--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't kick a man when he's down, unless…" description: "\"I don't kick a man when he's down, unless I'm the one who put him down in the first place. I don't put him down unless he deserves it. And I don't brea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/nora-roberts-128_break_i-don-t-kick-a-man-when-he-s-down-unless_359590.jpg" --- # I don't kick a man when he's down, unless I'm the one who… ![“I don't kick a man when he's down, unless I'm the one who put him down in the first place. I don't put him down unless he deserves it. And I don't break my word if I give it. So I'll give you my word.” quote by Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/nora-roberts-128_break_i-don-t-kick-a-man-when-he-s-down-unless_359590.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/nora-roberts-128_break_i-don-t-kick-a-man-when-he-s-down-unless_359590.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4b/nora-roberts-128_break_i-don-t-kick-a-man-when-he-s-down-unless_359590.jpg) > “I don't kick a man when he's down, unless I'm the one who put him down in the first place. I don't put him down unless he deserves it. And I don't break my word if I give it. So I'll give you my word.” [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asserts they only criticize or betray those they have caused harm to, and they keep promises they make. **In simple terms:** Only criticize those you harmed; keep promises. Key Takeaway Honor your word and be fair. Themes integrity fairness responsibility Mood reflective serious Type ethical personal. When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - trust building Key Concepts ethical conduct personal accountability Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever judge others harshly? - How do you ensure you keep promises? A Different Perspective If you caused harm, criticism may be justified, but fairness is subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-word-1068037/) [Deserve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserve/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Kick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kick/) [Kick Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kick-man-1146076/) [Kicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicks/) [Ll Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ll-word-3304051/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Unless Deserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-deserves-3304052/) ## Related quotes > [Never," he spat out, "kick a man who is pointing a gun at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/never-he-spat-out-kick-a-man-who-is-pointing-a-gun-at-you/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Never kick a man when he's up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tip-o-neill/never-kick-a-man-when-he-s-up/) [Tip O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tip-o-neill/) > [Tommy Aldridge is the guy that made me wanna play double kick, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinnie-paul/tommy-aldridge-is-the-guy-that-made-me-wanna-play-double-kick-man/) [Vinnie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinnie-paul/) > [“. . . you should always kick a man when he's down. It's much easier then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-m-stirling/you-should-always-kick-a-man-when-he-s-down-it-s-much-easier-then/) [S.M. Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-m-stirling/) > [I kick a man while he is down, in desperation. Desperation to show that I'm the Alpha and Omega. The leader, and outcast. This,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silentbluejay/i-kick-a-man-while-he-is-down-in-desperation-desperation-to-show-that/) [SilentBlueJay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silentbluejay/) > [They say never kick a man when he is down. But what if you are the one who put him there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dom-mereki/they-say-never-kick-a-man-when-he-is-down-but-what-if-you-are-the-one/) [Dom Mereki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dom-mereki/) > [Better break your word than do worse in keeping it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/better-break-your-word-than-do-worse-in-keeping-it/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self-respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/never-esteem-anything-as-of-advantage-to-you-that-will-make-you-break/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Break your word over me. Sinking in the quicksand break your word. Dont you see?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-flowers/break-your-word-over-me-sinking-in-the-quicksand-break-your-word-dont/) [Brandon Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-flowers/) > [“You broke the Man Code, dude. 'No man shall knowingly and with malice aforethought kick another man in the nuts.'" "Okay, so I kicked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-clare/you-broke-the-man-code-dude-no-man-shall-knowingly-and-with-malice/) [Pamela Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-clare/) > [Sure kick a man when he's down he's closer to your feet then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/sure-kick-a-man-when-he-s-down-he-s-closer-to-your-feet-then/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [What Joe Hamilton lacked more than anything else in the world was some one to kick him. Many a man who might have lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laurence-dunbar/what-joe-hamilton-lacked-more-than-anything-else-in-the-world-was/) [Paul Laurence Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laurence-dunbar/) > [“Soft citizens of the American democracy learned to kick a man below the belt and make the bastard scream. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/soft-citizens-of-the-american-democracy-learned-to-kick-a-man-below/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [A man will blithely do in politics what he would kick a man downstairs for in ordinary life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-primrose-5th-earl-of-rosebery/a-man-will-blithely-do-in-politics-what-he-would-kick-a-man/) [Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-primrose-5th-earl-of-rosebery/) > [“Unless you intend to kill him immediately thereafter, never kick a man in the balls. Not even symbolically. Or perhaps especially not symbolically.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/unless-you-intend-to-kill-him-immediately-thereafter-never-kick-a-man/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More by Nora Roberts > [“Why stop now? Seduce me, Brian.I dare you." "I've always found it hard to turn aside a dare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/why-stop-now-seduce-me-brian-i-dare-you-i-ve-always-found-it-hard-to/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Flowers that had bloomed brilliant from spring through autumn blackened under the killing frost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/flowers-that-had-bloomed-brilliant-from-spring-through-autumn/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“He's back in Maine now.She did say he badgered her with questions. Of course, she didn't have the answer until she spoke to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/he-s-back-in-maine-now-she-did-say-he-badgered-her-with-questions-of/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Every professor worth his PhD should have a fireplace in his study.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/every-professor-worth-his-phd-should-have-a-fireplace-in-his-study/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Sorry, bad wing." When Theo kissed him, surprise and pleasure flustered him. He couldn't remember the last time this boy, this young man, had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/sorry-bad-wing-when-theo-kissed-him-surprise-and-pleasure-flustered/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Because it's hard not to matter, even to someone you dislike.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/because-it-s-hard-not-to-matter-even-to-someone-you-dislike/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“No point in wishing for what you can't have. - Blair What's the point in wishing for what you can and do? - Larken”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/no-point-in-wishing-for-what-you-can-t-have-blair-what-s-the-point-in/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Grayson: Fiction is just a lie anyway. Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I've wanted to be with you when I didn't have the right to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-ve-wanted-to-be-with-you-when-i-didn-t-have-the-right-to/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [You can't write well what you don't read for pleasure. If it doesn't entertain you, it's not going to entertain anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-write-well-what-you-don-t-read-for-pleasure-if-it-doesn-t/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [You can't edit a blank page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-edit-a-blank-page/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“There was a boy down at the stables." She laughed suddenly with her back comfortably nestled against Grant's chest. "Oh,Lord,he was a bit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-was-a-boy-down-at-the-stables-she-laughed-suddenly-with-her/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Some people refuse to take the next step. You could refuse to take what you wanted most, because you're afraid someday you might lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/some-people-refuse-to-take-the-next-step-you-could-refuse-to-take/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“Oh, i'm going to kick his ass, and when i'm done, i'm going to squeeze his balls blue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/oh-i-m-going-to-kick-his-ass-and-when-i-m-done-i-m-going-to-squeeze/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) [Explore all 1,138 Nora Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) [Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't kick a man when he's down, unless I'm the one who put him down in the first place. I don't put him down unless he deserves it. And I don't break my word if I give it. 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