--- 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...The degree of their indignation is astonishing. Their resolve is frightening. These..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/yann-martel-395_defended_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_3078512.jpg" --- # There are always those who take it upon themselves to… ![“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 fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves...The…” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/yann-martel-395_defended_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_3078512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/yann-martel-395_defended_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_3078512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f75/yann-martel-395_defended_there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon_3078512.jpg) > ““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 fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves...The lot of widows and homeless children is very hard, and it is to their defense, not God's, that the self-righteous should rush.”” [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. Defending external concepts can lead to self‑righteous anger; true moral work is internal, caring for the vulnerable. **In simple terms:** Focus on inner moral work, not outward battles. Key Takeaway Redirect anger toward self‑improvement and helping the needy. Themes religion morality self‑reflection social justice empathy Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - community service - personal meditation - charitable work - conflict resolution Key Concepts inner virtue altruism self‑criticism Questions to Reflect On - How can we encourage internal moral accountability? - What practices foster empathy for the marginalized? A Different Perspective People may resist introspection and blame external forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Self righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-righteous/) ## 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-4/) [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/) > [“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 people fail to realise that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. - Pi Patel in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-people-fail-to-realise-that-it-is-on-the-inside-that-god-must/) [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-2/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [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/) > [These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/these-people-fail-to-realize-that-it-is-on-the-inside-that-god-must-2/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/these-people-fail-to-realize-that-it-is-on-the-inside-that-god-must/) [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-3/) [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/) > [If you've ever been to a poetry slam, you know that the highest scoring emotion is self-righteous indignation: how dare you judge me. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-mali/if-you-ve-ever-been-to-a-poetry-slam-you-know-that-the-highest/) [Taylor Mali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-mali/) > [“Spare me the self-righteous indignation. I highly doubt your motives are selfless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaye-wells/spare-me-the-self-righteous-indignation-i-highly-doubt-your-motives/) [Jaye Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaye-wells/) > [Science has learned recently that contempt and indignation are addictive mental states. I mean physically and chemically addictive. Literally! People who are self-righteous a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/science-has-learned-recently-that-contempt-and-indignation-are/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“Narcissists erupt with self-righteous indignation whenever they believe others are breaking rules, acting unfairly, or getting more than their fair share of the pie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/narcissists-erupt-with-self-righteous-indignation-whenever-they/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) ## 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 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": "“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 fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. 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