--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If hardship brought out the worst in…" description: "\"If hardship brought out the worst in people, the human race wouldn't have survived. Right after 9/11, for instance, the murder rate actually went down ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/sebastian-junger-4689_every-night_if-hardship-brought-out-the-worst-in-peo_1939353.jpg" --- # If hardship brought out the worst in people, the human… ![“If hardship brought out the worst in people, the human race wouldn't have survived. Right after 9/11, for instance, the murder rate actually went down in New York City. In World War II during the Blitz, the civilians of London were bombed almost every night for six months, but psychiatric…” quote by Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/sebastian-junger-4689_every-night_if-hardship-brought-out-the-worst-in-peo_1939353.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/sebastian-junger-4689_every-night_if-hardship-brought-out-the-worst-in-peo_1939353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3de/sebastian-junger-4689_every-night_if-hardship-brought-out-the-worst-in-peo_1939353.jpg) > “If hardship brought out the worst in people, the human race wouldn't have survived. Right after 9/11, for instance, the murder rate actually went down in New York City. In World War II during the Blitz, the civilians of London were bombed almost every night for six months, but psychiatric admissions declined.” [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adversity can bring out solidarity and resilience, reducing antisocial behavior. **In simple terms:** Hardship can improve social cohesion. Key Takeaway Recognize strength in collective response. Themes psychology social behavior crisis response Mood reflective hopeful Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - disaster relief - community rebuilding - emergency services - mental health monitoring Key Concepts Resilience social cohesion stress adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms foster solidarity during crises? - How can societies sustain cohesion post‑crisis? A Different Perspective Not all crises produce positive outcomes; outcomes vary by context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blitz Civilians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blitz-civilians-3080932/) [Every night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-night/) [Hardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardship/) [Hardship Brought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardship-brought-3080931/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Murder Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder-rate-482942/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychiatric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatric/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Six months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six-months/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war i](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-i/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [York City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-city/) ## Related quotes > [“the murder rate has fallen by 16.7 per cent in the US cities since the turn of the century, while rising by 16.9 per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-luce/the-murder-rate-has-fallen-by-16-7-per-cent-in-the-us-cities-since/) [Edward Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-luce/) > [This is part of the president's problem. Where's Barack Obama been when the crime rate and the murder rate in Chicago has gone up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/this-is-part-of-the-president-s-problem-where-s-barack-obama-been/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [no study has brought out any solid evidence that the death penalty deters crime. In fact, Amnesty reports that 'the murder rate in states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-bosco/no-study-has-brought-out-any-solid-evidence-that-the-death-penalty/) [Antoinette Bosco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-bosco/) > [The murder rate in Chicago is skyrocketing, and you see who's doing it and perpetrating it - they all look like Chief Keef. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/the-murder-rate-in-chicago-is-skyrocketing-and-you-see-who-s-doing-it-2/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [Looking at the murder rate never ask why. Colt 45, with a 4 5, the innocent die young cant judge life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/looking-at-the-murder-rate-never-ask-why-colt-45-with-a-4-5-the/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [“Columbia’s Dart Center treated Bloomberg and his various anti-gun groups as objective sources of information. “Nearly 12,000 murdered with guns each year,” parroted Columbia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-lott-jr/columbia-s-dart-center-treated-bloomberg-and-his-various-anti-gun/) [John R. Lott Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-lott-jr/) > [The murder rate in Chicago is skyrocketing and you see who's doing it and perpetrating it, they all look like Chief Keef.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/the-murder-rate-in-chicago-is-skyrocketing-and-you-see-who-s-doing-it/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [I like going to areas where the murder rate is high and dropping it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-like-going-to-areas-where-the-murder-rate-is-high-and-dropping-it/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [No other advanced nation endures this kind of violence. None. Here in America, the murder rate is three times what it is in other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/no-other-advanced-nation-endures-this-kind-of-violence-none-here-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I don't think journalists in World War II were objective about the Nazis, and I don't think they should have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-don-t-think-journalists-in-world-war-ii-were-objective-about-the/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [Anybody who enjoys being in the House of Commons probably needs psychiatric help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/anybody-who-enjoys-being-in-the-house-of-commons-probably-needs/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [“The brain-disease model takes control over people’s fate out of their own hands and puts doctors and insurance companies in charge of fixing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bessel-a-van-der-kolk/the-brain-disease-model-takes-control-over-people-s-fate-out-of-their/) [Bessel A. van der Kolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bessel-a-van-der-kolk/) > [Let me tell something, seeing your name and psychiatric ward on the same piece of paper isn't the best way to start your day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-thomas-ford/let-me-tell-something-seeing-your-name-and-psychiatric-ward-on-the/) [Michael Thomas Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-thomas-ford/) > [Yes, I'm very normal, everything is okay, I won't become a psychiatric case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-jodl/yes-i-m-very-normal-everything-is-okay-i-won-t-become-a-psychiatric/) [Alfred Jodl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-jodl/) > [“Amateur psychiatric prognosis can be fascinating when there is absolutely nothing else to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-condon/amateur-psychiatric-prognosis-can-be-fascinating-when-there-is/) [Richard Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-condon/) ## More by Sebastian Junger > [No matter how many people you kill, using a machine gun in battle is not a war crime because it does not cause unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/no-matter-how-many-people-you-kill-using-a-machine-gun-in-battle-is/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-anything-besides-pay-taxes-we/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“There are houses in Gloucester where grooves have been worn into the floorboards by women pacing past an upstairs window, looking out to sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/there-are-houses-in-gloucester-where-grooves-have-been-worn-into-the/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“Billy's at 44 north, 56 west and heading straight into meteorological hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/billy-s-at-44-north-56-west-and-heading-straight-into-meteorological/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [There is some evidence that average wave heights are slowly rising, and that freak waves of eighty or ninety feet are becoming more common.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/there-is-some-evidence-that-average-wave-heights-are-slowly-rising/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [If you get an infection, you get a fever; the fever is your body dealing with the infection. If you get traumatized, your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/if-you-get-an-infection-you-get-a-fever-the-fever-is-your-body/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [People who do really dangerous tasks can't afford to sit around and discuss the merits of what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/people-who-do-really-dangerous-tasks-can-t-afford-to-sit-around-and/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I would never want to pass a law limiting freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean we have to condone statements that undermine basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-would-never-want-to-pass-a-law-limiting-freedom-of-speech-but-that/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [I think objectivity is like this strange myth that people think you're supposed to achieve, but actually, the dirty little secret is that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-think-objectivity-is-like-this-strange-myth-that-people-think-you/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [Each Javelin round costs $80,000, and the idea that it's fired by a guy who doesn't make that in a year at a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/each-javelin-round-costs-80-000-and-the-idea-that-it-s-fired-by-a-guy/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“I look at the names on the mailboxes and the bells inside number 1940 and pick out a couple of women’s names and press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/i-look-at-the-names-on-the-mailboxes-and-the-bells-inside-number-1940/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [It's fun to have money, but the more money I get, the less interesting it becomes. If you don't have very much, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/it-s-fun-to-have-money-but-the-more-money-i-get-the-less-interesting/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“The United States is so powerful that the only country capable of destroying her might be the United States herself, which means that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-united-states-is-so-powerful-that-the-only-country-capable-of/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [The most profound question is, "What would I risk dying for?" The natural answer is "for my family." But for most of history, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-most-profound-question-is-what-would-i-risk-dying-for-the-natural/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [When you're scared, you're still hanging on to life. When you're ready to die, you let it go. A sort of emptying out occurs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/when-you-re-scared-you-re-still-hanging-on-to-life-when-you-re-ready/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) [Explore all 107 Sebastian Junger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## More Every night quotes > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You can date every girl in town as far as I’m concerned. I hate you. 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And the reason that I'm going to do that is because I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-sheridan/i-m-going-to-lay-it-out-straight-for-you-here-carson-and-the-reason/) [Mia Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-sheridan/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“It’s a red sky every night with Cosmic Ordering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/it-s-a-red-sky-every-night-with-cosmic-ordering/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“What does it say?" asked my lord. 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