--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all know to feel sympathy for those…" description: "\"We all know to feel sympathy for those who've suffered from drug addiction, child abuse, and terminal illness, so the set up elicits an emotional respo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8d/anthony-marra-7171_abuse_we-all-know-to-feel-sympathy-for-those-w_2344592.png" --- # We all know to feel sympathy for those who've suffered… ![“We all know to feel sympathy for those who've suffered from drug addiction, child abuse, and terminal illness, so the set up elicits an emotional response that the story itself very well may not earn. Energy generated by the fiction itself is likely to produce more light.” quote by Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8d/anthony-marra-7171_abuse_we-all-know-to-feel-sympathy-for-those-w_2344592.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8d/anthony-marra-7171_abuse_we-all-know-to-feel-sympathy-for-those-w_2344592.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8d/anthony-marra-7171_abuse_we-all-know-to-feel-sympathy-for-those-w_2344592.png) > “We all know to feel sympathy for those who've suffered from drug addiction, child abuse, and terminal illness, so the set up elicits an emotional response that the story itself very well may not earn. Energy generated by the fiction itself is likely to produce more light.” [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage suggests that stories about suffering can evoke strong emotions, sometimes more than the actual events, and that fiction can illuminate issues more brightly. **In simple terms:** Stories can trigger strong feelings and highlight problems better than reality. Key Takeaway Use storytelling to raise awareness and inspire action. Themes storytelling empathy awareness social issues fiction Mood inspirational thoughtful empathetic Type literary activist When to use this quote - education - public health campaigns - media production - non‑profit advocacy Key Concepts narrative impact emotional resonance social advocacy Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure empathy leads to constructive change? - What responsibilities do storytellers have? A Different Perspective It may imply manipulation of emotions rather than genuine understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Child abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-abuse/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-addiction/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Emotional response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-response/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Sympathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sympathy/) [Terminal illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terminal-illness/) ## Related quotes > [I can't honestly account for the very personal response that I have to one story and not another, a sense of an orbit, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/i-can-t-honestly-account-for-the-very-personal-response-that-i-have/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [“Fiction here is likely to contain more truth than fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fiction-here-is-likely-to-contain-more-truth-than-fact/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Fiction here is likely to contain more truth than fact. Therefore”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fiction-here-is-likely-to-contain-more-truth-than-fact-therefore/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [From personal experience, I completely agree that it is often easier to go for monotone sadness. When I was starting out, I wrote a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/from-personal-experience-i-completely-agree-that-it-is-often-easier/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [I feel no sympathy for my food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-feel-no-sympathy-for-my-food/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-is-difficult-to-feel-sympathy-for-these-people-it-is-difficult-to-2/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [“When people injure you, ask yourself what good or harm they thought would come of it. If you understand that, you'll feel sympathy rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/when-people-injure-you-ask-yourself-what-good-or-harm-they-thought/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“I know you want me to feel some sympathy for them, but that's not who I am. I care only about those I know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-know-you-want-me-to-feel-some-sympathy-for-them-but-that-s-not-who/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“I can’t hate him. All I feel is sympathy for the devil who has crawled inside my heart, stealing my soul and my will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/i-can-t-hate-him-all-i-feel-is-sympathy-for-the-devil-who-has-crawled/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) > [It's very easy for me to feel sympathy for people who are messed up. It's not that I'm a pseudo-saint or a great person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/it-s-very-easy-for-me-to-feel-sympathy-for-people-who-are-messed-up/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) > [“But you'd hope anyone would feel sympathy if they actually saw someone face to face, pleading for a chance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-sudjic/but-you-d-hope-anyone-would-feel-sympathy-if-they-actually-saw/) [Olivia Sudjic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-sudjic/) > [I'm completely indifferent to what genre I read provided that I feel sympathy with how a writer perceives being alive in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/i-m-completely-indifferent-to-what-genre-i-read-provided-that-i-feel/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [I don't wanna die, I'm not gonna lie to you. I admit that. And I'm not asking for clemency, I'm not asking for forgiveness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bundy/i-don-t-wanna-die-i-m-not-gonna-lie-to-you-i-admit-that-and-i-m-not/) [Ted Bundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bundy/) > [I don't think I could write about someone I didn't feel some sympathy for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stef-penney/i-don-t-think-i-could-write-about-someone-i-didn-t-feel-some-sympathy/) [Stef Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stef-penney/) > [in certain crises direct expression of sympathy is the least possible to those who most feel sympathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/in-certain-crises-direct-expression-of-sympathy-is-the-least-possible/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## More by Anthony Marra > [“Carrying that lumber the forty meters from the forest had left his knuckles blistered, his underarms sopping, but now a few hours of flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/carrying-that-lumber-the-forty-meters-from-the-forest-had-left-his/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“The previous night, for the first time in a long time, he had felt whole, and his eyes returned to the rearview, where his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/the-previous-night-for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-he-had-felt/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“At the kitchen table she examined the glass of ice. Each cube was rounded by room temperature, dissolving in its own remains, and belatedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/at-the-kitchen-table-she-examined-the-glass-of-ice-each-cube-was/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“There was no one left to say whom you could love. p.294”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/there-was-no-one-left-to-say-whom-you-could-love-p-294/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [We twist our souls around each other’s miseries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/we-twist-our-souls-around-each-other-s-miseries/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“The television dramas we grew up on, stories of star-crossed lovers, stories of love overcoming all obstacles, well, they’re all fairy tales, obviously, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/the-television-dramas-we-grew-up-on-stories-of-star-crossed-lovers/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“He had always tried to treat Havaa as a child and she always went along with it, as though childhood and innocence were fantastical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/he-had-always-tried-to-treat-havaa-as-a-child-and-she-always-went/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“He asked them to close their eyes, and hoped their mouths would follow suit.” p. 137”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/he-asked-them-to-close-their-eyes-and-hoped-their-mouths-would-follow/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“Don't insult me. Everyone knows a turtle is a crustacean on its mother's side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/don-t-insult-me-everyone-knows-a-turtle-is-a-crustacean-on-its-mother/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“Those smooth, spit-cleaned cheeks gave no indication of the dreams crowding her skull. Should she make it to adulthood, the girl would arrive with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/those-smooth-spit-cleaned-cheeks-gave-no-indication-of-the-dreams/) [anthony marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“In all likelihood, Sonja had more academic journal subscriptions than friends. She could explain advanced calculus to her fifth-form algebra teacher but couldn't tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/in-all-likelihood-sonja-had-more-academic-journal-subscriptions-than/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“Even after Sonja graduated secondary school at the top of her class and matriculated to the city university biology department, their parents found more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/even-after-sonja-graduated-secondary-school-at-the-top-of-her-class/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“He was losing her incrementally...As a web is no more than holes woven together, they were bonded by what was no longer there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/he-was-losing-her-incrementally-as-a-web-is-no-more-than-holes-woven/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“Too young to explain in words, the girl's face was old enough to show the loss that was that name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/too-young-to-explain-in-words-the-girl-s-face-was-old-enough-to-show/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“A lizard fucks a crab and nine months later a turtle pops out. It's called evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/a-lizard-fucks-a-crab-and-nine-months-later-a-turtle-pops-out-it-s/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) [Explore all 94 Anthony Marra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. 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