Justice & Law Quote by Ben Hecht

Hecht’s “one law” doesn’t sound like morality; it sounds like operations. The language is deliberately unvarnished - “gotta,” “outta,” “doin’” - the voice of a guy who’s learned the hard way that virtue won’t save you, only initiative will. It’s advice posed as a creed, and the tough-guy simplicity is the point: reduce life to a single rule and you can act without waiting for permission, consensus, or rescue.

The intent is both practical and slightly predatory. “Do it first” is a pre-emptive strike against competition and scrutiny; “do it yourself” is distrust dressed up as self-reliance; “keep on doin’ it” is the kicker, suggesting trouble isn’t a one-time hazard but a recurring climate. Hecht is selling momentum as innocence: if you’re always moving, always producing, always ahead of the next person’s objections, you can claim the clean alibi of necessity.

Context matters because Hecht knew systems from the inside. As a Chicago newspaperman and later a Hollywood screenwriter, he lived in industries where speed beats purity, credit is slippery, and “trouble” often means contracts, bosses, censors, rivals. The quote reads like a survival note from deadline culture: hesitation invites interference. Its subtext is almost cynical about collective life - groups dilute responsibility and amplify blame. So you outrun the mess by staying indispensable, staying early, staying in motion. It’s not ethics. It’s a recipe for control.