--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man who ventures to write…" description: "\"The man who ventures to write contemporary history must expect to be attacked both for everything he has said and everything he has not said\" — Voltaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png" --- # The man who ventures to write contemporary history must… ![“The man who ventures to write contemporary history must expect to be attacked both for everything he has said and everything he has not said” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png) > “The man who ventures to write contemporary history must expect to be attacked both for everything he has said and everything he has not said” [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing contemporary history invites criticism from all sides, for both spoken and unspoken words. **In simple terms:** History writers face attacks. Key Takeaway Accept critique as part of truth‑seeking. Themes criticism history truth responsibility Mood analytical cautious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - journalism - academic publishing - public discourse - political analysis Key Concepts philosophy media studies ethics Questions to Reflect On - How will you handle opposing views? - What truths are you willing to leave unsaid? A Different Perspective Silence can also be judged harshly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attacked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacked/) [Attacked Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacked-said-5173953/) [Contemporary History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-history-1801687/) [Expect Attacked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect-attacked-5173952/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-expect-2472962/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) ## Related quotes > [“Forgot to tell you,’ Boyd said, ‘Garda O’Donoghue found this.’ He held up her scuffed leather slouch bag. ‘Where?’ Lottie grabbed the bag and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-gibney/forgot-to-tell-you-boyd-said-garda-o-donoghue-found-this-he-held-up/) [Patricia Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-gibney/) > [Why would you expect people who don't know any history to be able to report on history? Why would you expect people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/why-would-you-expect-people-who-don-t-know-any-history-to-be-able-to/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [Americans are rising to the tasks of history, and they expect the same of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/americans-are-rising-to-the-tasks-of-history-and-they-expect-the-same/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [One of the greatest drawbacks of our industry is that we don't take back anything from our contemporary history or our past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/one-of-the-greatest-drawbacks-of-our-industry-is-that-we-don-t-take/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [History, when they do it, is ancient history, and they sensationalize even that. Contemporary history is virtually ignored on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/history-when-they-do-it-is-ancient-history-and-they-sensationalize/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [There were the events of 1968 when young people began to ask their parents, what did you do in the war? And since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-o-paxton/there-were-the-events-of-1968-when-young-people-began-to-ask-their/) [Robert O. Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-o-paxton/) > [The problem of telling contemporary history is that your message gets outdated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-problem-of-telling-contemporary-history-is-that-your-message-gets/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [As contemporary history reminds us we are human to the extent that we are able to chose between alternatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-g-d-clark/as-contemporary-history-reminds-us-we-are-human-to-the-extent-that-we/) [John G. D. Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-g-d-clark/) > [An obituary should be an exercise in contemporary history, not a funeral oration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-utley/an-obituary-should-be-an-exercise-in-contemporary-history-not-a/) [Peter Utley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-utley/) > [All history is contemporary history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedetto-croce/all-history-is-contemporary-history/) [Benedetto Croce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedetto-croce/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) ## More by Voltaire > [In every province, the chief occupations, in order of importance, are lovemaking, malicious gossip, and talking nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/in-every-province-the-chief-occupations-in-order-of-importance-are/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/fanaticism-to-which-men-are-so-much-inclined-has-always-served-not/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good; we do the best we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/we-re-neither-pure-nor-wise-nor-good-we-do-the-best-we-know/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Meslier was the most singular phenomenon ever seen among all the meteors fatal to the Christian religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/meslier-was-the-most-singular-phenomenon-ever-seen-among-all-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Being unable to make people more reasonable, I preferred to be happy away from them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/being-unable-to-make-people-more-reasonable-i-preferred-to-be-happy/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast, or of one thing too exclusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/madness-is-to-think-of-too-many-things-in-succession-too-fast-or-of/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/god-gave-us-the-gift-of-life-it-is-up-to-us-to-give-ourselves-the/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-not-inequality-which-is-the-real-misfortune-it-is-dependence/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/providence-has-given-us-hope-and-sleep-as-a-compensation-for-the-many/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Men use thought only to justify their wrong doings, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/men-use-thought-only-to-justify-their-wrong-doings-and-employ-speech/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/work-spares-us-from-three-evils-boredom-vice-and-need/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) [Explore all 934 Voltaire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More Attacked quotes > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [It turns out that this part of the brain is one of the first areas that's attacked by Alzheimer's disease. So we can now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-keefe/it-turns-out-that-this-part-of-the-brain-is-one-of-the-first-areas/) [John O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-keefe/) > [With what all these people are saying, do you think that anybody wants to be around me? They all think that I did this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/with-what-all-these-people-are-saying-do-you-think-that-anybody-wants/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Nine out of every 10 large corporations and government agencies have been attacked by computer intruders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/nine-out-of-every-10-large-corporations-and-government-agencies-have/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [“Do you mean you were attacked from behind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/do-you-mean-you-were-attacked-from-behind/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [I am one of the most attacked persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/i-am-one-of-the-most-attacked-persons/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [I'm always ready to be attacked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-votto/i-m-always-ready-to-be-attacked/) [Joey Votto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-votto/) > [I prefer to be at home with my husband and children than attacked by photographers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-princess-of-hanover/i-prefer-to-be-at-home-with-my-husband-and-children-than-attacked-by/) [Caroline, Princess of Hanover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-princess-of-hanover/) > [When Gingrich attacked CNN's John King for bringing up his alleged proposal of an open marriage to his second wife, Gingrich accused him of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/when-gingrich-attacked-cnn-s-john-king-for-bringing-up-his-alleged/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Progress is always relative: to the oppressed, it can only be viewed as an all or nothing deal - if oppression continues, even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/progress-is-always-relative-to-the-oppressed-it-can-only-be-viewed-as/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [ \[On her seven-month-old son:\] When people see me carrying him in the street they think I'm being attacked by a short, bald man. But… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hurley/on-her-seven-month-old-son-when-people-see-me-carrying-him-in-the/) [Elizabeth Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hurley/) > [I have been attacked and mistreated for my skin colour since I was a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/i-have-been-attacked-and-mistreated-for-my-skin-colour-since-i-was-a/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Therefore, if you are attacked, retaliate instantly. Be sudden. Be quick. Speed is your salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/therefore-if-you-are-attacked-retaliate-instantly-be-sudden-be-quick/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“His life was a constant war with insensate objects that fell apart, or attacked him, or refused to function, or viciously got themselves lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/his-life-was-a-constant-war-with-insensate-objects-that-fell-apart-or/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) [Browse all 244 Attacked quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacked/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The man who ventures to write contemporary history must expect to be attacked both for everything he has said and everything he has not said", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Voltaire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contemporary-history-must-expect-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attacked" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contemporary-history-must-expect-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/943/voltaire-173_attacked_the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contempora_1443911.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The man who ventures to write contemporary history must expect to be attacked both for everything he has…” — Voltaire", "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": "Voltaire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The man who ventures to write...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contemporary-history-must-expect-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-man-who-ventures-to-write-contemporary-history-must-expect-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```