--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are always monsters,” the old man…" description: "\"“There are always monsters,” the old man replied. “Just as there are always men who will join them, and men who will fight them.”\" — Nora Roberts" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg" --- # There are always monsters,” the old man replied. “Just as… ![“There are always monsters,” the old man replied. “Just as there are always men who will join them, and men who will fight them.” quote by Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg) > ““There are always monsters,” the old man replied. “Just as there are always men who will join them, and men who will fight them.”” [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. Monsters symbolize persistent threats; people choose to join, oppose, or ignore them. **In simple terms:** Threats exist; people react differently. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront threats, not just observe. Themes conflict morality choice Mood tense reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - political movements - community safety Key Concepts human nature evil altruism Questions to Reflect On - What role do you play when faced with a threat? - How can you influence others to fight rather than join? A Different Perspective Some threats are internal, not external. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-fight-755540/) [Men Join](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-join-2609655/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Monsters Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters-old-4820672/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ## Related quotes > [Good men are not those who now and then do a good act, but men who join one good act to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/good-men-are-not-those-who-now-and-then-do-a-good-act-but-men-who/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/we-were-born-to-unite-with-our-fellow-men-and-to-join-in-community/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Men do not fight for flag or country, for the Marine Corps or glory or any other abstraction. They fight for one another. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-manchester/men-do-not-fight-for-flag-or-country-for-the-marine-corps-or-glory-or/) [William Manchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-manchester/) > [Men will not fight and die without knowing what they are fighting and dying for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-will-not-fight-and-die-without-knowing-what-they-are-fighting-and/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Older men start wars, but younger men fight them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/older-men-start-wars-but-younger-men-fight-them/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The men who could not fight, in a war that didn't seem right. 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I don't get to do enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/i-m-very-fond-of-doing-movies-where-men-fight-over-me-i-don-t-get-to/) [Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/) > [Water and our necessary food are the only things that wise men must fight for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/water-and-our-necessary-food-are-the-only-things-that-wise-men-must/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) ## More by Nora Roberts > [“Why stop now? Seduce me, Brian.I dare you." 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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 Monsters quotes > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“Monsters are divine portents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davidson/monsters-are-divine-portents/) [Andrew Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davidson/) > [My idea for 'BoneMan's Daughters' came from the loss of my own daughter when she left home to live with a monster at age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/my-idea-for-boneman-s-daughters-came-from-the-loss-of-my-own-daughter/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“Monsters are made”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/monsters-are-made/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [Beware, gentle knight - the greatest monster of them all is reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/beware-gentle-knight-the-greatest-monster-of-them-all-is-reason/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [Why what a fool was I to this drunken monster for a God. - Caliban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/why-what-a-fool-was-i-to-this-drunken-monster-for-a-god-caliban/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Alas, you don't need monsters for monstrous deeds to be accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/alas-you-don-t-need-monsters-for-monstrous-deeds-to-be-accomplished/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [I have a private theory, Sir, that there are no heroes and no monsters in this world. Only children should be allowed to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-de-vigny/i-have-a-private-theory-sir-that-there-are-no-heroes-and-no-monsters/) [Alfred de Vigny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-de-vigny/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [You know how some people seem to think that their love for classical music makes them spiritual or at least something quite special? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-stout/you-know-how-some-people-seem-to-think-that-their-love-for-classical/) [Ruth Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-stout/) > [Until we have met the monsters in ourselves, we keep trying to slay them in the outer world. And we find that we cannot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/until-we-have-met-the-monsters-in-ourselves-we-keep-trying-to-slay/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“..the world seems full of good men--even if there are monsters in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/the-world-seems-full-of-good-men-even-if-there-are-monsters-in-it/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [He felt as though he were wandering in the forests of the sea bottom, lost in a monstrous world where he himself was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/he-felt-as-though-he-were-wandering-in-the-forests-of-the-sea-bottom/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I'm an old school guy and love the guys in the monster suits and JAWS; even though everyone makes fun of the shark I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-fessenden/i-m-an-old-school-guy-and-love-the-guys-in-the-monster-suits-and-jaws/) [Larry Fessenden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-fessenden/) [Browse all 1,998 Monsters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are always monsters,” the old man replied. “Just as there are always men who will join them, and men who will fight them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nora Roberts" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-replied-just-as-there-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Monsters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-replied-just-as-there-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ac/nora-roberts-128_old-man_there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-re_2198619.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are always monsters,” the old man replied. “Just as there are always men who will join them, and men…” — Nora Roberts", "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": "Nora Roberts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There are always monsters,” the old...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-replied-just-as-there-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/there-are-always-monsters-the-old-man-replied-just-as-there-are/#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 } } ] } ```