--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I defended myself at the first…" description: "\"I defended myself at the first opportunity I had, which was a meeting of writers in which I proved that Honecker had based his whole attack.\" — Stefan ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg" --- # I defended myself at the first opportunity I had, which… ![“I defended myself at the first opportunity I had, which was a meeting of writers in which I proved that Honecker had based his whole attack.” quote by Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg) > “I defended myself at the first opportunity I had, which was a meeting of writers in which I proved that Honecker had based his whole attack.” [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author seized a chance to expose a political attack, demonstrating the power of timely self‑defense in intellectual debate. **In simple terms:** Defend ideas when the chance arises. Key Takeaway Speak up promptly to protect truth. Themes courage intellectual integrity political critique timing Mood assertive critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - academic conferences - public debates - editorial writing Key Concepts literary activism historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - When will you defend your stance? - How to balance critique with diplomacy? A Different Perspective Risk of backlash or misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I defended my belt. Now I proved that I'm a true champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-blachowicz/i-defended-my-belt-now-i-proved-that-i-m-a-true-champion/) [Jan Blachowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-blachowicz/) > [I started the 1998 World Cup with Teddy Sheringham up front but always planned for Michael Owen to face Colombia in our final group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-started-the-1998-world-cup-with-teddy-sheringham-up-front-but/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [They say, "Katie, you're wrong." And if I say, "How dare you say that? I have studied and studied." Or, "I am an expert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/they-say-katie-you-re-wrong-and-if-i-say-how-dare-you-say-that-i-have/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“Justice is not simply argued — it is meticulously prepared, strategically presented, and fearlessly defended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millennium-chambers/justice-is-not-simply-argued-it-is-meticulously-prepared/) Millennium Chambers > [“Truth doesn’t need to be defended. Truth just is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/truth-doesn-t-need-to-be-defended-truth-just-is/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/all-might-be-free-if-they-valued-freedom-and-defended-it-as-they/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [A country should be defended not by arms, but by ethical behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinoba-bhave/a-country-should-be-defended-not-by-arms-but-by-ethical-behavior/) [Vinoba Bhave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinoba-bhave/) > [Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of 'our institutions' unless you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-d-snyder/defend-an-institution-follow-the-courts-or-the-media-or-a-court-or-a/) [Timothy D. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-d-snyder/) > [Democracy is not a good that people can enjoy without trouble. It is, on the contrary, a treasure that must be daily defended and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/democracy-is-not-a-good-that-people-can-enjoy-without-trouble-it-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [“There is no lie in war or preparation of war that can't be defended. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/there-is-no-lie-in-war-or-preparation-of-war-that-can-t-be-defended/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [People used to talk bad about you,i defended you and told them they were wrong.stupid me.i finally see what they see](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/people-used-to-talk-bad-about-you-i-defended-you-and-told-them-they/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [Predictability can eventually be defended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/predictability-can-eventually-be-defended/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/one-needs-to-be-slow-to-form-convictions-but-once-formed-they-must-be/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even God has been defended with nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/even-god-has-been-defended-with-nonsense/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [“You are somebody. You matter. And no one is allowed to take away your right to your property, your right to your safety, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/you-are-somebody-you-matter-and-no-one-is-allowed-to-take-away-your/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) ## More by Stefan Heym > [A great number of people in the East German parts had been Nazis, so the change of mind was not altogether there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/a-great-number-of-people-in-the-east-german-parts-had-been-nazis-so/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [Show me one place where a whole government is concerned with a book of a writer and is concerned enough to suppress it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/show-me-one-place-where-a-whole-government-is-concerned-with-a-book/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [You must have, if socialism was to succeed, a socialism with lots of democratic elements in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/you-must-have-if-socialism-was-to-succeed-a-socialism-with-lots-of/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [I not only saw the possibility of nuclear war, I feared it very much. If they started a military conflagration, it would automatically lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-not-only-saw-the-possibility-of-nuclear-war-i-feared-it-very-much/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [People who were not active in the intellectual life of the country could go on without feeling restricted, except they could not go where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/people-who-were-not-active-in-the-intellectual-life-of-the-country/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [I certainly hoped that in the Eastern part of Germany, what was just beginning to be called the German Democratic Republic, you would develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-certainly-hoped-that-in-the-eastern-part-of-germany-what-was-just/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [Even in West Germany in the beginning, people wanted a kind of socialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/even-in-west-germany-in-the-beginning-people-wanted-a-kind-of/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [I did not oppose unification, I knew unification would have to come, but not in the form in which it did come. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-did-not-oppose-unification-i-knew-unification-would-have-to-come/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [And of course, in West Germany, they made every effort that people who came from the East would get jobs and would get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/and-of-course-in-west-germany-they-made-every-effort-that-people-who/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [The Wall was the actual symbol of a defeat, of inferiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/the-wall-was-the-actual-symbol-of-a-defeat-of-inferiority/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [I was in psychological warfare in World War II, so I know psychological warfare when I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-was-in-psychological-warfare-in-world-war-ii-so-i-know/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [In the question of peace, people spoke up and demonstrated for peace and against the threat of war, the threat of atomic war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/in-the-question-of-peace-people-spoke-up-and-demonstrated-for-peace/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [If you live in a system that is suppressive, you don't walk upright, you always go with your head down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/if-you-live-in-a-system-that-is-suppressive-you-don-t-walk-upright/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [Today, when we live in a what is called Western democracy here... you're not taken seriously all the time. You can write what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/today-when-we-live-in-a-what-is-called-western-democracy-here-you-re/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) > [If we had had time and the occasion to develop a new socialism in the GDR, socialism with a human face, with democracy, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/if-we-had-had-time-and-the-occasion-to-develop-a-new-socialism-in-the/) [Stefan Heym](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) [Explore all 26 Stefan Heym quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/) ## More Defended quotes > [“You are somebody. You matter. And no one is allowed to take away your right to your property, your right to your safety, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/you-are-somebody-you-matter-and-no-one-is-allowed-to-take-away-your/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [Even God has been defended with nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/even-god-has-been-defended-with-nonsense/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/one-needs-to-be-slow-to-form-convictions-but-once-formed-they-must-be/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Predictability can eventually be defended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/predictability-can-eventually-be-defended/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [People used to talk bad about you,i defended you and told them they were wrong.stupid me.i finally see what they see](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/people-used-to-talk-bad-about-you-i-defended-you-and-told-them-they/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [“There is no lie in war or preparation of war that can't be defended. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/there-is-no-lie-in-war-or-preparation-of-war-that-can-t-be-defended/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Democracy is not a good that people can enjoy without trouble. It is, on the contrary, a treasure that must be daily defended and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/democracy-is-not-a-good-that-people-can-enjoy-without-trouble-it-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of 'our institutions' unless you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-d-snyder/defend-an-institution-follow-the-courts-or-the-media-or-a-court-or-a/) [Timothy D. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-d-snyder/) > [A country should be defended not by arms, but by ethical behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinoba-bhave/a-country-should-be-defended-not-by-arms-but-by-ethical-behavior/) [Vinoba Bhave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinoba-bhave/) > [All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/all-might-be-free-if-they-valued-freedom-and-defended-it-as-they/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [“Truth doesn’t need to be defended. Truth just is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/truth-doesn-t-need-to-be-defended-truth-just-is/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Justice is not simply argued — it is meticulously prepared, strategically presented, and fearlessly defended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millennium-chambers/justice-is-not-simply-argued-it-is-meticulously-prepared/) Millennium Chambers > [They say, "Katie, you're wrong." And if I say, "How dare you say that? I have studied and studied." Or, "I am an expert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/they-say-katie-you-re-wrong-and-if-i-say-how-dare-you-say-that-i-have/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [I started the 1998 World Cup with Teddy Sheringham up front but always planned for Michael Owen to face Colombia in our final group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-started-the-1998-world-cup-with-teddy-sheringham-up-front-but/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [A government capable of controlling the whole, and bringing its force to a point, is one of the prerequisites for national liberty. We combine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-ellsworth/a-government-capable-of-controlling-the-whole-and-bringing-its-force/) [Oliver Ellsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-ellsworth/) Browse all 110 Defended quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I defended myself at the first opportunity I had, which was a meeting of writers in which I proved that Honecker had based his whole attack.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stefan Heym" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportunity-i-had-which-was-a-meeting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defended" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportunity-i-had-which-was-a-meeting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/650/stefan-heym-20654_defended_i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportuni_584612.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I defended myself at the first opportunity I had, which was a meeting of writers in which I proved that…” — Stefan Heym", "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": "Stefan Heym", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-heym/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I defended myself at the first...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportunity-i-had-which-was-a-meeting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-heym/i-defended-myself-at-the-first-opportunity-i-had-which-was-a-meeting/#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 } } ] } ```