--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are always those who take it upon…" description: "\"“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg" --- # There are always those who take it upon themselves to… ![“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak and helpless. These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy begging for a few paise, walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and…” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg) > ““There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak and helpless. These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy begging for a few paise, walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and they think, ' Business as usual.' But if they perceive a slight against god, it is a different story. Their faces go red, their chests heave nightly, they sputter angry words. The degree of their indignation is astonishing. Their resolve is frightening.”” [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often defend abstract ideals loudly while ignoring immediate suffering, revealing a disconnect between moral posturing and real compassion. **In simple terms:** Defending ideas can blind us to real pain. Key Takeaway Balance belief with tangible empathy. Themes morality compassion hypocrisy social justice Mood reflective critical empathetic Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - charitable work - policy advocacy - daily interactions - community service Key Concepts ethical paradox cognitive dissonance moral absolutism Questions to Reflect On - How can we turn moral outrage into concrete help? - What blind spots arise when we prioritize abstract ideals? A Different Perspective Such fervor can lead to performative activism without lasting change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angry words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-words/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-3/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“And that wasn't the end of it. There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/and-that-wasn-t-the-end-of-it-there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-4/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy...walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and they think, 'Business as usual.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/these-people-walk-by-a-widow-deformed-by-leprosy-walk-by-children/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God...The degree of their indignation is astonishing. Their resolve is frightening. These people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-the/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are those who take upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-those-who-take-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-if-ultimate/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God... These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“If I were God, it’d be a whole different story, dropping fruit at will. Let them eat apples.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trebor-healey/if-i-were-god-it-d-be-a-whole-different-story-dropping-fruit-at-will/) [Trebor Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trebor-healey/) > [We would people always want to bully the helpless people in this world..you should care and help your self instead of making others peoples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow-timmi/we-would-people-always-want-to-bully-the-helpless-people-in-this/) Unknow Timmi > [“We saw so many sad and helpless people. I remember looking at people on the TeeVee from other countries who was all drenched and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-antieau/we-saw-so-many-sad-and-helpless-people-i-remember-looking-at-people/) Kim Antieau > [That is my ambition, to have killed more people-more helpless people-than any man or woman who has ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/that-is-my-ambition-to-have-killed-more-people-more-helpless-people/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [Things will happen that seem to be totally contradictory, but these are God's arrangements. It was a wonderful day when I finally realized I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/things-will-happen-that-seem-to-be-totally-contradictory-but-these/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [I don't have to explain or defend the will of God. My job is simply to obey it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/i-don-t-have-to-explain-or-defend-the-will-of-god-my-job-is-simply-to/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [It doesn't take an army to bring a giant down...it takes one person who is willing to risk it all to defend the Name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-doesn-t-take-an-army-to-bring-a-giant-down-it-takes-one-person-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Yann Martel > [“It’s a big ocean crossed by busy ships. I went slowly, observing much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/it-s-a-big-ocean-crossed-by-busy-ships-i-went-slowly-observing-much/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The word isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-word-isn-t-just-the-way-it-is-it-is-how-we-understand-it-no-and/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/remember-that-your-days-on-this-earth-are-counted-and-you-might-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I must say a word about fear. It's is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-must-say-a-word-about-fear-it-s-is-life-s-only-true-opponent-only/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [I was not wounded in any part of my body, but I had never experienced such intense pain, such a ripping of the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-not-wounded-in-any-part-of-my-body-but-i-had-never-experienced/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [High calls low and low calls high. I tell you, if you were in such dire straits as I was, you too would elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/high-calls-low-and-low-calls-high-i-tell-you-if-you-were-in-such-dire/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Or rather, since Christians are so fond of capital letters, a Story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/or-rather-since-christians-are-so-fond-of-capital-letters-a-story/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Progress is unstoppable. It is a drumbeat to which we must all march. Technology helps and good ideas spread - these are two laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/progress-is-unstoppable-it-is-a-drumbeat-to-which-we-must-all-march/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I never had problems with my fellow scientists. Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-never-had-problems-with-my-fellow-scientists-scientists-are-a/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/for-evil-in-the-open-is-but-evil-from-within-that-has-been-let-out/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Books are something social - a writer speaking to a reader - so I think making the reading of a book the center of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/books-are-something-social-a-writer-speaking-to-a-reader-so-i-think/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/nothing-beats-reason-for-keeping-tigers-away-but-be-excessively/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Uvek ima onih koji uzmu za pravo da brane Boga, kao da je Poslednja stvarnost, kao da je temeljni ram postojanja nešto slabašno i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/uvek-ima-onih-koji-uzmu-za-pravo-da-brane-boga-kao-da-je-poslednja/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity- its envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-reason-death-sticks-so-closely-to-life-isn-t-biological-necessity/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) [Explore all 570 Yann Martel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## More Angry words quotes > [“I suck at fighting. I have never really learned how to talk and be mad at the same time. If I have angry words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-suck-at-fighting-i-have-never-really-learned-how-to-talk-and-be-mad/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's easier to leave angry words unspoken, than to mend a heart those words have broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naz/it-s-easier-to-leave-angry-words-unspoken-than-to-mend-a-heart-those/) [Naz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naz/) > [... so far from entrenching human conduct within the gentle barriers of peace and love, religion has ever been, and now is, the deepest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-wright/so-far-from-entrenching-human-conduct-within-the-gentle-barriers-of/) [Frances Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-wright/) > [“We were taught to always put on a good face, even when things are going poorly. We were told to “keep sweet,” an admonition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-pulitzer/we-were-taught-to-always-put-on-a-good-face-even-when-things-are/) [Lisa Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-pulitzer/) > [I just loved listening to hip-hop, I love the words. The angry words resonated with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okieriete-onaodowan/i-just-loved-listening-to-hip-hop-i-love-the-words-the-angry-words/) [Okieriete Onaodowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okieriete-onaodowan/) > [“Usually when someone is angry we hear their angry words. Instead, try hearing the unspoken, “I am scared, I am frustrated, I am insecure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-glassman/usually-when-someone-is-angry-we-hear-their-angry-words-instead-try/) [Charles F. Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-glassman/) > [Three things you can't recover: Words said in anger. A tear from a hurt friend. A child's pride after angry words have been spoken.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/three-things-you-can-t-recover-words-said-in-anger-a-tear-from-a-hurt/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy...walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and they think, 'Business as usual.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/these-people-walk-by-a-widow-deformed-by-leprosy-walk-by-children/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“They're not going to arrest you,' Skulduggery said as they walked through the door. 'They might glare at you and say angry words, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/they-re-not-going-to-arrest-you-skulduggery-said-as-they-walked/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/a-gentle-answer-turns-away-wrath-but-a-harsh-word-stirs-up-anger/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [“Angry words pierce & the holes can't be patched.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-cantore/angry-words-pierce-the-holes-can-t-be-patched/) [Janice cantore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-cantore/) > [Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don't expect others to read your mind, and don't play games with their heads and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/say-what-you-mean-and-mean-what-you-say-don-t-expect-others-to-read/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And that wasn't the end of it. There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/and-that-wasn-t-the-end-of-it-there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I hear you." Angry words get louder when people do not listen. When a person is ill and dying, it seems as if no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/i-hear-you-angry-words-get-louder-when-people-do-not-listen-when-a/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [I no longer become angry. I not only do not say angry words, I do not even think angry thoughts! If someone does an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/i-no-longer-become-angry-i-not-only-do-not-say-angry-words-i-do-not/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) [Browse all 59 Angry words quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-words/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence, were something weak and helpless. These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy begging for a few paise, walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and they think, ' Business as usual.' But if they perceive a slight against god, it is a different story. Their faces go red, their chests heave nightly, they sputter angry words. The degree of their indignation is astonishing. Their resolve is frightening.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yann Martel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Angry words" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/yann-martel-395_angry-words_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_2127246.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the…” — Yann Martel", "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": "Yann Martel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There are always those who take...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as-2/#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 } } ] } ```