--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They promised to protect people, but…" description: "\"“They promised to protect people, but crimes still happened everyday. People were still hurt. People were still killed[...]the people didn´t even seem ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png" --- # They promised to protect people, but crimes still happened… ![“They promised to protect people, but crimes still happened everyday. People were still hurt. People were still killed[...]the people didn´t even seem to understand that their own despondency was as much at fault. {...] There was the potential for evil everywhere, and the only way to combat it was…” quote by Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png) > ““They promised to protect people, but crimes still happened everyday. People were still hurt. People were still killed\[...\]the people didn´t even seem to understand that their own despondency was as much at fault. {...\] There was the potential for evil everywhere, and the only way to combat it was if more people chose goodness. If more people chose heroism. Not laziness. Not apathy. Not indifference.”” [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Goodness and heroism must be chosen actively to counter pervasive evil and apathy. **In simple terms:** Choosing kindness fights evil. Key Takeaway Choose heroism daily. Themes morality heroism apathy Mood hopeful serious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - community activism - personal development - education programs Key Concepts ethical choice social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What motivates people to act kindly? - How can societies nurture heroism? A Different Perspective People may feel powerless to act. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Hurt People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-people/) ## Related quotes > [“There was the potential for evil everywhere, and the only way to combat it was if more people chose goodness. If more people chose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/there-was-the-potential-for-evil-everywhere-and-the-only-way-to/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“I believe in the goodness of people, sir, and the power of young folks like us to overcome what grown-ups like you might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-m-draper/i-believe-in-the-goodness-of-people-sir-and-the-power-of-young-folks/) [Sharon M. Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-m-draper/) > [We want to believe in the essential, unchanging goodness of people, in their power to resist external pressures, in their rational appraisal and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-want-to-believe-in-the-essential-unchanging-goodness-of-people-in/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Goodness is something people take advantage of, and if you want to remain a good person for long, you should make sure that too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-dhawan/goodness-is-something-people-take-advantage-of-and-if-you-want-to/) [Varun Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-dhawan/) > [“The goodness of people depends on the intentions of their brains and not on their religion or ancestry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-franco/the-goodness-of-people-depends-on-the-intentions-of-their-brains-and/) [Merlin Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-franco/) > [I just try to stay focused and show the goodness in me to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-bo-gum/i-just-try-to-stay-focused-and-show-the-goodness-in-me-to-people/) [Park Bo-gum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-bo-gum/) > [The people of Africa have learned the lessons of patience and endurance in their long struggle for freedom. In a cynical world we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-people-of-africa-have-learned-the-lessons-of-patience-and/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“If there were no goodness in people, mankind would still be confined to loping across a Savannah somewhere on Earth, watching the elephants rule,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/if-there-were-no-goodness-in-people-mankind-would-still-be-confined/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I've always believed in the goodness of people. I teach in prison. They all said, don't do it. Carry a gun, take Mace. Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/i-ve-always-believed-in-the-goodness-of-people-i-teach-in-prison-they/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [In one sense, the Stanford prison study is more like a Greek drama than a traditional experiment, in that we have humanity, represented by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/in-one-sense-the-stanford-prison-study-is-more-like-a-greek-drama/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [“She's the reason people feels loved and believed in the goodness in people .She's the reason thousand smiles ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-shaikh/she-s-the-reason-people-feels-loved-and-believed-in-the-goodness-in/) Imran Shaikh > [Inherently I think the goodness in most people, we get a warm sense of satisfaction if we help someone, it makes you feel better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rayner/inherently-i-think-the-goodness-in-most-people-we-get-a-warm-sense-of/) [Angela Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rayner/) > [Goodness in other people and what they contribute inspire me. I love it when someone is gifted and shares it in some way so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-zellweger/goodness-in-other-people-and-what-they-contribute-inspire-me-i-love/) [Renee Zellweger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-zellweger/) > [I am inspired when I see goodness in other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricia-helfer/i-am-inspired-when-i-see-goodness-in-other-people/) [Tricia Helfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricia-helfer/) > [Listen to people and treat people as you find them. There's an inherent goodness in most people. Don't pre-judge people - that was me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-bean/listen-to-people-and-treat-people-as-you-find-them-there-s-an/) [Sean Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-bean/) ## More by Marissa Meyer > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“You said yourself that the people of Luna need a revolutionary.” She lifted her chin, holding his gaze. “So I’m going to Luna, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/you-said-yourself-that-the-people-of-luna-need-a-revolutionary-she/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“See? Injustice. Here we are, risking our lives to rescue Kai and this whole planet, and Adri and Pearl get to go to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/see-injustice-here-we-are-risking-our-lives-to-rescue-kai-and-this/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [Her mind emptied of everything but the gusting wind and how fragile Wolf looked in that heartbeat, like one movement could break him open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/her-mind-emptied-of-everything-but-the-gusting-wind-and-how-fragile/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“I asked you once... if you thought you would ever be willing to wear a crown again. Not as the queen of Luna, but...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/i-asked-you-once-if-you-thought-you-would-ever-be-willing-to-wear-a/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“Lunars have the unique ability to not only detect bioelectricity in others, but to also control it. They can manipulate it so that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/lunars-have-the-unique-ability-to-not-only-detect-bioelectricity-in/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“It's her! Selene! Your Majesty!" Cinder took a step back and felt her serenity slough away, leaving behind the same tension she'd lived with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/it-s-her-selene-your-majesty-cinder-took-a-step-back-and-felt-her/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“What came to mind was a dinosaur. A tiny velociraptor, no bigger than her thumb. Relatively small, bur surprisingly ferocious. When the hasty drawing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/what-came-to-mind-was-a-dinosaur-a-tiny-velociraptor-no-bigger-than/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [Steadying herself with both hands on the table, she managed an awkward bow… 'Your Highness,' she stammered, head lowered... The prince flinched and cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/steadying-herself-with-both-hands-on-the-table-she-managed-an-awkward/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [The Snow White the midnight the moon tales of the mechanics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/the-snow-white-the-midnight-the-moon-tales-of-the-mechanics/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“Someday soon, I fear the palace will be soaked through with blood and all of Artemisia Lake will be so red, even the Earthens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/someday-soon-i-fear-the-palace-will-be-soaked-through-with-blood-and/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“No, I'm saving you from your psychotic step-mother.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/no-i-m-saving-you-from-your-psychotic-step-mother/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“Hinges squeaked from the back of the house, followed by thumping footsteps and Winter's dreamy voice flowing through the house's narrow halls. "But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/hinges-squeaked-from-the-back-of-the-house-followed-by-thumping/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“you are important”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/you-are-important/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“The others sat down to watch Iko work. She'd just finished teasing the hair at the crown of Scarlet's head when Scarlet asked, "Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/the-others-sat-down-to-watch-iko-work-she-d-just-finished-teasing-the/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) [Explore all 423 Marissa Meyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) ## More Heroism quotes > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The last act in the biography of the hero is that of the death or departure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-last-act-in-the-biography-of-the-hero-is-that-of-the-death-or/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“Forgotten hero was never the real hero, real hero can not be forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/forgotten-hero-was-never-the-real-hero-real-hero-can-not-be-forgotten/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“But surely even heroes weary lugging around the burdens of their heroism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-h-trumble/but-surely-even-heroes-weary-lugging-around-the-burdens-of-their/) [J.H. Trumble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-h-trumble/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [There was no heroism in 'Manichitrathazhu' but there will be heroism in 'Chandramukhi.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-vasu/there-was-no-heroism-in-manichitrathazhu-but-there-will-be-heroism-in/) [P. Vasu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-vasu/) > [The universe appears to me like an immense, inexorable torture-garden…Passions, greed, hatred, and lies; social institutions, justice, love, glory, heroism, and religion: these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/the-universe-appears-to-me-like-an-immense-inexorable-torture-garden/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [The epic disappeared along with the age of personal heroism; there can be no epic with artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-epic-disappeared-along-with-the-age-of-personal-heroism-there-can/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-ashe/true-heroism-is-remarkably-sober-very-undramatic-it-is-not-the-urge/) [Arthur Ashe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-ashe/) > [“Hero' is not an official status or designation, but if the world recognize you as a hero, it is the highest honor you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/hero-is-not-an-official-status-or-designation-but-if-the-world/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Heroism, self-denial, and magnanimity, in all instances where they do not spring from a principle of religion, are but splendid altars on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/heroism-self-denial-and-magnanimity-in-all-instances-where-they-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [You don't see heroism, humanity and hope like you do in a horror story. Horror celebrates the kind of friendship that keeps you standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/you-don-t-see-heroism-humanity-and-hope-like-you-do-in-a-horror-story/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“To assess the quality of thoughts of people, don't listen to their words, but watch their actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/to-assess-the-quality-of-thoughts-of-people-don-t-listen-to-their/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“The major problem of the world is, most of the people are unjustifiably angry and very few are loving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/the-major-problem-of-the-world-is-most-of-the-people-are/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) [Browse all 785 Heroism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They promised to protect people, but crimes still happened everyday. People were still hurt. People were still killed[...]the people didn´t even seem to understand that their own despondency was as much at fault. {...] There was the potential for evil everywhere, and the only way to combat it was if more people chose goodness. If more people chose heroism. Not laziness. Not apathy. Not indifference.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marissa Meyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crimes-still-happened-everyday/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heroism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crimes-still-happened-everyday/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/marissa-meyer-586_heroism_they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crim_2900155.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They promised to protect people, but crimes still happened everyday. People were still hurt. People were…” — Marissa Meyer", "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": "Marissa Meyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They promised to protect people, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crimes-still-happened-everyday/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/they-promised-to-protect-people-but-crimes-still-happened-everyday/#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 } } ] } ```