--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never befriend the oppressed unless you…" description: "\"Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.\" — Ogden Nash" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png" --- # Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to… ![“Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.” quote by Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png) > “Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.” [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoid aligning with the oppressed if you are not ready to confront the oppressor, emphasizing the responsibility that comes with solidarity. **In simple terms:** Solidarity requires confronting power. Key Takeaway Be ready to face the oppressor before supporting the oppressed. Themes solidarity responsibility power dynamics Mood thoughtful cautious Type ethical political When to use this quote - protests - advocacy - political movements - community organizing Key Concepts ethical activism social justice Questions to Reflect On - Are you prepared to challenge authority? - How do you balance empathy with personal safety? A Different Perspective Not all alliances are safe; risk of co‑optation exists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Befriend Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/befriend-oppressed-4147294/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Oppressed Unless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed-unless-4147295/) [Prepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepared/) [Prepared Oppressor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepared-oppressor-4147296/) [Unless Prepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unless-prepared-1082190/) ## Related quotes > [It’s not really pressure, unless you’re not prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-kaepernick/it-s-not-really-pressure-unless-you-re-not-prepared/) [Colin Kaepernick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-kaepernick/) > [As an actor there's no autonomy, unless you're prepared to risk the possibility of starving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-kingsley/as-an-actor-there-s-no-autonomy-unless-you-re-prepared-to-risk-the/) [Ben Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-kingsley/) > [“Never open a can of worms unless you are prepared to consume the contents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphya-cing/never-open-a-can-of-worms-unless-you-are-prepared-to-consume-the/) [Alphya Cing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphya-cing/) > [You must not do, you must not even try to do, the will of the Father unless you are prepared to 'know of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/you-must-not-do-you-must-not-even-try-to-do-the-will-of-the-father/) [C. 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Steere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-v-steere/) > [Judge not others unless you're prepared to be judged!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/judge-not-others-unless-you-re-prepared-to-be-judged/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [“Don't open the can of worms unless you're prepared to eat the contents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiltie-jackson/don-t-open-the-can-of-worms-unless-you-re-prepared-to-eat-the-contents/) [Kiltie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiltie-jackson/) > [I do not want a kingdom, or heaven; what I want is to remove the trouble of the oppressed, the poor, and the needy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-a-kingdom-or-heaven-what-i-want-is-to-remove-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More by Ogden Nash > [There is only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, and that is to have either a clear conscience or none at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/there-is-only-one-way-to-achieve-happiness-on-this-terrestrial-ball/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [The sky is now indelible ink, The branches reft asunder; But you and I we do not shrink; We love the lovely thunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/the-sky-is-now-indelible-ink-the-branches-reft-asunder-but-you-and-i/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Middle-aged life is merry, and I love to lead it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/middle-aged-life-is-merry-and-i-love-to-lead-it/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [When a lady's erotic life is vexed God knows what God is coming next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/when-a-lady-s-erotic-life-is-vexed-god-knows-what-god-is-coming-next/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Love is a word that is constantly heard, Hate is a word that is not. Love, I am told, is more precious that gold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/love-is-a-word-that-is-constantly-heard-hate-is-a-word-that-is-not/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [A husband is a guy who tells you when you've got on too much lipstick and helps you with your girdle when your hips…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/a-husband-is-a-guy-who-tells-you-when-you-ve-got-on-too-much-lipstick/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other never forgets them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/marriage-is-the-alliance-of-two-people-one-of-whom-never-remembers/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [I claim there ain't Another Saint As great as Valentine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/i-claim-there-ain-t-another-saint-as-great-as-valentine/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Senescence begins And middle-age ends The day your descendants Outnumber your friends”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/senescence-begins-and-middle-age-ends-the-day-your-descendants/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [Poets arent very usefulBecause they aren't consumeful or produceful..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/poets-arent-very-usefulbecause-they-aren-t-consumeful-or-produceful/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [I don't mind their having a lot of money, and I don't care how they employ it, but I do think that they damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/i-don-t-mind-their-having-a-lot-of-money-and-i-don-t-care-how-they/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [To maintain your marriage brimming, with really like in the wedding cup, anytime you are incorrect, admit it each time you're proper, shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/to-maintain-your-marriage-brimming-with-really-like-in-the-wedding/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [No, you never get any fun Out of the things you haven't done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/no-you-never-get-any-fun-out-of-the-things-you-haven-t-done/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Which the Chicken and Which the Egg? He drinks because she scolds, he thinks; She thinks she scolds because he drinks; And nether will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/which-the-chicken-and-which-the-egg-he-drinks-because-she-scolds-he/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“People can't concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/people-can-t-concentrate-properly-on-blowing-other-people-to-pieces/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) [Explore all 261 Ogden Nash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) [James Buckham Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckham-kennedy/) > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) [S.E. SEVER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-sever/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ogden Nash" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you-are-prepared-to-take-on-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you-are-prepared-to-take-on-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d13/ogden-nash-1286_adversity_never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you_482487.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.” — Ogden Nash", "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": "Ogden Nash", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Never befriend the oppressed unless you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you-are-prepared-to-take-on-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/never-befriend-the-oppressed-unless-you-are-prepared-to-take-on-the/#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 } } ] } ```