--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I haven’t needed anything big enough from…" description: "\"“I haven’t needed anything big enough from you to justify being pleasant, and I doubt I ever will.”\" — Alastair Reynolds" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg" --- # I haven’t needed anything big enough from you to justify… ![“I haven’t needed anything big enough from you to justify being pleasant, and I doubt I ever will.” quote by Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg) > ““I haven’t needed anything big enough from you to justify being pleasant, and I doubt I ever will.”” [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He feels he never needed enough from others to be kind, and doubts he'll ever do so. **In simple terms:** He doubts he’ll ever be pleasant without a big reason. Key Takeaway Cultivate kindness without expectations. Themes ethics relationships humanity Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace - community service Key Concepts altruism motivation Questions to Reflect On - What motivates your kindness? - Can you find joy in small gestures? A Different Perspective Kindness may feel forced without reciprocity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. 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The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) Donald P. Ryan > [I have to justify my job every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-silva/i-have-to-justify-my-job-every-day/) [Marco Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-silva/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“I have heard several people justify working long hours and getting home from work late it night by saying things like, “I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/i-have-heard-several-people-justify-working-long-hours-and-getting/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [Islam expect every Muslim to do this duty, and if we realise our responsibility time will come soon when we shall justify ourselves worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/islam-expect-every-muslim-to-do-this-duty-and-if-we-realise-our/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [There is no truth sure enough to justify persecution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/there-is-no-truth-sure-enough-to-justify-persecution/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [You can have immediate regrets, but if you look at stuff and say, 'Things happen for a reason', there's a fatalistic thing about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/you-can-have-immediate-regrets-but-if-you-look-at-stuff-and-say/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) Browse all 1,155 Justify quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I haven’t needed anything big enough from you to justify being pleasant, and I doubt I ever will.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alastair Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-from-you-to-justify-being/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Justify" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-from-you-to-justify-being/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/265/alastair-reynolds-2186_justify_i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-fro_2843656.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I haven’t needed anything big enough from you to justify being pleasant, and I doubt I ever will.” — Alastair Reynolds", "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": "Alastair Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I haven’t needed anything big enough...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-from-you-to-justify-being/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/i-haven-t-needed-anything-big-enough-from-you-to-justify-being/#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 } } ] } ```