--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a kid, the bigger boys would…" description: "\"When I was a kid, the bigger boys would pick on me. So I got an idea that I would make alliances with older boys, like just one or two, who would be my..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/robert-reich-1333_alliances_when-i-was-a-kid-the-bigger-boys-would-p_817891.png" --- # When I was a kid, the bigger boys would pick on me. So I… ![“When I was a kid, the bigger boys would pick on me. So I got an idea that I would make alliances with older boys, like just one or two, who would be my protectors.” quote by Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/robert-reich-1333_alliances_when-i-was-a-kid-the-bigger-boys-would-p_817891.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/robert-reich-1333_alliances_when-i-was-a-kid-the-bigger-boys-would-p_817891.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a9/robert-reich-1333_alliances_when-i-was-a-kid-the-bigger-boys-would-p_817891.png) > “When I was a kid, the bigger boys would pick on me. So I got an idea that I would make alliances with older boys, like just one or two, who would be my protectors.” [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explains forming strategic alliances for safety when vulnerable. **In simple terms:** Seek allies to protect yourself. Key Takeaway Build supportive networks. Themes power alliance protection growth Mood cautious optimistic Type sociological practical When to use this quote - school bullying - workplace mentorship - community building Key Concepts social dynamics strategic partnership resilience Questions to Reflect On - Who can you trust as a protector? - How do you maintain independence within alliances? A Different Perspective Alliances can create dependency or power imbalances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alliances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliances/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Protector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protector/) ## Related quotes > [We will love our enemies, but not make alliances with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-will-love-our-enemies-but-not-make-alliances-with-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes we make our alliances not by the shape and color of our flesh but by the convictions of our heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/sometimes-we-make-our-alliances-not-by-the-shape-and-color-of-our/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I've never been on one of these shows where you have to make alliances and be a team player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-gold/i-ve-never-been-on-one-of-these-shows-where-you-have-to-make/) [Judy Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-gold/) > [From 13/14 I was always hanging about with older boys. Boys in school used to call me names. But outside older boys would pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rayner/from-13-14-i-was-always-hanging-about-with-older-boys-boys-in-school/) [Angela Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rayner/) > [I think as an older player, there's a kind of natural responsibility or natural role to go around the lads and say a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-carrick/i-think-as-an-older-player-there-s-a-kind-of-natural-responsibility/) [Michael Carrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-carrick/) > [From the beginning, when my brother Vadim first took me to the boxing gym at 10, I was able to punch hard, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/from-the-beginning-when-my-brother-vadim-first-took-me-to-the-boxing/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [“He’s the kind of kid who, just looking at him, you know gets bullied by the older boys and takes it out on everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/he-s-the-kind-of-kid-who-just-looking-at-him-you-know-gets-bullied-by/) [Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/) > [Older boys were allowed to beat younger ones at my 15th-century English boarding school, and every boy had to run a five-mile annual steeplechase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/older-boys-were-allowed-to-beat-younger-ones-at-my-15th-century/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [I like older boys, but they think, 'She's underage.' I'd love to have somebody in mind when I sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/i-like-older-boys-but-they-think-she-s-underage-i-d-love-to-have/) [Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/) > [I have older boys and two of them are driving which is scary to me just because of the police nowadays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaunie-o-neal/i-have-older-boys-and-two-of-them-are-driving-which-is-scary-to-me/) [Shaunie O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaunie-o-neal/) > [It's hard for the older boys to play twice a week, so it's important for everyone in the squad to play their part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-van-der-sar/it-s-hard-for-the-older-boys-to-play-twice-a-week-so-it-s-important/) [Edwin van der Sar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-van-der-sar/) > [Since my early days, I've been used to playing with older boys and strong defenders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-jesus/since-my-early-days-i-ve-been-used-to-playing-with-older-boys-and/) [Gabriel Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-jesus/) > [Boys r like starz... there a million of em out there, but only one can make ur dreams come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/boys-r-like-starz-there-a-million-of-em-out-there-but-only-one-can/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [Boys like him didn't die; they got bronzed and installed outside public libraries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/boys-like-him-didn-t-die-they-got-bronzed-and-installed-outside/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [I HATE clingy boys! like go to your mother for all that, not around here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-clingy-boys-like-go-to-your-mother-for-all-that-not-around-here/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Robert Reich > [The Democratic Party is DEAD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-democratic-party-is-dead/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [During three decades from 1947 to 1977, the nation implemented what might be called a basic bargain with American workers. Employers paid them enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/during-three-decades-from-1947-to-1977-the-nation-implemented-what/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [A leader is someone who steps back from the entire system and tries to build a more collaborative, more innovative system that will work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/a-leader-is-someone-who-steps-back-from-the-entire-system-and-tries/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches - with enough guts and gumption, hard work and nose to the grindstone -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-faith-that-anyone-could-move-from-rags-to-riches-with-enough-guts/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [If you give up on politics, you're giving up on democracy. 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They avoid the fancy amenities four-year liberal arts colleges need in order to lure the children of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/community-colleges-are-great-bargains-they-avoid-the-fancy-amenities/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Any bank that is too big to fail is too big. Period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/any-bank-that-is-too-big-to-fail-is-too-big-period/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Today, for good or ill, people are thinking about many social problems from the standpoint of their own kitchen tables. I think the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/today-for-good-or-ill-people-are-thinking-about-many-social-problems/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [There's sort of a chilling effect on non-profits and the media and a lot of other places because the establishment is so powerful. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/there-s-sort-of-a-chilling-effect-on-non-profits-and-the-media-and-a/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [We already have an annual wealth tax on homes, the major asset of the middle class. It's called the property tax. Why not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/we-already-have-an-annual-wealth-tax-on-homes-the-major-asset-of-the/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) [Explore all 255 Robert Reich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) ## More Alliances quotes > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [The U.S. always needs an enemy. It comes and goes. Today it is Islam. According to this plan or ideology of the born-again Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-jumblatt/the-u-s-always-needs-an-enemy-it-comes-and-goes-today-it-is-islam/) [Walid Jumblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-jumblatt/) > [I would be quite happy to see the Northern Alliance steam across northern Afghanistan and take Kabul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-hoon/i-would-be-quite-happy-to-see-the-northern-alliance-steam-across/) [Geoff Hoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-hoon/) > [We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/we-are-very-wrong-to-think-that-some-fault-or-other-can-exclude/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Love and friendship, two of life's abiding rewards, are endangered species in Hollywood. People crave both, mistaking alliance for friendship, lust for love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-obst/love-and-friendship-two-of-life-s-abiding-rewards-are-endangered/) [Lynda Obst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-obst/) > [...to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/to-befoul-the-unholy-alliance-between-corrupt-business-and-corrupt/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I prayed for the first time in a very long time today. I explained to God that unless he wanted the Marxist-Islamic alliance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-behring-breivik/i-prayed-for-the-first-time-in-a-very-long-time-today-i-explained-to/) Anders Behring Breivik > [You cannot lead an alliance if you say you're going alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-cannot-lead-an-alliance-if-you-say-you-re-going-alone/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it. A great power like the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/an-alliance-is-like-a-chain-it-is-not-made-stronger-by-adding-weak/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/behind-the-ostensible-government-sits-enthroned-an-invisible/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Clearly, gay marriage is on the top of the agenda right now. It's pretty amazing, considering where stuff was at when I was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/clearly-gay-marriage-is-on-the-top-of-the-agenda-right-now-it-s/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [America must always be the world's paramount military power, but we can magnify our power through alliances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/america-must-always-be-the-world-s-paramount-military-power-but-we/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [In 1491 the Inka ruled the greatest empire on earth. 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