--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the matter with these people…" description: "\"“What is the matter with these people, these people who won't stop fighting, won't stop hurting each other long enough to see that a body is a thing of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alison-mcghee-15698_beauty_what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-the_2026843.png" --- # What is the matter with these people, these people who… ![“What is the matter with these people, these people who won't stop fighting, won't stop hurting each other long enough to see that a body is a thing of beauty, is a miracle of rivers and oceans and islands and continents contained within itself? That the brain is divided into two hemispheres, each…” quote by Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alison-mcghee-15698_beauty_what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-the_2026843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alison-mcghee-15698_beauty_what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-the_2026843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/alison-mcghee-15698_beauty_what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-the_2026843.png) > ““What is the matter with these people, these people who won't stop fighting, won't stop hurting each other long enough to see that a body is a thing of beauty, is a miracle of rivers and oceans and islands and continents contained within itself? That the brain is divided into two hemispheres, each symmetrical, each perfect, each with its own system of waterways. These people of war should be shown an x-ray of an intraparenchymal hemorrhage, of a hemorrhage in an eighteen-year-old girl's brain, a girl named Ivy. Take a look at that, people of war. See, you should not hurt each other, and this is why. Without you ever even trying, this is what can happen to your body, your beautiful body, and your brain, your beautiful symmetrical brain, and your heart, and your soul.”” [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poet urges war‑torn people to see the human body and brain as beautiful, fragile miracles, using vivid imagery to demand empathy and peace. **In simple terms:** Seeing bodies and brains as beautiful, fragile miracles. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy by recognizing shared humanity. Themes peace empathy humanity biology war Mood reflective somber Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - medical education - peace talks - public health campaigns - school curricula Key Concepts neuroscience beauty fragility interconnectedness Questions to Reflect On - What personal experiences make you value empathy? - How can scientific facts inspire compassion? A Different Perspective The graphic detail may be too intense for some audiences, potentially causing distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [After spending 16 years in studies I really appreciate my BRAIN which is divided into two parts Right And Left, In right nothing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/after-spending-16-years-in-studies-i-really-appreciate-my-brain-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If a house divided cannot stand, a brain divided cannot function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julias-cattail/if-a-house-divided-cannot-stand-a-brain-divided-cannot-function/) [Julias Cattail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julias-cattail/) > [By what route do otherwise sane men come to believe such palpable nonsense? How is it possible for a human brain to be divided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-what-route-do-otherwise-sane-men-come-to-believe-such-palpable/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [What is the matter with these people, these people who won't stop fighting, won't stop hurting each other...?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-these-people-who-won-t-stop/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [I won't stop fighting to make life better for working Americans and give those who are just trying to find a decent job the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/i-won-t-stop-fighting-to-make-life-better-for-working-americans-and/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [We won't stop fighting to deliver more relief and open doors of opportunity to more Americans more quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/we-won-t-stop-fighting-to-deliver-more-relief-and-open-doors-of/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) > [I will never stop fighting for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-never-stop-fighting-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think when I stop fighting, I die in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/i-think-when-i-stop-fighting-i-die-in-a-sense/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [“This idea struck me: the army is the body : I am the brain. Thinking is my fighting. (15 May 1940)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/this-idea-struck-me-the-army-is-the-body-i-am-the-brain-thinking-is/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [There's a lot of neuroscience now raising the question, 'Is all the intelligence in the human body in the brain?', and they're finding out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/there-s-a-lot-of-neuroscience-now-raising-the-question-is-all-the/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [You are not your body; you are not your brain, not even your mind. You are Spirit. All you have to do is reawaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-weiss/you-are-not-your-body-you-are-not-your-brain-not-even-your-mind-you/) [Brian Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-weiss/) > [What people don't realize is the human body and the brain are so well designed to do - by millions of years of evolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-allen/what-people-don-t-realize-is-the-human-body-and-the-brain-are-so-well/) [Paul Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-allen/) > [Remember, it's your own body, your own brain. You're not a victim of the universe, you are the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bandler/remember-it-s-your-own-body-your-own-brain-you-re-not-a-victim-of-the/) [Richard Bandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bandler/) > [My eye, my brain, are images, parts of my body. How could my brain contain images since it is one image among others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-deleuze/my-eye-my-brain-are-images-parts-of-my-body-how-could-my-brain/) [Gilles Deleuze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilles-deleuze/) > [“If you don't move your body, your brain thinks you're dead. Movement of the body will not only clear out the "sludge," but will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-brown/if-you-don-t-move-your-body-your-brain-thinks-you-re-dead-movement-of/) Sylvia Brown ## More by Alison McGhee > [What is the matter with these people, these people who won't stop fighting, won't stop hurting each other...?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/what-is-the-matter-with-these-people-these-people-who-won-t-stop/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [“Living without love is worse than dying, Younger." William T.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/living-without-love-is-worse-than-dying-younger-william-t/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [We'd decided to write a book about two friends. I gave her some coffee and then we sat there not knowing what to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/we-d-decided-to-write-a-book-about-two-friends-i-gave-her-some-coffee/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [Your heart literally hurts when it's breaking. You can feel it, every beat another ache, and nothing you can do will stop it, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/your-heart-literally-hurts-when-it-s-breaking-you-can-feel-it-every/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [ Kate \[DiCamillo\] tends to be more reluctant about change. I convinced her to give it a try and she came over. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/kate-dicamillo-tends-to-be-more-reluctant-about-change-i-convinced/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [Water seeks its own level. Look at them. The Tigris, the Euphrates, the Mississippi, the Amazon, the Yangtze. The world's great rivers. And every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/water-seeks-its-own-level-look-at-them-the-tigris-the-euphrates-the/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [ So we \[with Kate DiCamillo\] would act them out, we would toss ideas back and forth, we would laugh, we would argue. Sometimes it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/so-we-with-kate-dicamillo-would-act-them-out-we-would-toss-ideas-back/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [I'm a big State Fair person, and my main goal is to eat as much food as possible, but I tend not to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/i-m-a-big-state-fair-person-and-my-main-goal-is-to-eat-as-much-food/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [ We met in the summer or fall of 2001. I had never met Kate \[DiCamillo\], though I'd heard her name, and I think she… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/we-met-in-the-summer-or-fall-of-2001-i-had-never-met-kate-dicamillo/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [It's very cool to be short, very cool. When I was in eighth grade, and the height I am now, I would just look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/it-s-very-cool-to-be-short-very-cool-when-i-was-in-eighth-grade-and/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [I'll live in another world, then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/i-ll-live-in-another-world-then/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [Little boy, you remind me how so much depends of day made of now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/little-boy-you-remind-me-how-so-much-depends-of-day-made-of-now/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [I suppose, the natural outgrowth about writing about two friends, it becomes about their friendship, and the complexities of it, and the way personality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/i-suppose-the-natural-outgrowth-about-writing-about-two-friends-it/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [“And she tried to breathe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/and-she-tried-to-breathe/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) > [“They were stupid, stupid people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-mcghee/they-were-stupid-stupid-people/) [Alison McGhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) [Explore all 42 Alison McGhee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-mcghee/) ## More Beauty quotes > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. 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Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. 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