--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming…" description: "\"We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming Nazis.\" — Nick Clooney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg" --- # We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming Nazis. ![“We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming Nazis.” quote by Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg) > “We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming Nazis.” [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral integrity requires resisting the urge to adopt the methods of one’s enemies. **In simple terms:** Don’t become what you fight against. Key Takeaway Uphold ethical standards. Themes ethics resistance integrity Mood determined reflective Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - political movements - social justice - personal conduct Key Concepts moral philosophy historical lessons Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay true to values under pressure? - What examples show this principle? A Different Perspective Adopting enemy tactics can erode credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Defeat Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat-nazis-2594060/) [Didn Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-defeat-3036692/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Nazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazi/) [Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazis/) [Nazis Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazis-nazis-5048830/) ## Related quotes > [When you call somebody a Nazi, you can make the argument that you're inciting violence and here's how: As a country, we all agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-crenshaw/when-you-call-somebody-a-nazi-you-can-make-the-argument-that-you-re/) [Dan Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-crenshaw/) > [Tranmere didn't defeat me or get me down, the situation did. I fell out of love with football because I wasn't playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mullin/tranmere-didn-t-defeat-me-or-get-me-down-the-situation-did-i-fell-out/) [Paul Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mullin/) > [“She was the living, breathing proof that the hard things in life didn't have to defeat you - or even define you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wiggs/she-was-the-living-breathing-proof-that-the-hard-things-in-life-didn/) [Susan Wiggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wiggs/) > [ That was what made them so hilarious and unafraid. That was the strength of the Nazis. \[...\] They understood God better than anyone. They… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-was-what-made-them-so-hilarious-and-unafraid-that-was-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [No one who has studied Western history can cling to the belief that the Nazis invented genocide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-one-who-has-studied-western-history-can-cling-to-the-belief-that/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [it is interesting to find that people of faith now seek defensively to say that they are no worse than fascists or Nazis or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-is-interesting-to-find-that-people-of-faith-now-seek-defensively/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I suspect most likely that more Nazis came to America. I was a student at Harvard during the early 1950s. There was practically no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-suspect-most-likely-that-more-nazis-came-to-america-i-was-a-student/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The whole function of education is to create Nazis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-rust/the-whole-function-of-education-is-to-create-nazis/) [Bernhard Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-rust/) > [The missionaries of Christianity had said in effect: You have no right to live among us as Jews. The secular rulers who followed had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-hilberg/the-missionaries-of-christianity-had-said-in-effect-you-have-no-right/) [Raul Hilberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-hilberg/) > [A friend of ours said if the same laws were applied to U.S. Presidents as were applied to the Nazis after WWII, that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/a-friend-of-ours-said-if-the-same-laws-were-applied-to-u-s-presidents/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [A great number of people in the East German parts had been Nazis, so the change of mind was not altogether there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/a-great-number-of-people-in-the-east-german-parts-had-been-nazis-so/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [The Nazis victimized some people for what they did, some for what they refused to do, some for what they were, and some for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-horton-conway/the-nazis-victimized-some-people-for-what-they-did-some-for-what-they/) [John Horton Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-horton-conway/) > [People have a bad habit of blaming the victims. Damn Jews! If hadn't been for them the Nazis wouldn't have exterminated 'em all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-churchill/people-have-a-bad-habit-of-blaming-the-victims-damn-jews-if-hadn-t/) [Ward Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-churchill/) > [We don't need the Nazis to destroy us. We're destroying ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-frank/we-don-t-need-the-nazis-to-destroy-us-we-re-destroying-ourselves/) [Otto Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-frank/) > [When history looks back, I want people to know the Nazis weren't able to kill millions of people and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/when-history-looks-back-i-want-people-to-know-the-nazis-weren-t-able/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) ## More by Nick Clooney > [Whatever its other limitations, the Big Apple and those who live there make room for their dogs and cats, take good care of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/whatever-its-other-limitations-the-big-apple-and-those-who-live-there/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [Our nest eggs, no matter how small, are safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/our-nest-eggs-no-matter-how-small-are-safe/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [The kind of Iraq that emerges from all of this is ultimately out of our hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/the-kind-of-iraq-that-emerges-from-all-of-this-is-ultimately-out-of/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [No matter how many troops we have in place or how long they stay, we cannot impose a parliamentary democracy there any more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/no-matter-how-many-troops-we-have-in-place-or-how-long-they-stay-we/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [Currently, 94 out of 100 of us pay the Social Security tax all year round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/currently-94-out-of-100-of-us-pay-the-social-security-tax-all-year/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [In my opinion, the president is right to address future funding, even though Social Security will show a surplus through 2018 and will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/in-my-opinion-the-president-is-right-to-address-future-funding-even/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [The quality that defines us as Americans is the courage to respond to being hit. The courage to root out and destroy the killers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/the-quality-that-defines-us-as-americans-is-the-courage-to-respond-to/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [It is statesmanlike for the administration and Congress to look to our nation's welfare beyond their terms in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/it-is-statesmanlike-for-the-administration-and-congress-to-look-to/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [In matters large and small, many people seemed concerned about churlishness, an ugliness in our relationships that appears to be increasing rather than decreasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/in-matters-large-and-small-many-people-seemed-concerned-about/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [Our actions in the Middle East over the last 15 years have already guaranteed radical Muslims quite enough ammunition to kill Americans for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/our-actions-in-the-middle-east-over-the-last-15-years-have-already/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [Social Security is at last on the nation's front burner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/social-security-is-at-last-on-the-nation-s-front-burner/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [America has faced much more difficult times, including potential national extinction, without flinching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/america-has-faced-much-more-difficult-times-including-potential/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [The worst thing that can happen to us in an ideological struggle is to become what we are fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-to-us-in-an-ideological-struggle-is/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [We don't defeat evil by becoming evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/we-don-t-defeat-evil-by-becoming-evil/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) > [As I listened, it occurred to me that interest in and affection for the animals that share the planet with us may be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/as-i-listened-it-occurred-to-me-that-interest-in-and-affection-for/) [Nick Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) [Explore all 30 Nick Clooney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/) ## More Becoming quotes > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/) [Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) [Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming Nazis.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Clooney" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-nazis/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Becoming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-nazis/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/331/nick-clooney-21047_becoming_we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-n_1423627.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We didn't defeat the Nazis by becoming Nazis.” — Nick Clooney", "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": "Nick Clooney", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clooney/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We didn't defeat the Nazis by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-nazis/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clooney/we-didn-t-defeat-the-nazis-by-becoming-nazis/#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 } } ] } ```