--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was a shitty husband, a cruel and…" description: "\"“He was a shitty husband, a cruel and distant father, and had absolutely no empathy for other human beings.”\" — Alafair Burke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png" --- # He was a shitty husband, a cruel and distant father, and… ![“He was a shitty husband, a cruel and distant father, and had absolutely no empathy for other human beings.” quote by Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png) > ““He was a shitty husband, a cruel and distant father, and had absolutely no empathy for other human beings.”” [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The subject lacked basic compassion, harming those close to him. **In simple terms:** He was uncaring. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy. Themes family abuse empathy Mood somber critical Type psychological social When to use this quote - marriage counseling - parenting workshops - mental health awareness - community support Key Concepts psychology emotional neglect Questions to Reflect On - Why do some people lack empathy? - How can we support victims? A Different Perspective Complex motives may underlie such behavior, requiring nuanced understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Beware the cute, hot guy who kind of reminds you of the parent you don't get along with: your cold, distant father who left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/beware-the-cute-hot-guy-who-kind-of-reminds-you-of-the-parent-you-don/) [Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/) > [“Lady Thornton!” the prosecutor rapped out, and he began firing questions at her so rapidly that she could scarcely keep track of them. “Tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/lady-thornton-the-prosecutor-rapped-out-and-he-began-firing-questions/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) > [“In sooth, thy life sounds passing strange and shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-grossman/in-sooth-thy-life-sounds-passing-strange-and-shitty/) [Austin Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-grossman/) > [Maybe the next three Star Wars movies will tell the story of how the last three Star Wars movies got so shitty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/maybe-the-next-three-star-wars-movies-will-tell-the-story-of-how-the/) [Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/) > [“If my neighborhood were wine, connoisseurs would describe it as “shitty, with overtones of failure and poor life decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-weir/if-my-neighborhood-were-wine-connoisseurs-would-describe-it-as-shitty/) [Andy Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-weir/) > [“Those shitty fucks… don't stop spamming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/those-shitty-fucks-don-t-stop-spamming/) Deyth Banger > [If you can't text and drive, you're just a shitty driver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/if-you-can-t-text-and-drive-you-re-just-a-shitty-driver/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“No matter how shitty things are, you can always get a song out of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/no-matter-how-shitty-things-are-you-can-always-get-a-song-out-of-it/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [People only mention it's a free country if they're doing something shitty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/people-only-mention-it-s-a-free-country-if-they-re-doing-something/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [“You two had something special – it’s the circumstances that were shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-randall/you-two-had-something-special-it-s-the-circumstances-that-were-shitty/) [Andrea Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-randall/) > [“Addiction is a “shitty” disease”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/addiction-is-a-shitty-disease/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [“Cynicism is like gastro: it goes through your whole system and makes you shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/cynicism-is-like-gastro-it-goes-through-your-whole-system-and-makes/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“These days will be a shitty reminder of a time when we weren't the best versions of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrine-jackson/these-days-will-be-a-shitty-reminder-of-a-time-when-we-weren-t-the/) [Corrine Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrine-jackson/) > [“What a shitty way to go through life, hiding your love for music so that people don't think the wrong things about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmir-questlove-thompson-2/what-a-shitty-way-to-go-through-life-hiding-your-love-for-music-so/) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson > [I'd love to have a shitty job. I couldn't hold any down. Standup was the only thing I could stick with. I'm an idiot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/i-d-love-to-have-a-shitty-job-i-couldn-t-hold-any-down-standup-was/) [Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/) ## More by Alafair Burke > [No Time For Goodbye is a deliciously smart thriller, full of surprises and perfect pacing. I'm jealous I didn't write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/no-time-for-goodbye-is-a-deliciously-smart-thriller-full-of-surprises/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [“I get sad every time I hear a person say "I don't read." It's like saying "I don't learn," or "I don't laugh," or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/i-get-sad-every-time-i-hear-a-person-say-i-don-t-read-it-s-like/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Apparently, an undocumented side effect of dope is a gross overestimation of one's own intelligence. Dopers become convinced they've hidden their stash so well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/apparently-an-undocumented-side-effect-of-dope-is-a-gross/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Teaching does allow me to keep one foot in the youthful waters I tend to occupy in my novels, so I'm thankful for that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/teaching-does-allow-me-to-keep-one-foot-in-the-youthful-waters-i-tend/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Apathy is grossly undervalued and never there for me when I need it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/apathy-is-grossly-undervalued-and-never-there-for-me-when-i-need-it/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Anyone who was tempted to draw comparisons between my father's 'Dave Robicheaux' series and my first book quickly gave up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/anyone-who-was-tempted-to-draw-comparisons-between-my-father-s-dave/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Hmmm... cooking with wine? I usually drink wine while cooking... I do a good braised short ribs with cabernet, though. We're big red wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/hmmm-cooking-with-wine-i-usually-drink-wine-while-cooking-i-do-a-good/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [In our system, we leave questions of fact to a jury. But to render a verdict, a jury must know the law. For this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/in-our-system-we-leave-questions-of-fact-to-a-jury-but-to-render-a/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [I've learned to accept the fact that my students are far too busy preparing for their own legal careers to care one bit about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/i-ve-learned-to-accept-the-fact-that-my-students-are-far-too-busy/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Just as I know the usual rules of law enforcement, I also know the exceptions and invoke those frequently. I don't feel a need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/just-as-i-know-the-usual-rules-of-law-enforcement-i-also-know-the/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Before we condemn the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman, we should remember that they were asked to do something extraordinary. They were asked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/before-we-condemn-the-jurors-who-acquitted-george-zimmerman-we-should/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [I was the weirdest kid: I wanted to see the police file - in grade school! I was convinced I could crack the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/i-was-the-weirdest-kid-i-wanted-to-see-the-police-file-in-grade/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [I was downright obnoxious. In second grade, we had some program where we kept a public list of all the books we read. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/i-was-downright-obnoxious-in-second-grade-we-had-some-program-where/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [According to FBI statistics for 2008, only 22 percent of murder victims were killed by strangers. More than 30 percent were slain by family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/according-to-fbi-statistics-for-2008-only-22-percent-of-murder/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) > [Moving to New York made all the difference in my creating this new series with Ellie Hatcher. I love Portland, and it's always going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/moving-to-new-york-made-all-the-difference-in-my-creating-this-new/) [Alafair Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) [Explore all 27 Alafair Burke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) Segun Magbagbeola > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) Talib al Habib > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He was a shitty husband, a cruel and distant father, and had absolutely no empathy for other human beings.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alafair Burke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-distant-father-and-had-absolutely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compassion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-distant-father-and-had-absolutely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cc/alafair-burke-22538_compassion_he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-dist_1600644.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He was a shitty husband, a cruel and distant father, and had absolutely no empathy for other human beings.” — Alafair Burke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alafair Burke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alafair-burke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He was a shitty husband, a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-distant-father-and-had-absolutely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alafair-burke/he-was-a-shitty-husband-a-cruel-and-distant-father-and-had-absolutely/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```