James Gilligan Quotes

• All violence is an attempt to replace shame with self-esteem.

  James Gilligan

  Self Esteem, Violence, Shame

  48 Copy quote

• I have yet to see a serious act of violence that was not provoked by the experience of feeling shamed and humiliated, disrespected and ridiculed, and that did not represent the attempt to prevent or undo this ‘loss of face’—no matter how severe the punishment, even if it includes death.

  James Gilligan

  Loss, Punishment, Feelings

  James Gilligan (1996). “Violence: Our Deadly Epidemic and Its Causes”, Putnam Adult

  25 Copy quote

• The most dangerous men on earth are those who are afraid they are wimps

  James Gilligan

  Men, Wimps, Earth

  13 Copy quote

• The reason that I think it is a waste of time to engage in moral value judgements about people's violence, is because it doesn't advance by one iota our understanding of either the causes or the prevention of the violent behaviour.

  James Gilligan

  Thinking, People, Understanding

  16 Copy quote

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