--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The trouble with treating people as…" description: "\"The trouble with treating people as equals is that the first thing you know they may be doing the same thing to you.\" — Peter De Vries" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg" --- # The trouble with treating people as equals is that the… ![“The trouble with treating people as equals is that the first thing you know they may be doing the same thing to you.” quote by Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg) > “The trouble with treating people as equals is that the first thing you know they may be doing the same thing to you.” [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating everyone equally can lead to reciprocal behavior, both positive and negative, reminding us that fairness invites similar treatment. **In simple terms:** Equality invites similar actions. Key Takeaway Expect reciprocity. Themes fairness relationships human nature ethics Mood thoughtful cautious analytical Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - teamwork - conflict resolution - negotiations - leadership decisions Key Concepts social reciprocity psychology of equality interpersonal dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Do you treat others as you wish to be treated? - When does equality become a disadvantage? A Different Perspective People may exploit equality for personal gain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“It follows that the more people we take to be our equals and compare ourselves to, the more people there will be to envy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/it-follows-that-the-more-people-we-take-to-be-our-equals-and-compare/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [The attempt to live that way, the attempt to treat everybody - it fails all the time - but the attempt to treat people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-s-merwin/the-attempt-to-live-that-way-the-attempt-to-treat-everybody-it-fails/) [W. S. Merwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-s-merwin/) > [You've got to treat people as equals, and make them feel like it's their company. I don't know if I've had any impact or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-milken/you-ve-got-to-treat-people-as-equals-and-make-them-feel-like-it-s/) [Michael Milken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-milken/) > [The more money women make, the less violence, the less sexual crimes against women. Everything horrific and misogynistic declines. But then what you're dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-marche/the-more-money-women-make-the-less-violence-the-less-sexual-crimes/) [Stephen Marche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-marche/) > [Right time, right place, right people equals success. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong people equals most of the real human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/right-time-right-place-right-people-equals-success-wrong-time-wrong/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [I take care of who I am and what I do, treating people in the nicest way possible and everything comes back in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkay-gundogan/i-take-care-of-who-i-am-and-what-i-do-treating-people-in-the-nicest/) [Ilkay Gundogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkay-gundogan/) > [In the end, no one can say I didn't give it my best shot when it comes to treating people right...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-end-no-one-can-say-i-didn-t-give-it-my-best-shot-when-it-comes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a difference between a plow horse and a racehorse. Treating people equally does not mean treating them the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-difference-between-a-plow-horse-and-a-racehorse-treating/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Treating people the same is not equal treatment if they are not the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/treating-people-the-same-is-not-equal-treatment-if-they-are-not-the/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [There is nothing to lose for treating people right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-to-lose-for-treating-people-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Treating people fairly and with civility is not a bad thing... It would be good for our country if political leaders actually took that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/treating-people-fairly-and-with-civility-is-not-a-bad-thing-it-would/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [There are times when you get frustrated, but the one thing you always focus on is treating people well. You just cannot storm off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/there-are-times-when-you-get-frustrated-but-the-one-thing-you-always/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Treating other people as you would like to be treated. It is an ancient, universal ethical imperative. And it requires no supernatural beliefs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-zuckerman/treating-other-people-as-you-would-like-to-be-treated-it-is-an/) [Phil Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-zuckerman/) > [Justice never means "treating everybody the same way", but "treating people appropriately".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/justice-never-means-treating-everybody-the-same-way-but-treating/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [God will take care of you AND the people who did/do you wrong! Just keep doing right and treating people right! He will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-will-take-care-of-you-and-the-people-who-did-do-you-wrong-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Peter De Vries > [A hundred years ago Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter was given an A for adultery; today she would rate no better than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/a-hundred-years-ago-hester-prynne-of-the-scarlet-letter-was-given-an/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [Celibacy is the worst form of self-abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/celibacy-is-the-worst-form-of-self-abuse/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [Marriage is a lottery in which men stake their liberty and women their happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/marriage-is-a-lottery-in-which-men-stake-their-liberty-and-women/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [What we are assigned to bear is in a sense a measure of our stature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/what-we-are-assigned-to-bear-is-in-a-sense-a-measure-of-our-stature/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [ “Who of us is mature enough for offspring before the offspring themselves arrive? The value of \[parenthood\] is not that adults produce children but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/who-of-us-is-mature-enough-for-offspring-before-the-offspring/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [I wondered whether any woman could be happy with a man who says 'folderol'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/i-wondered-whether-any-woman-could-be-happy-with-a-man-who-says/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [When I see a paragraph shrinking under my eyes like a strip of bacon in a skillet, I know I'm on the right track.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/when-i-see-a-paragraph-shrinking-under-my-eyes-like-a-strip-of-bacon/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [We must love one another, yes, yes, that's all true enough, but nothing says we have to like each other. It may be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/we-must-love-one-another-yes-yes-that-s-all-true-enough-but-nothing/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/gluttony-is-an-emotional-escape-a-sign-something-is-eating-us/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [The tuba is certainly the most intestinal of instruments, the very lower bowel of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/the-tuba-is-certainly-the-most-intestinal-of-instruments-the-very/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [My father hated radio and could not wait for television to be invented so he could hate that too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/my-father-hated-radio-and-could-not-wait-for-television-to-be/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [You can make a sordid thing sound like a brilliant drawing-room comedy. Probably a fear we have of facing up to the real issues.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/you-can-make-a-sordid-thing-sound-like-a-brilliant-drawing-room/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [Confession is good for the soul only in the sense that a tweed coat is good for dandruff - it is a palliative rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/confession-is-good-for-the-soul-only-in-the-sense-that-a-tweed-coat/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [Life is a crowded superhighway with bewildering cloverleaf exits on which a man is liable to find himself speeding back in the direction he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/life-is-a-crowded-superhighway-with-bewildering-cloverleaf-exits-on/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [If there's anything I hate it's the word humorist-I feel like countering with the word seriousist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/if-there-s-anything-i-hate-it-s-the-word-humorist-i-feel-like/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) [Explore all 88 Peter De Vries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) ## More Equals quotes > [I have a treasure trove of Baker memories, all of which reinforce my sense of Howard Baker as one of the most decent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-have-a-treasure-trove-of-baker-memories-all-of-which-reinforce-my/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [Equals make the best friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/equals-make-the-best-friends/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [You must talk to us as equals, or not talk to us at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/you-must-talk-to-us-as-equals-or-not-talk-to-us-at-all/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [One plus one equals both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/one-plus-one-equals-both/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Each Day I Meet Someone New, But Never Find Another YOU, The World Is Full Of People Its True, Yet No one Ever Equals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-bassam/each-day-i-meet-someone-new-but-never-find-another-you-the-world-is/) [Ali Bassam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-bassam/) > [“Life = Risk. If you haven't failed, you have lived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peiri-ann/life-risk-if-you-haven-t-failed-you-have-lived/) Peiri Ann > [“It is more desirable for Entities to have equals() and hashCode() methods that are based on the object’s unique identity rather than other attributes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaughn-vernon/it-is-more-desirable-for-entities-to-have-equals-and-hashcode-methods/) [Vaughn Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaughn-vernon/) > [I treat everyone as equals. I can't work if I'm not having fun, and I can't have fun if not everyone is happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/i-treat-everyone-as-equals-i-can-t-work-if-i-m-not-having-fun-and-i/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [I rise in support of a Canada in which liberties are safeguarded, rights are protected and the people of this land are treated as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-martin/i-rise-in-support-of-a-canada-in-which-liberties-are-safeguarded/) [Paul Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-martin/) > [With Kindness 1+1 always equals more than 2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-williams/with-kindness-1-1-always-equals-more-than-2/) [Brian Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-williams/) > [Loads of computer graphics equals a terrible video in my book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hawkins/loads-of-computer-graphics-equals-a-terrible-video-in-my-book/) [Dan Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hawkins/) > [Everything about the Olympics was first class, and women were treated as athletes and equals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-robinson-schwartz/everything-about-the-olympics-was-first-class-and-women-were-treated/) Elizabeth Robinson Schwartz > [There is no peace among equals because equality doesn't exist in this universe. Either one prevails and the other follows, or both negotiate their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-j-duarte-bernhardt/there-is-no-peace-among-equals-because-equality-doesn-t-exist-in-this/) [Harold J Duarte-Bernhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-j-duarte-bernhardt/) > [One mysterious person looking at another mysterious person equals what? Another mystery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rampling/one-mysterious-person-looking-at-another-mysterious-person-equals/) [Charlotte Rampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rampling/) > [I am not married yet, but I think ultimately in a good marriage it is the relationship which is the most important thing. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/i-am-not-married-yet-but-i-think-ultimately-in-a-good-marriage-it-is/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) Browse all 138 Equals quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The trouble with treating people as equals is that the first thing you know they may be doing the same thing to you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter De Vries" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equals-is-that-the-first-thing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Equals" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equals-is-that-the-first-thing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbc/peter-de-vries-7735_equals_the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equa_811035.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The trouble with treating people as equals is that the first thing you know they may be doing the same thing…” — Peter De Vries", "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": "Peter De Vries", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The trouble with treating people as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equals-is-that-the-first-thing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/the-trouble-with-treating-people-as-equals-is-that-the-first-thing/#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 } } ] } ```