--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The trouble with censorship is that once…" description: "\"The trouble with censorship is that once it starts it is hard to stop. Just about every book contains something that someone objects to.\" — Studs Terkel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/studs-terkel-3020_book_the-trouble-with-censorship-is-that-once_406898.jpg" --- # The trouble with censorship is that once it starts it is… ![“The trouble with censorship is that once it starts it is hard to stop. Just about every book contains something that someone objects to.” quote by Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/studs-terkel-3020_book_the-trouble-with-censorship-is-that-once_406898.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/studs-terkel-3020_book_the-trouble-with-censorship-is-that-once_406898.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4d/studs-terkel-3020_book_the-trouble-with-censorship-is-that-once_406898.jpg) > “The trouble with censorship is that once it starts it is hard to stop. Just about every book contains something that someone objects to.” [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Censorship, once begun, becomes self‑reinforcing and difficult to reverse, because every work contains potentially offensive material. **In simple terms:** Censorship spreads quickly and is hard to stop. Key Takeaway Guard free expression and set clear limits. Themes freedom of speech media power control Mood cautious critical Type ethical political When to use this quote - publishing - education - policy making - media regulation Key Concepts censorship self‑reinforcement public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance protection with openness? - What mechanisms prevent overreach? A Different Perspective Even with safeguards, subjective judgments can still suppress ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) ## Related quotes > [ If no one speaks out for \[young readers\], if they don’t speak out for themselves, all they’ll get for required reading will be the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/if-no-one-speaks-out-for-young-readers-if-they-don-t-speak-out-for/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [“It’s not the wisest thing - love - but when it happens, there’s not a lot you can do to stop it. Sometimes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/it-s-not-the-wisest-thing-love-but-when-it-happens-there-s-not-a-lot/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) > [“The thing is you have to fight the whole time. You can't stop. Otherwise you just end up somewhere, bobbing in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maksik/the-thing-is-you-have-to-fight-the-whole-time-you-can-t-stop/) [Alexander Maksik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maksik/) > [People need to stop. Just stop putting people down for no reason. It's not cool, what does it really do for you in life?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sweeney/people-need-to-stop-just-stop-putting-people-down-for-no-reason-it-s/) [Ash Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sweeney/) > [We live in such a noisy world that we need to stop and just let things happen. Let it grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-quinn/we-live-in-such-a-noisy-world-that-we-need-to-stop-and-just-let/) [Sally Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-quinn/) > [My mind is ready to go on, but I want to have something left to continue to play this game that I enjoy so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karch-kiraly/my-mind-is-ready-to-go-on-but-i-want-to-have-something-left-to/) [Karch Kiraly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karch-kiraly/) > [I often see how you sob over what you destroy, how you want to stop and just worship; and you do stop, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-often-see-how-you-sob-over-what-you-destroy-how-you-want-to-stop/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“Don’t stop just because it’s hard. Some of the best things in life begin where comfort ends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/favour-joseph-adi/don-t-stop-just-because-it-s-hard-some-of-the-best-things-in-life/) Favour Joseph Adi > [Ultimately, a more experienced director realizes that you've got to stop sometime and just move on. They're braver about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/ultimately-a-more-experienced-director-realizes-that-you-ve-got-to/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [“Go (please stay), Go (please stay), Go if you want to,I can't stop you. Just go if you want to I can't stop you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/go-please-stay-go-please-stay-go-if-you-want-to-i-can-t-stop-you-just/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [It's so easy that when you begin you can't stop. You just go on and on doing it always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/it-s-so-easy-that-when-you-begin-you-can-t-stop-you-just-go-on-and-on/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“life doesnot stop just our thinking stops”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhawana/life-doesnot-stop-just-our-thinking-stops/) Bhawana > [Backstreet Boys, we don't stop. We just keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-littrell/backstreet-boys-we-don-t-stop-we-just-keep-going/) [Brian Littrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-littrell/) > [Once you have a kid, it's amazing how quickly people ask, 'So are you going to stop at just one?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-vizzini/once-you-have-a-kid-it-s-amazing-how-quickly-people-ask-so-are-you/) [Ned Vizzini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-vizzini/) > [Whether that's racism, whether it's bigotry, whether it's gender inequality - whatever it is, it's all stemming from "me against you." And, like, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/draymond-green/whether-that-s-racism-whether-it-s-bigotry-whether-it-s-gender/) [Draymond Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/draymond-green/) ## More by Studs Terkel > [My epitaph? My epitaph will be, 'Curiosity did not kill this cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/my-epitaph-my-epitaph-will-be-curiosity-did-not-kill-this-cat/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“It was in ’35—we had this campaign to raise a million tax dollars. In the town of Phillips, one evening, during a blizzard, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/it-was-in-35-we-had-this-campaign-to-raise-a-million-tax-dollars-in/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [I read somewhere that when a person takes part in community action, his health improves. Something happens to him or to her biologically. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-read-somewhere-that-when-a-person-takes-part-in-community-action/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [Don't be an examiner, be the interested inquirer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/don-t-be-an-examiner-be-the-interested-inquirer/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [Hope never trickles down. It always springs up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/hope-never-trickles-down-it-always-springs-up/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [I never drove a car. I'm hopeless that way. I press the wrong buttons on the tape recorder. 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You didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-ll-never-forget-that-depression-easter-sunday-our-son-was-four/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [All you need in life is truth and beauty and you can find both at the Public Library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/all-you-need-in-life-is-truth-and-beauty-and-you-can-find-both-at-the/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [Reading a book should not be a passive exercise, but rather a raucous conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/reading-a-book-should-not-be-a-passive-exercise-but-rather-a-raucous/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [I hope for peace and sanity - it's the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-hope-for-peace-and-sanity-it-s-the-same-thing/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“The total cost of the Federal Arts Project was only $23 million. Many of these paintings, sculptures and prints were given to museums, courthouses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/the-total-cost-of-the-federal-arts-project-was-only-23-million-many/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [I find labels "liberal" and "conservative" of little meaning. Our language has become perverted along with the thoughts of many of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-find-labels-liberal-and-conservative-of-little-meaning-our-language/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“Who knows Bob’s name in this outfit—let alone his lame child’s? (“The last place I worked for, I was let go,” recalls the bank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/who-knows-bob-s-name-in-this-outfit-let-alone-his-lame-child-s-the/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [At a time when pimpery, lick-spittlery, and picking the public's pocket are the order of the day - indeed, officially proclaimed as virtue -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/at-a-time-when-pimpery-lick-spittlery-and-picking-the-public-s-pocket/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) [Explore all 142 Studs Terkel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The trouble with censorship is that once it starts it is hard to stop. 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