--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Though our brother is upon the rack, as…" description: "\"Though our brother is upon the rack, as long as we ourselves are at ease, our senses will never inform us of what he suffers. They never did and never ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/adam-smith-1040_adopted_though-our-brother-is-upon-the-rack-as-l_3215206.jpg" --- # Though our brother is upon the rack, as long as we… ![“Though our brother is upon the rack, as long as we ourselves are at ease, our senses will never inform us of what he suffers. They never did and never can carry us beyond our own persons, and it is by the imagination only that we form any conception of what are his sensations...His agonies, when…” quote by Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/adam-smith-1040_adopted_though-our-brother-is-upon-the-rack-as-l_3215206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/adam-smith-1040_adopted_though-our-brother-is-upon-the-rack-as-l_3215206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/adam-smith-1040_adopted_though-our-brother-is-upon-the-rack-as-l_3215206.jpg) > “Though our brother is upon the rack, as long as we ourselves are at ease, our senses will never inform us of what he suffers. They never did and never can carry us beyond our own persons, and it is by the imagination only that we form any conception of what are his sensations...His agonies, when they are thus brought home to ourselves, when we have this adopted and made them our own, begin at last to affect us, and we then tremble and shudder at the thought of what he feels.” [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We only empathize with others when we imagine their pain and make it our own; otherwise we remain indifferent. **In simple terms:** Empathy requires imagination and personal connection. Key Takeaway Cultivate imagination to feel others' suffering. Themes empathy morality humanity Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - social work - healthcare - conflict resolution - education - leadership Key Concepts moral philosophy psychology social cognition Questions to Reflect On - How can we expand our imagination to include distant others? - What practices help sustain empathetic concern? A Different Perspective Empathy may be limited by personal bias or emotional fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Sensations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensations/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [“I know there are days when even one single positive thought feels like too much effort, but you must develop an unconditional love for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/i-know-there-are-days-when-even-one-single-positive-thought-feels/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [I always have this fear that one day you are going to discover that I'm not as great as you once thought I was.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/i-always-have-this-fear-that-one-day-you-are-going-to-discover-that-i-2/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [“He’s wearing a T-shirt for the first time, answering thatquestion I had when we met. 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