--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You or I might think that at least one…" description: "\"“You or I might think that at least one would show courage and put up a fight. But neither you nor I have suffered as they, and even we have born witne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/robert-fanney-15561_complacency_you-or-i-might-think-that-at-least-one-w_2439748.jpg" --- # You or I might think that at least one would show courage… ![“You or I might think that at least one would show courage and put up a fight. But neither you nor I have suffered as they, and even we have born witness in silence to lesser ills under less dire threat. Yet, in the face of evil, to sit silent is an even greater evil. Complacency is ever the…” quote by Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/robert-fanney-15561_complacency_you-or-i-might-think-that-at-least-one-w_2439748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/robert-fanney-15561_complacency_you-or-i-might-think-that-at-least-one-w_2439748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/robert-fanney-15561_complacency_you-or-i-might-think-that-at-least-one-w_2439748.jpg) > ““You or I might think that at least one would show courage and put up a fight. But neither you nor I have suffered as they, and even we have born witness in silence to lesser ills under less dire threat. Yet, in the face of evil, to sit silent is an even greater evil. Complacency is ever the enabler of darkest deeds;”” [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence in the face of evil enables worse deeds; speaking out is a moral duty despite personal risk. **In simple terms:** Speak against evil, even when dangerous. Key Takeaway Take a stand against injustice, no matter the threat. Themes courage justice silence evil morality Mood determined serious Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - political oppression - community injustice - personal moral dilemmas - authoritarian regimes Key Concepts ethical responsibility social activism civil disobedience Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you face when confronting wrongdoing? - How can you mobilize others to act? A Different Perspective Speaking out can endanger personal safety and may be ineffective without collective action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courage Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-fight-476690/) [Enablement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enablement-55383/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-complacency-476688/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Think Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-courage-476689/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [“We dont need hand holders; We need Ice Breakers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-kalyan-c-kankanala/we-dont-need-hand-holders-we-need-ice-breakers/) [Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-kalyan-c-kankanala/) > [“Sidewalks help the blind see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-kalyan-c-kankanala/sidewalks-help-the-blind-see/) [Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-kalyan-c-kankanala/) > [I think my mother... made it clear that you have to live life by your own terms and you have to not worry about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/i-think-my-mother-made-it-clear-that-you-have-to-live-life-by-your/) [Caroline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kennedy/) > [I sometimes think that courage is the thing that you need more than any other thing. It's fear that cripples us. It's fear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-sometimes-think-that-courage-is-the-thing-that-you-need-more-than/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [this is what I know about courage: You don't have to think about courage to have it. You don't have to feel courageous to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unita-blackwell/this-is-what-i-know-about-courage-you-don-t-have-to-think-about/) [Unita Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unita-blackwell/) > [People think I have courage. The courage in my family are my wife Pam, my three daughters, here, Nicole, Jamie, LeeAnn, my mom, who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-valvano/people-think-i-have-courage-the-courage-in-my-family-are-my-wife-pam/) [Jim Valvano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-valvano/) > [“Before you reject a stranger think of the courage it must have taken for them to approach you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/before-you-reject-a-stranger-think-of-the-courage-it-must-have-taken/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [I think courage is commensurate with your fear - if you lack imagination and you're fearless, that's not courage to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-think-courage-is-commensurate-with-your-fear-if-you-lack/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I was once afraid of people saying, Who does he think he is? Now I have the courage to stand and say, This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-was-once-afraid-of-people-saying-who-does-he-think-he-is-now-i-have/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Forget yourself! Think courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/forget-yourself-think-courage/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [Do you think courage means being fearless? Or daring? Courage, real courage, is taking three steps when it terrifies you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/do-you-think-courage-means-being-fearless-or-daring-courage-real/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [“Courage is making a difference in your life and in the world; Courage is standing up for yourself and against injustice; Courage is appreciating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taskinsoy/courage-is-making-a-difference-in-your-life-and-in-the-world-courage/) [JOHN TASKINSOY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taskinsoy/) > [I was once afraid of people saying, “Who does she think she is?” Now I have the courage to stand and say, “This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-was-once-afraid-of-people-saying-who-does-she-think-she-is-now-i/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [“You think the only battles fought are done so with rifles, and the only wounds that kill draw blood. You think courage is loud,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/you-think-the-only-battles-fought-are-done-so-with-rifles-and-the/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [Courage is the enabling virtue for any philosopher - for any human being, I think, in the end. Courage to think, courage to love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/courage-is-the-enabling-virtue-for-any-philosopher-for-any-human/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More by Robert Fanney > [“As an opener, I'd like to state that elves are certainly NOT cliché. It doesn't matter if they all have pointy ears, or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/as-an-opener-i-d-like-to-state-that-elves-are-certainly-not-clich-it/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“To all those women -- strong enough to be heroes; fair enough to be ladies. This song is for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/to-all-those-women-strong-enough-to-be-heroes-fair-enough-to-be/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Without realizing what she was doing and more on an impulse than anything else, she leaned forward and kissed him. It was a simple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/without-realizing-what-she-was-doing-and-more-on-an-impulse-than/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Luthiel: I cannot change what will happen. I can only change how I act in the face of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/luthiel-i-cannot-change-what-will-happen-i-can-only-change-how-i-act/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Silent. So it should be. You have no place in this world, Luthiel. And there is no other.' Zalos reached out and lifted a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/silent-so-it-should-be-you-have-no-place-in-this-world-luthiel-and/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“A song she heard Of cold that gathers Like winter's tongue Among the shadows It rose like blackness In the sky That on volcano's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/a-song-she-heard-of-cold-that-gathers-like-winter-s-tongue-among-the/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“I would rather live than die. I would rather die than survive as a monster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/i-would-rather-live-than-die-i-would-rather-die-than-survive-as-a/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“May your feet ever walk in the light of two suns... and may the moonshadow never fall on you... ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/may-your-feet-ever-walk-in-the-light-of-two-suns-and-may-the/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“It is the very design of life to support life. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/it-is-the-very-design-of-life-to-support-life/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Leowin: Don't worry Luthiel. 'Truth's existence never depended upon belief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/leowin-don-t-worry-luthiel-truth-s-existence-never-depended-upon/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Mithorden: 'We become what we do, Zalos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/mithorden-we-become-what-we-do-zalos/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“It is the curse of the powerful to be blind to their own faults.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/it-is-the-curse-of-the-powerful-to-be-blind-to-their-own-faults/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Dominance. Control. These things the unjust seek most of all. And so it is the duty of the just to defy dominance and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/dominance-control-these-things-the-unjust-seek-most-of-all-and-so-it/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“Wars are won in the will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/wars-are-won-in-the-will/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) > [“If I could make a dream real, I would not kill anything unless it could never be changed at heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fanney/if-i-could-make-a-dream-real-i-would-not-kill-anything-unless-it/) [Robert Fanney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) [Explore all 42 Robert Fanney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fanney/) ## More Complacency quotes > [“Complacency delivered us into the hands of evil greedy men like Cheney.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rumzi/complacency-delivered-us-into-the-hands-of-evil-greedy-men-like-cheney/) [Sonia Rumzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rumzi/) > [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/) > [Don't let your success of today lay you into complacency for tomorrow. For that is the worst form of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/don-t-let-your-success-of-today-lay-you-into-complacency-for-tomorrow/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [We are the best the show, others weak hold. Just to get complacency / which does not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/we-are-the-best-the-show-others-weak-hold-just-to-get-complacency/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“It’s a fallacy that this generation does not know how to love as its predecessor did. Truth of the matter is, modern love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/it-s-a-fallacy-that-this-generation-does-not-know-how-to-love-as-its/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [“To move forward, one need only take the first step,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-neill/to-move-forward-one-need-only-take-the-first-step/) [Chase Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-neill/) > [Plato calls complacency the companion of loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/plato-calls-complacency-the-companion-of-loneliness/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [“Half the ingratitude and complacency in the world down to how slowly and imperceptibly most good and bad things unfold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/half-the-ingratitude-and-complacency-in-the-world-down-to-how-slowly/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/don-t-let-your-special-character-and-values-the-secret-that-you-know/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [In the mind engaged in struggling with hardship, one always finds something delightful. The sorrow of disappointment arises in the complacency of satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/in-the-mind-engaged-in-struggling-with-hardship-one-always-finds/) [Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/) > [Complacency is a creeping danger. Unless wisdom sets in, you will never come to your senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jey-lopez/complacency-is-a-creeping-danger-unless-wisdom-sets-in-you-will-never/) [Jey Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jey-lopez/) > [I have spoken about what we can do as citizens, what we can do as a responsive citizenry, and this is where we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-have-spoken-about-what-we-can-do-as-citizens-what-we-can-do-as-a/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“Listen to Mr. Complacency long enough and he'll convince you that what you really, really need is a nap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-and-brett-harris/listen-to-mr-complacency-long-enough-and-he-ll-convince-you-that-what/) [Alex and Brett Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-and-brett-harris/) > [I always say, complacency is the kiss of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-redstone/i-always-say-complacency-is-the-kiss-of-death/) [Shari Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-redstone/) [Browse all 437 Complacency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You or I might think that at least one would show courage and put up a fight. 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