--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The right things to do are those that…" description: "\"The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore.\" — Robert J. Sawyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/robert-j-sawyer-3858_abuse_the-right-things-to-do-are-those-that-ke_935092.jpg" --- # The right things to do are those that keep our violence in… ![“The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore.” quote by Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/robert-j-sawyer-3858_abuse_the-right-things-to-do-are-those-that-ke_935092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/robert-j-sawyer-3858_abuse_the-right-things-to-do-are-those-that-ke_935092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e4/robert-j-sawyer-3858_abuse_the-right-things-to-do-are-those-that-ke_935092.jpg) > “The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore.” [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence is sustained by actions that provoke it; peace comes from actions that restrain it. **In simple terms:** Violence escalates with provocation. Key Takeaway Choose actions that de‑escalate conflict. Themes peace violence ethics Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political negotiations - community disputes - personal relationships - media coverage Key Concepts conflict resolution social responsibility human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What actions in your life reduce tension? - When might restraint be misinterpreted as weakness? A Different Perspective The line between provocation and self‑defense can be ambiguous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Things to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-to-do/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [Don't do wrong things for the right reasons, and don't do right things for the wrong reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-do-wrong-things-for-the-right-reasons-and-don-t-do-right-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The worst things I can have in my life is not the wrong things I did but for right things I could have but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/the-worst-things-i-can-have-in-my-life-is-not-the-wrong-things-i-did/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [Entrepreneurs go through real problems and come up with real solutions. It's not fake. You can do all the right things and still lose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-huh/entrepreneurs-go-through-real-problems-and-come-up-with-real/) [Ben Huh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-huh/) > [Most businesses fail because they want the right things but measure the wrong things, and they get the wrong results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bethune/most-businesses-fail-because-they-want-the-right-things-but-measure/) [Gordon Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bethune/) > [“If we do the RIGHT thing at the WRONG time we will be frustrated. If we do the WRONG thing at the RIGHT time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sesan-kareem/if-we-do-the-right-thing-at-the-wrong-time-we-will-be-frustrated-if/) [Sesan Kareem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sesan-kareem/) > [Make the right things easy and the wrong things hard to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-sierra/make-the-right-things-easy-and-the-wrong-things-hard-to-do/) [Kathy Sierra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-sierra/) > [Wrong things are easy to identify,but right things sometime are hard to recognize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/wrong-things-are-easy-to-identify-but-right-things-sometime-are-hard/) Unkown > [You just let your lower self go, and then it takes on all these aspects of the society - the city with horns blowing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-cooper/you-just-let-your-lower-self-go-and-then-it-takes-on-all-these/) [Alice Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-cooper/) > [ There are things we can do \[with violence\], and we ought to do it in a bipartisan way. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/there-are-things-we-can-do-with-violence-and-we-ought-to-do-it-in-a/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Our Lord God doesn't do great things except by violence, as they say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-lord-god-doesn-t-do-great-things-except-by-violence-as-they-say/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Our aim is not to do things by violence to opponents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/our-aim-is-not-to-do-things-by-violence-to-opponents/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [When I was younger, I was an aggressive fighter but I'm growing into someone who understands we don't have to answer things with violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skepta/when-i-was-younger-i-was-an-aggressive-fighter-but-i-m-growing-into/) [Skepta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skepta/) > [I think when you know so deep in your heart that you just to listen to your intuition and follow your heart, theres no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-think-when-you-know-so-deep-in-your-heart-that-you-just-to-listen/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [What feels good is often the wrong thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eckhardt/what-feels-good-is-often-the-wrong-thing-to-do/) [William Eckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eckhardt/) > [So cry if you need to but I can't stay to watch you It's the wrong thing to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/so-cry-if-you-need-to-but-i-can-t-stay-to-watch-you-it-s-the-wrong/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) ## More by Robert J. Sawyer > [Naturally, one does not normally discuss plans to commit murder with the intended victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/naturally-one-does-not-normally-discuss-plans-to-commit-murder-with/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Not wanting to die was another universal constant, it seemed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/not-wanting-to-die-was-another-universal-constant-it-seemed/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I'm much more interested in writing about the things that engage and enrage me as an adult rather than in wallowing in childhood sorrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-m-much-more-interested-in-writing-about-the-things-that-engage-and/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Our job is not to predict the future. Rather, it's to suggest all the possible futures - so that society can make informed decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/our-job-is-not-to-predict-the-future-rather-it-s-to-suggest-all-the/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [That natural selection can produce changes within a type is disputed by no one, not even the staunchest creationist. But that it can transform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/that-natural-selection-can-produce-changes-within-a-type-is-disputed/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [“You really did uplift me. You gave me the perspective and point of view and focus I needed to become truly conscious. Without you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/you-really-did-uplift-me-you-gave-me-the-perspective-and-point-of/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I'm often characterized as an optimistic writer, and certainly my 'Neanderthal Parallax' and 'WWW' trilogies shade toward the utopian. I like to think that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-m-often-characterized-as-an-optimistic-writer-and-certainly-my/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I started wondering why it is that people line up behind charismatic leaders. It's easy to understand the emergence of a figure who's narcissistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-started-wondering-why-it-is-that-people-line-up-behind-charismatic/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [When you're changing centuries, people get curious about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/when-you-re-changing-centuries-people-get-curious-about-the-future/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Real people are complex, contradictory, and have their own motivations - they can't just be mouthpieces for the writers' point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/real-people-are-complex-contradictory-and-have-their-own-motivations/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [“All right,” he said. “Since you asked, Webmind is an emergent quantum-computational system based on a stable null-sigma condensate that resists decoherence thanks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/all-right-he-said-since-you-asked-webmind-is-an-emergent-quantum/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Social progress is a big thing for me. Although science fiction is traditionally concerned with the hard sciences, which is chemistry, physics, and, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/social-progress-is-a-big-thing-for-me-although-science-fiction-is/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Fiction is all about vicarious experiences and getting into other people's heads in a way that no other art form lets you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/fiction-is-all-about-vicarious-experiences-and-getting-into-other/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [Secrecy was the problem; transparency the obvious cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/secrecy-was-the-problem-transparency-the-obvious-cure/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I'm a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/i-m-a-member-of-the-writers-guild-of-america-and-the-writers-guild-of/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) [Explore all 116 Robert J. Sawyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert J. 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