--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was motivated to write about violence…" description: "\"I was motivated to write about violence because I believe it's not unusual. I see it as just a part of life, and I think we get in trouble when we sepa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/alice-sebold-999_about_i-was-motivated-to-write-about-violence_1117576.jpg" --- # I was motivated to write about violence because I believe… ![“I was motivated to write about violence because I believe it's not unusual. I see it as just a part of life, and I think we get in trouble when we separate people who've experienced it from those who haven't.” quote by Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/alice-sebold-999_about_i-was-motivated-to-write-about-violence_1117576.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/alice-sebold-999_about_i-was-motivated-to-write-about-violence_1117576.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/alice-sebold-999_about_i-was-motivated-to-write-about-violence_1117576.jpg) > “I was motivated to write about violence because I believe it's not unusual. I see it as just a part of life, and I think we get in trouble when we separate people who've experienced it from those who haven't.” [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence is a common part of human experience, and separating victims from non‑victims creates stigma and misunderstanding. **In simple terms:** Violence is normal, and separating people hurts. Key Takeaway Recognize shared humanity regardless of experience. Themes empathy violence stigma Mood reflective serious Type philosophical social When to use this quote - counseling - education - media portrayal - community support Key Concepts human nature social division Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling affect victims? - What can bridge the experience gap? A Different Perspective Violence can be glorified or minimized, obscuring its complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-of-life/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Part of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part-of-life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [I write against violence. I write against fascism. I write against one person dominating another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-findley/i-write-against-violence-i-write-against-fascism-i-write-against-one/) [Timothy Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-findley/) > [Libraries are filled with stories on generations of brutal men, trapped in a cycle of aggression. I wanted to write about the violence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/libraries-are-filled-with-stories-on-generations-of-brutal-men/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I write about violence as naturally as Jane Austen wrote about manners. Violence shapes and obsesses our society, and if we do not stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bond/i-write-about-violence-as-naturally-as-jane-austen-wrote-about/) [Edward Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bond/) > [One of the things that has always motivated me to write is the desire to get it out and look at it in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-simon/one-of-the-things-that-has-always-motivated-me-to-write-is-the-desire/) [Carly Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-simon/) > [Oftentimes, especially in the context of an acoustic song, I'm motivated to write by some amount of melancholy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/oftentimes-especially-in-the-context-of-an-acoustic-song-i-m/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [When I started doing these advocacy groups, it sort of propelled and compelled me to write songs, because otherwise I wasn't really sure what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thao-nguyen/when-i-started-doing-these-advocacy-groups-it-sort-of-propelled-and/) [Thao Nguyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thao-nguyen/) > [I am motivated to write because it is what I am meant to do. It is not a choice - it is what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-am-motivated-to-write-because-it-is-what-i-am-meant-to-do-it-is-not/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [Basically, I'm motivated to write about sociopolitical issues as well as relationships. I think those themes have stayed with me throughout my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/basically-i-m-motivated-to-write-about-sociopolitical-issues-as-well/) [Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/) > [“You have to pay for this view (onto which he looks while writing), so our expenses keep us pretty motivated to write. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/you-have-to-pay-for-this-view-onto-which-he-looks-while-writing-so/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-cannot-teach-you-violence-as-i-do-not-myself-believe-in-it-i-can-2/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I cannot teach you violence,as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-cannot-teach-you-violence-as-i-do-not-myself-believe-in-it-i-can/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I truly believe that music or art, in general, is the only thing that can unify a world that is plagued by war and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/i-truly-believe-that-music-or-art-in-general-is-the-only-thing-that/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [That fact is that we live in an extremely violent culture, and we all justify violence if it's for what we believe in .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/that-fact-is-that-we-live-in-an-extremely-violent-culture-and-we-all/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [I know, it's disturbing that gentle looking people have such violence, but I believe we all have a penchant for violence in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-know-it-s-disturbing-that-gentle-looking-people-have-such-violence/) [Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/) > [I really believe in non-violence, but I also believe in a short of resistance that has to be respectful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-paul/i-really-believe-in-non-violence-but-i-also-believe-in-a-short-of/) [Alexandra Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-paul/) ## More by Alice Sebold > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I left my mark on that man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-left-my-mark-on-that-man/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [These things, she felt, were not to be passed around like disingenuous party favors. She kept an honor code with her journals and her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/these-things-she-felt-were-not-to-be-passed-around-like-disingenuous/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I don't think ignorance is a way that you gain distance on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-don-t-think-ignorance-is-a-way-that-you-gain-distance-on-something/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I was like I was in science class: I was curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-was-like-i-was-in-science-class-i-was-curious/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“There are secret rooms inside us,” I had said to my therapist. “A relatively benign construct,” he said, and so I did not bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/there-are-secret-rooms-inside-us-i-had-said-to-my-therapist-a/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“This is just a temporary hell, not a permanent one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/this-is-just-a-temporary-hell-not-a-permanent-one/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“And a soul would run by a living being, touch them softly on the shoulder or cheek, and continue on its way to heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/and-a-soul-would-run-by-a-living-being-touch-them-softly-on-the/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [As if in the other side of his kiss there could ve a new life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/as-if-in-the-other-side-of-his-kiss-there-could-ve-a-new-life/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“My little brother's greatest fear was that the one person who meant so much to him would go away. He loved Lindsey and Grandma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/my-little-brother-s-greatest-fear-was-that-the-one-person-who-meant/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“She listened for the pain in my words, not to the narrative itself. She was intuiting what it meant to me, what was most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/she-listened-for-the-pain-in-my-words-not-to-the-narrative-itself-she/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [The relationship with the words someone uses is more intimate and integrated than just a quick read and a blurb can ever be. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/the-relationship-with-the-words-someone-uses-is-more-intimate-and/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Ruth hadn't talked to my sister since before my death, and then it was only to excuse herself in the hallway at school. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/ruth-hadn-t-talked-to-my-sister-since-before-my-death-and-then-it-was/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Since then I've always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/since-then-i-ve-always-thought-that-under-rape-in-the-dictionary-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I live in a world where two truths coexist: where both hell and hope lie in the palm of my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-live-in-a-world-where-two-truths-coexist-where-both-hell-and-hope/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) [Explore all 302 Alice Sebold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was motivated to write about violence because I believe it's not unusual. 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