-been-just-the-very/)

[Hakeem Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakeem-jeffries/)

> [“Turns out if you write about police violence and atrocities, if you wait a month, it'll happen again, so... That's America.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/turns-out-if-you-write-about-police-violence-and-atrocities-if-you/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [“Police officers today are a protected class, one no politician wants to oppose. Law enforcement interests may occasionally come up short on budgetary issues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radley-balko/police-officers-today-are-a-protected-class-one-no-politician-wants/)

[Radley Balko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radley-balko/)

> [The Polish freedom movement of 1968 lost its confrontation with police violence; the Prague Spring was crushed by the armies of five Warsaw Pact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/the-polish-freedom-movement-of-1968-lost-its-confrontation-with/)

[Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/)

> [Local prosecutors must use the power and discretion afforded them to carry out sweeping reforms that will protect the public - especially Black communities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chesa-boudin/local-prosecutors-must-use-the-power-and-discretion-afforded-them-to/)

[Chesa Boudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chesa-boudin/)

> [ President \[Barack\] Obama's choice of Rahm Emmanuel as his Chief of Staff was questionable, and perhaps coverups around the police violence against black people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-malveaux/president-barack-obama-s-choice-of-rahm-emmanuel-as-his-chief-of/)

[Julianne Malveaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-malveaux/)

> [When you look at police violence, over the last three or four years, whether you call it a social, economic or racial thing, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hodge/when-you-look-at-police-violence-over-the-last-three-or-four-years/)

[Edwin Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hodge/)

> [Sometimes you want to have a talk about race, about police violence. It's very hard to get through to somebody. Everyone's got their side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colton-dunn/sometimes-you-want-to-have-a-talk-about-race-about-police-violence-it/)

[Colton Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colton-dunn/)

> [In Quebec, in spite of police violence and threats, thousands of students demonstrated for months against a former right-wing government that wanted to raise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/in-quebec-in-spite-of-police-violence-and-threats-thousands-of/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

[Browse all 34 Police violence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-violence/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“What makes them haughty and strong is that they've studied to be authorities so that the law will be obeyed. The law has always been hard. They say that only by being that way can they force you to obey the law; there are people who won't be good otherwise. We're only interested in being bad, they say. I don't know, I've never done anything bad to anyone, not to José or to my children . . . They defend private property--that principle--is sacred--because it is possible for our hands to be stained with blood; but to appropriate what isn't ours, that's out of the question.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Manlio Argueta"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-that-they-ve-studied-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Police violence"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-that-they-ve-studied-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/manlio-argueta-35670_inherent-violence_what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-th_175620.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What makes them haughty and strong is that they've studied to be authorities so that the law will be obeyed…” — Manlio Argueta",
                "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": "Manlio Argueta",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manlio-argueta/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“What makes them haughty and strong...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-that-they-ve-studied-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manlio-argueta/what-makes-them-haughty-and-strong-is-that-they-ve-studied-to-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
