Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Restricting a word increases its power and negative impact.
In plain terms
Banishing a word makes it stronger and more violent.
What can you take from it?
Censorship often makes forbidden words more dangerous.

Where it applies

  • political debate
  • media regulation
  • speech rights

Putting it to work

  • advocating free speech
  • analyzing taboo words

Questions to consider

  • What happens when words are banned?
  • Can power come from silence?

Another view

Some words may need restriction to prevent real harm.

More from Lenny Bruce

  1. If something about the human body disgusts you, the fault lies with the manufacturer.

    Permalink to quote #23
  2. Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous, when you think about…

    Permalink to quote #25
  3. 'Sex' and 'obscenity' are not synonymous.

    Permalink to quote #22

Related quotes

  1. As long as I am mayor of this city the great industries are secure. We hear about constitutional rights, free speech and the free press. Every time I hear thes…

    Frank HagueFrank Hague quote #2
  2. I want to help you if you have a dirty word problem. There are none.

    Lenny BruceLenny Bruce quote #32
  3. I have a crazy quirk, Eugene. I like to say what I think. And if you're gonna work for the Jews, you can no longer say what you think. You can't say the holoca…

    Bobby FischerBobby Fischer quote #34