We burned with love for ourselves, all of us, starters of the fire we suffered- our love was the affliction for which only our love was the cure.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use, and the regular exercise of choosing kindness over cruelty would change us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Compassion requires practice and strengthens over time, influencing our character positively.
This quote emphasizes that compassion, much like a muscle, can be cultivated and made stronger through consistent practice. By consciously choosing to act with kindness rather than cruelty, we can transform ourselves and the impact we have on others, fostering a more empathetic society.
Themes
CompassionKindnessStrengthChangeCruelty
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a motivational speech about building a compassionate community.
More from Jonathan Safran Foer
All quotes βMemory was supposed to fill the time, but it made time a hole to be filled. Each second was two hundred yards, to be walked, crawled. You couldn't see the next hour, it was so far in the distance. Tomorrow was over the horizon, and would take an entire day to reach.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
She was not crying Which surprised me very much But I understand now That she had found places For her melancholy That were behind more masks Than only her eyes
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
What do babies dream of? She must be dreaming of the before-life, just as I dream of the afterlife.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
A few weeks after the worst day, I started writing lots of letters. I don't know why, but it was one of the only things that made my boots lighter.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
What is being awake if not interpreting our dreams, or dreaming if not interpreting our wake?
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
Similar quotes
Kindness is gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
I want to express my closeness to the people of the Philippines who have been struck by a strong earthquake, and I invite you to pray for that dear nation, which in recent days has suffered different calamities.
Pope FrancisRead
At every moment in our lives we need compassion, but what more urgent moment could there be than when we are dying? What more wonderful and consoling gift could you give to dying people than the knowledge that they are being prayed for, and that you are taking on their suffering and purifying their negative karma through your practice for them?
Sogyal RinpocheRead
Pity arises when we are sorry for someone.Compassion is when we understand and help wisely.
Gautama BuddhaRead
Just because an animal is large, it doesn't mean he doesn't want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo.
A. A. MilneRead
There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.
Helen KellerRead