---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I knew a pure heart who refused tot be…"
description: "\"I knew a pure heart who refused tot be mistrustful… He had written at his doorstep: \"From wherever you are, enter and be welcome\". Who do you think res..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg"
---

#  I knew a pure heart who refused tot be mistrustful… He had…

![“I knew a pure heart who refused tot be mistrustful… He had written at his doorstep: &quot;From wherever you are, enter and be welcome&quot;. Who do you think responded to this lovely invitation? The militia, who made themselves at home and gutted him.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg)

> “I knew a pure heart who refused tot be mistrustful… He had written at his doorstep: "From wherever you are, enter and be welcome". Who do you think responded to this lovely invitation? The militia, who made themselves at home and gutted him.”

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A compassionate invitation is met with brutal betrayal, highlighting the cruelty of human nature.

**In simple terms:** Kindness can be met with violence.

Key Takeaway

Beware of trusting blindly.

Themes

trust betrayal humanity violence compassion

Mood

somber reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- war zones
- personal relationships
- community building
- hospitality
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

existentialism absurdism morality

Questions to Reflect On

- Who truly bears responsibility for betrayal?
- Can kindness survive in hostile environments?

A Different Perspective

The quote may romanticize victimhood, ignoring agency.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Invitations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invitations/) [Militia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/militia/) [Pure heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-heart/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tots/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/)

## Related quotes

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [The wolf stared down at me, paws still on my chest, its shaggy tail thumping from side tot side and spraying us both with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/the-wolf-stared-down-at-me-paws-still-on-my-chest-its-shaggy-tail/)

[Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/)

> [We define only out of despair, we must have a formula... to give a facade tot he void.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/we-define-only-out-of-despair-we-must-have-a-formula-to-give-a-facade/)

[Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/)

> [I just want to get on a table, dance on someone's tater tots, and wait for the hall monitor to drag me away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-applegate/i-just-want-to-get-on-a-table-dance-on-someone-s-tater-tots-and-wait/)

[Katherine Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-applegate/)

> [When I was 3 my parents put me in gymnastics because I was a bundle of energy and they just didn't know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-johnson/when-i-was-3-my-parents-put-me-in-gymnastics-because-i-was-a-bundle/)

[Shawn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-johnson/)

> [Be close to the poor and to those in need, so as to touch in their flesh the wounded flesh of Jesus. Please, draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/be-close-to-the-poor-and-to-those-in-need-so-as-to-touch-in-their/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [And there she was, alone and walking out in the cornfield while everyone else I cared for sat together in one room. She would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/and-there-she-was-alone-and-walking-out-in-the-cornfield-while/)

[Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/)

> [Be close tot he poor, the needy, to touch in their flesh the flesh of Jesus. Be close, please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/be-close-tot-he-poor-the-needy-to-touch-in-their-flesh-the-flesh-of/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [There is no such thing as abstract art, or else all art is abstract, which amounts to the same thing. Abstract art no more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/there-is-no-such-thing-as-abstract-art-or-else-all-art-is-abstract/)

[Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/)

> [By getting as close to the true idea of religion, of spirituality as it is possible for us to get.. ...we would be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/by-getting-as-close-to-the-true-idea-of-religion-of-spirituality-as/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [that was the plan? part of it, you don't wan tot know the rest. i believe the word 'these dog colllars would make excellent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/that-was-the-plan-part-of-it-you-don-t-wan-tot-know-the-rest-i/)

[Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/)

> [Futurism and Cubism are comparable in importance to the invention of perspective, for which they substituted a new concept of space. All subsequent movements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gino-severini/futurism-and-cubism-are-comparable-in-importance-to-the-invention-of/)

[Gino Severini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gino-severini/)

> [When I was a very small child I went to a new play group. The first thing I did was run over to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-morris/when-i-was-a-very-small-child-i-went-to-a-new-play-group-the-first/)

[Rae Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-morris/)

> [Virtue is to the soul what health is tot he body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/virtue-is-to-the-soul-what-health-is-tot-he-body/)

[Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/)

> [According to my views, aiming at quantitative investigations, that is at establishing relations between measurements of phenomena, should take first place in the experimental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heike-kamerlingh-onnes/according-to-my-views-aiming-at-quantitative-investigations-that-is/)

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes

## More by Albert Camus

> [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

[Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

## More Doorstep quotes

> [I took anything that came across my doorstep. I started getting a reputation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-stewart/i-took-anything-that-came-across-my-doorstep-i-started-getting-a/)

[Lynne Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-stewart/)

> [“If I show up on your doorstep don't worry I'm just there to party.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-d-eichenberg/if-i-show-up-on-your-doorstep-don-t-worry-i-m-just-there-to-party/)

Kenny D. Eichenberg

> [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/my-mother-was-known-as-the-bird-lady-of-the-neighborhood-anything/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [The first time I've actually filmed in London, the locations we've all had have been real inner city, grimy urban places which has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-armstrong/the-first-time-i-ve-actually-filmed-in-london-the-locations-we-ve-all/)

[Jonas Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-armstrong/)

> [“You have no choice. You must leave your ego on the doorstep before you enter love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/you-have-no-choice-you-must-leave-your-ego-on-the-doorstep-before-you/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [The people want government that works for them at every level. They want good government that begins at their doorstep in the barangay, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/the-people-want-government-that-works-for-them-at-every-level-they/)

[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-macapagal-arroyo/)

> [I consider myself extremely lucky to have been born and raised in London, and to have had on my doorstep this most fascinating of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-plaidy/i-consider-myself-extremely-lucky-to-have-been-born-and-raised-in/)

[Jean Plaidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-plaidy/)

> [If each of us would only sweep our own doorstep, the whole World would be clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/if-each-of-us-would-only-sweep-our-own-doorstep-the-whole-world-would/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [The division of the spoils between the victors will also provide employment for a powerful office, whose doorsteps the greedy adventurers and jealous concession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/the-division-of-the-spoils-between-the-victors-will-also-provide/)

[John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/)

> [In a war you have to take up arms and people will get killed, and I can support that kind of action by petrol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-daly/in-a-war-you-have-to-take-up-arms-and-people-will-get-killed-and-i/)

[Tim Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-daly/)

> [Then one day I realized that a false picture of the German camps had been created and that the problem of the concentration camps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rassinier/then-one-day-i-realized-that-a-false-picture-of-the-german-camps-had/)

Paul Rassinier

> [“She stands on the doorstep. She’s shivering. She isn’t wearing a coat and I can see the outline of her breasts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-renham/she-stands-on-the-doorstep-she-s-shivering-she-isn-t-wearing-a-coat/)

[Lynda Renham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-renham/)

> [I came to all the realizations about sustainability and biodiversity because I fell in love with the way food tastes. That was it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-waters/i-came-to-all-the-realizations-about-sustainability-and-biodiversity/)

[Alice Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-waters/)

> [Sometimes I like to get drunk and buy things on the internet, and then I wake up the next day and find 'em on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/sometimes-i-like-to-get-drunk-and-buy-things-on-the-internet-and-then/)

[Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/)

> [Please dox me. You don't even need to dox me - I'll give you my address and wait for you by my doorstep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/please-dox-me-you-don-t-even-need-to-dox-me-i-ll-give-you-my-address/)

[Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/)

Browse all 123 Doorstep quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I knew a pure heart who refused tot be mistrustful… He had written at his doorstep: \"From wherever you are, enter and be welcome\". Who do you think responded to this lovely invitation? The militia, who made themselves at home and gutted him.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Albert Camus"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-mistrustful-he-had-written-at/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doorstep"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-mistrustful-he-had-written-at/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/314/albert-camus-47_doorstep_i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-m_1867955.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I knew a pure heart who refused tot be mistrustful… He had written at his doorstep: \"From wherever you are…” — Albert Camus",
                "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": "Albert Camus",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I knew a pure heart who...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-mistrustful-he-had-written-at/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-knew-a-pure-heart-who-refused-tot-be-mistrustful-he-had-written-at/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
