--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have no right to disapprove, then…" description: "\"“If you have no right to disapprove, then your approval means nothing. It may indeed be distressing to someone to have you express your opinion that hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/thomas-sowell-247_disapprove_if-you-have-no-right-to-disapprove-then_2987865.jpg" --- # If you have no right to disapprove, then your approval… ![“If you have no right to disapprove, then your approval means nothing. It may indeed be distressing to someone to have you express your opinion that his lifestyle is disgusting and his art, music or writing is crude, shallow, or repugnant, but unless you are free to reach such conclusions, any…” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/thomas-sowell-247_disapprove_if-you-have-no-right-to-disapprove-then_2987865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/thomas-sowell-247_disapprove_if-you-have-no-right-to-disapprove-then_2987865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41a/thomas-sowell-247_disapprove_if-you-have-no-right-to-disapprove-then_2987865.jpg) > ““If you have no right to disapprove, then your approval means nothing. It may indeed be distressing to someone to have you express your opinion that his lifestyle is disgusting and his art, music or writing is crude, shallow, or repugnant, but unless you are free to reach such conclusions, any praise you bestow is hollow and suspect.”” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Approval without the right to critique is meaningless; genuine evaluation requires freedom of thought. **In simple terms:** True approval needs freedom to criticize. Key Takeaway Value honest, free judgment. Themes ethics freedom of speech critical thinking Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - political discourse - art criticism - media analysis - personal relationships Key Concepts moral integrity intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - When have you withheld criticism? - How can you foster open dialogue? A Different Perspective People may fear backlash for honest opinions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“If you have no right to disapprove, then your approval means nothing. It may indeed be distressing to someone to have you express your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-no-right-to-disapprove-then-your-approval-means-nothing/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“I like it,"he said at length. "You're putting a lot of yourself into this place." "Shall I tell you just what your approval means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-like-it-he-said-at-length-you-re-putting-a-lot-of-yourself-into/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/religion-has-the-right-to-express-its-opinion-in-the-service-of-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Everyone has a right to an opinion. I can arrive in England and express my opinion. If criticism were ferocious and without intellectual objectivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/everyone-has-a-right-to-an-opinion-i-can-arrive-in-england-and/) [Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/) > [When I hear another express an opinion which is not mine, I say to myself, he has a right to his opinion, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-i-hear-another-express-an-opinion-which-is-not-mine-i-say-to/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [How to start an arguement online, express an opinion and wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-to-start-an-arguement-online-express-an-opinion-and-wait/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is the man who does not want to express an opinion whose opinion I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/it-is-the-man-who-does-not-want-to-express-an-opinion-whose-opinion-i/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Some of my friends and family have tried to challenge me to do jokes that aren't as self-deprecating, where I genuinely express my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bamford/some-of-my-friends-and-family-have-tried-to-challenge-me-to-do-jokes/) [Maria Bamford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bamford/) > [People should be allowed to express their opinion. But, Americans need to know I'll be making up my mind based upon the latest intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/people-should-be-allowed-to-express-their-opinion-but-americans-need/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We have no right to express an opinion until we know all of the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/we-have-no-right-to-express-an-opinion-until-we-know-all-of-the/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [A writer will not keep quiet. He will express his opinion through writings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gulzar/a-writer-will-not-keep-quiet-he-will-express-his-opinion-through/) [Gulzar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gulzar/) > [If I have to take the consequences to express my opinion, to express my feelings, to stand up for what I believe in, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weston-mckennie/if-i-have-to-take-the-consequences-to-express-my-opinion-to-express/) [Weston McKennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weston-mckennie/) > [“Freedom of speech is the right to freely express an opinion. It is most assuredly not the right to express an opinion with freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freedom-of-speech-is-the-right-to-freely-express-an-opinion-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every man must have the right fearlessly to think independently and express his opinion about what he knows, what he has personally thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mstislav-rostropovich/every-man-must-have-the-right-fearlessly-to-think-independently-and/) [Mstislav Rostropovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mstislav-rostropovich/) > [I'm just going to express my opinion and try to change the way people think with the stuff I write or try to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-m-just-going-to-express-my-opinion-and-try-to-change-the-way-people/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) ## More by Thomas Sowell > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-all-children-have-some-inherent-right-to-live-in-america-if-they/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/those-parts-of-the-british-isles-without-the-advantage-of-coal/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-whole-idea-of-equal-justice-under-law-is-completely-incompatible/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More Disapprove quotes > [I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-thoroughly-disapprove-of-duels-if-a-man-should-challenge-me-i-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [When people with power see things happen of which they disapprove, they drop bombs and send in tanks. When people without power see things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-with-power-see-things-happen-of-which-they-disapprove/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I’ll promise to think twice before I take any important step you seriously disapprove of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/i-ll-promise-to-think-twice-before-i-take-any-important-step-you/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“Never disapprove the good things you get and never scornfully look on the bad things you get. You don't know who has it worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-scovell/never-disapprove-the-good-things-you-get-and-never-scornfully-look-on/) Andrew Scovell > [On the whole, I rather disapprove of cookbooks, except for the literary ones, like Elizabeth David's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/on-the-whole-i-rather-disapprove-of-cookbooks-except-for-the-literary/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I would disapprove of another hospitable man who was excessive in friendship, as of one excessive in hate. In all things balance is better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/i-would-disapprove-of-another-hospitable-man-who-was-excessive-in/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Nothing should lessen our satisfaction with ourselves as much as when we notice that we disapprove of something at one time that we approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/nothing-should-lessen-our-satisfaction-with-ourselves-as-much-as-when/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“If you can't set a better example for progress, don't show disapproval against the worse tradition!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/if-you-can-t-set-a-better-example-for-progress-don-t-show-disapproval/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Seeking approval of others is away to avoid how deeply we disapprove of ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-approval-of-others-is-away-to-avoid-how-deeply-we-disapprove/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People will disapprove of you if you're unhappy, or if you're happy in The Wrong Way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/people-will-disapprove-of-you-if-you-re-unhappy-or-if-you-re-happy-in/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [“The tragedy is that what you disapprove of in others is the very thing you disapprove of in yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/the-tragedy-is-that-what-you-disapprove-of-in-others-is-the-very/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [I don't really do things to make other people approve or disapprove of my decisions. I'm too grown for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larsa-pippen/i-don-t-really-do-things-to-make-other-people-approve-or-disapprove/) [Larsa Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larsa-pippen/) > [“Whenever they are condemning weaves or breast implants, some people speak so passionately that their false teeth almost fall out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/whenever-they-are-condemning-weaves-or-breast-implants-some-people/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I disapprove of what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/i-disapprove-of-what-you-say-but-i-defend-to-the-death-your-right-to/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Nothing is so capable of diminishing self-love as the observation that we disapprove at one time what we approve at another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/nothing-is-so-capable-of-diminishing-self-love-as-the-observation/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) Browse all 42 Disapprove quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you have no right to disapprove, then your approval means nothing. 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