---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My captors were definitely aware that…"
description: "\"My captors were definitely aware that what they were doing was wrong. It came out in small ways - occasionally through a show of guilt or compassion. O..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg"
---

#  My captors were definitely aware that what they were doing…

![“My captors were definitely aware that what they were doing was wrong. It came out in small ways - occasionally through a show of guilt or compassion. One of the boys bought me a gift. Another used to sneak me acetaminophen tablets.” quote by Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg)

> “My captors were definitely aware that what they were doing was wrong. It came out in small ways - occasionally through a show of guilt or compassion. One of the boys bought me a gift. Another used to sneak me acetaminophen tablets.”

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

## About This Quote

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

Even in captivity, small acts of humanity reveal moral contradictions.

**In simple terms:** Small kindnesses appear amid oppression.

Key Takeaway

Notice subtle compassion.

Themes

survival humanity morality

Mood

reflective somber

Type

memoir psychological

When to use this quote

- hostage situations
- prison camps
- conflict zones

Key Concepts

Power dynamics ethical ambiguity resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- What does a gift mean in such context?
- How can you discern genuine empathy?

A Different Perspective

Compassion can be manipulative.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/)

## Related quotes

> [I used my captors' names every chance I had. It was intentional, a way of reminding them that I saw them, of pegging them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-used-my-captors-names-every-chance-i-had-it-was-intentional-a-way/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [“Not after what Galen, one of her captors, had put her through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bolryder/not-after-what-galen-one-of-her-captors-had-put-her-through/)

[Terry Bolryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bolryder/)

> [“Are you going to be sick?” I raise my head. The duke is gone, but Helena is on the window seat, twisting her necklace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzi-lee/are-you-going-to-be-sick-i-raise-my-head-the-duke-is-gone-but-helena/)

[Mackenzi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzi-lee/)

> [ They \[Nazi captors\]had more liberty, more options to choose from in their environment; but he \[Viktor Frankl\] had more freedom, more internal power to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-nazi-captors-had-more-liberty-more-options-to-choose-from-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can say I have forgiven my captors. That being said, I never want to see them again. I'm not OK with they did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-smart/i-can-say-i-have-forgiven-my-captors-that-being-said-i-never-want-to/)

[Elizabeth Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-smart/)

> [Up until now, the prospect of parole has kept us from confronting our captors with any real determination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jackson/up-until-now-the-prospect-of-parole-has-kept-us-from-confronting-our/)

[George Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jackson/)

> [“Luke laughed, "We were about to go rescue you from your captors. Pity you had to turn up so soon. I was hoping to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-sager/luke-laughed-we-were-about-to-go-rescue-you-from-your-captors-pity/)

[Nicole Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-sager/)

> [We’re looking for anything to do with the Rod of Time. (Sin) Rod of Time, Forsaken Moon, Tablet of Destiny…you Sumerians really liked your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/we-re-looking-for-anything-to-do-with-the-rod-of-time-sin-rod-of-time/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [My heart has become capable of every form: It is a pasture for gazelles And a monastery for Christian monks, And the pilgrim's Ka'ba,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-arabi/my-heart-has-become-capable-of-every-form-it-is-a-pasture-for/)

[Ibn Arabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-arabi/)

> [...Something we once loved, and love now, in the shape of a book. Maybe eBooks are going to take over, one day, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/something-we-once-loved-and-love-now-in-the-shape-of-a-book-maybe/)

[Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/)

> [Travel gives a character of experience to our knowledge, and brings the figures on the tablet of memory into strong relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-theodore-tuckerman/travel-gives-a-character-of-experience-to-our-knowledge-and-brings/)

[Henry Theodore Tuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-theodore-tuckerman/)

> [Frazzled and delirious, as I've just finished a new book of stories. I feel like Moses staggering down the mountainside with the tablets of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-barry/frazzled-and-delirious-as-i-ve-just-finished-a-new-book-of-stories-i/)

[Kevin Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-barry/)

> [There should be a burnished tablet let into the ground on the spot where some courageous man first ate Stilton cheese, and survived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-should-be-a-burnished-tablet-let-into-the-ground-on-the-spot/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [But I had never drawn on a tablet before. I've been doing pencil and paper and film for almost 20 years. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-hertzfeldt/but-i-had-never-drawn-on-a-tablet-before-i-ve-been-doing-pencil-and/)

[Don Hertzfeldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-hertzfeldt/)

> [Paper is no longer a big part of my day. I get 90% of my news online, and when I go to a meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/paper-is-no-longer-a-big-part-of-my-day-i-get-90-of-my-news-online/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

## More by Amanda Lindhout

> [The countries with the greatest problems have the kindest people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/the-countries-with-the-greatest-problems-have-the-kindest-people/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [I'm afraid of elevators, because they are an enclosed space, but I get in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-m-afraid-of-elevators-because-they-are-an-enclosed-space-but-i-get/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [I know firsthand how critical support systems are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-know-firsthand-how-critical-support-systems-are/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [Contemplating Christmas when you are isolated and far from home brings its own unique pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/contemplating-christmas-when-you-are-isolated-and-far-from-home/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [ “I'd spent my life believing that people were, at heart, kind and good. This was what the world had shown me. \[...\] If humans… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-d-spent-my-life-believing-that-people-were-at-heart-kind-and-good/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [After spending 460 days as a hostage, I did emerge a fundamentally changed person. But I think, like everyone does as they grow older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/after-spending-460-days-as-a-hostage-i-did-emerge-a-fundamentally/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [I think that I find a lot of my healing out in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-think-that-i-find-a-lot-of-my-healing-out-in-the-world/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [I swung from one place to the next, sometimes backward, sometimes forward, capitalizing on my own momentum, knowing that at some point my arms—or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-swung-from-one-place-to-the-next-sometimes-backward-sometimes/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [“After almost seven months in Baghdad, I set my sights on Somalia. The reasons to do it seemed straightforward. Somalia was a mess. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/after-almost-seven-months-in-baghdad-i-set-my-sights-on-somalia-the/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [The big-time journalists generally had kidnapping insurance through their news organizations. Usually, it would pay for a crisis response company to help negotiate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/the-big-time-journalists-generally-had-kidnapping-insurance-through/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [It was a slow understanding that my kidnappers really are a product of their environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/it-was-a-slow-understanding-that-my-kidnappers-really-are-a-product/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [It was a slow understanding that the lack of education in a country like Somalia creates these huge social problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/it-was-a-slow-understanding-that-the-lack-of-education-in-a-country/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [Somalia is very dangerous, and no one knows that better than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/somalia-is-very-dangerous-and-no-one-knows-that-better-than-i/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [“I did not mention that my father was home with his gay lover and that I was in Bangladesh on vacation from my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/i-did-not-mention-that-my-father-was-home-with-his-gay-lover-and-that/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

> [War dehumanizes everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/war-dehumanizes-everyone/)

[Amanda Lindhout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

[Explore all 82 Amanda Lindhout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/)

## More Another quotes

> [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/)

[Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/)

> [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/)

[Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/)

> [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. Every constraint, even dullness, frees up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/i-write-the-way-you-might-arrange-flowers-not-every-try-works-but/)

[Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/)

> [I have to mention that Taapsee and Ayushmann are my favorite actors - or stars, whatever you call them. I love them. Our thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anubhav-sinha/i-have-to-mention-that-taapsee-and-ayushmann-are-my-favorite-actors/)

[Anubhav Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anubhav-sinha/)

> [When a person partners with God in delivering a miracle to another person, they have done what they were supposed to do; God can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/when-a-person-partners-with-god-in-delivering-a-miracle-to-another/)

[Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/)

> [I went through a string of A&amp;R men who all thought I should be doing something different. One thought I should be a dance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/i-went-through-a-string-of-a-r-men-who-all-thought-i-should-be-doing/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [New York is so serious about the creation of work. Everything is happening so fast, it feels like there's another studio, another session on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diplo/new-york-is-so-serious-about-the-creation-of-work-everything-is/)

[Diplo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diplo/)

> [The fact of the matter is that the Internet has brought together millions of people who trust one another for reasons that are unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-huh/the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-the-internet-has-brought-together/)

[Ben Huh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-huh/)

> [Everything about Washington is inconsistent, because they say one thing and do another, which is what my opponent, Claire McCaskill, is very, very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-steelman/everything-about-washington-is-inconsistent-because-they-say-one/)

[Sarah Steelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-steelman/)

> [In Tunisia, the so-called Yasmin revolution has led to the installation of a relatively moderate Islamic government. Whether or not that means democracy will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-van-creveld/in-tunisia-the-so-called-yasmin-revolution-has-led-to-the/)

[Martin Van Creveld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-van-creveld/)

> [I refuse to be one of those artists who, 10 years from now, they're bitter about the rise and the fall of their career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-refuse-to-be-one-of-those-artists-who-10-years-from-now-they-re/)

[Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/)

> [One death to a man is a serious thing: a dozen neutralize one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-francis-burton/one-death-to-a-man-is-a-serious-thing-a-dozen-neutralize-one-another/)

[Richard Francis Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-francis-burton/)

> [I don't know one note from another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-williams/i-don-t-know-one-note-from-another/)

[Hank Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-williams/)

> [I like to watch the Fox News Network. I like 'Nightline.' I like to watch 'The Sopranos,' of course. That is one of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-estrada/i-like-to-watch-the-fox-news-network-i-like-nightline-i-like-to-watch/)

[Erik Estrada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-estrada/)

> [When you write a book, people legitimise it by actually reading the book and so it's almost okay to write another one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/when-you-write-a-book-people-legitimise-it-by-actually-reading-the/)

[Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/)

Browse all 2,784 Another quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My captors were definitely aware that what they were doing was wrong. It came out in small ways - occasionally through a show of guilt or compassion. One of the boys bought me a gift. Another used to sneak me acetaminophen tablets.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Amanda Lindhout"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-what-they-were-doing-was-wrong/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Another"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-what-they-were-doing-was-wrong/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/amanda-lindhout-8267_another_my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-wh_1850584.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My captors were definitely aware that what they were doing was wrong. It came out in small ways…” — Amanda Lindhout",
                "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": "Amanda Lindhout",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lindhout/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My captors were definitely aware that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-what-they-were-doing-was-wrong/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lindhout/my-captors-were-definitely-aware-that-what-they-were-doing-was-wrong/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
