--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Carlo is safe because I don't really love…" description: "\"“Carlo is safe because I don't really love him that much. If he stopped wanting me around one day, it wouldn't be so terrible. I wouldn't die. Hallie, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/barbara-kingsolver-200_doing-the-right-thin_carlo-is-safe-because-i-don-t-really-lov_1416911.jpg" --- # Carlo is safe because I don't really love him that much… ![“Carlo is safe because I don't really love him that much. If he stopped wanting me around one day, it wouldn't be so terrible. I wouldn't die. Hallie, I realize how that sounds. I feel small and ridiculous and hemmed in on every side by the need to be safe. All I want is to be like you, to walk…” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/barbara-kingsolver-200_doing-the-right-thin_carlo-is-safe-because-i-don-t-really-lov_1416911.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/barbara-kingsolver-200_doing-the-right-thin_carlo-is-safe-because-i-don-t-really-lov_1416911.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/barbara-kingsolver-200_doing-the-right-thin_carlo-is-safe-because-i-don-t-really-lov_1416911.jpg) > ““Carlo is safe because I don't really love him that much. If he stopped wanting me around one day, it wouldn't be so terrible. I wouldn't die. Hallie, I realize how that sounds. I feel small and ridiculous and hemmed in on every side by the need to be safe. All I want is to be like you, to walk into a country of chickens and land mines and call that home, and have it be home. How do you just charge ahead, always doing the right thing, even if you have to do it alone with people staring?”” [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker envies the bravery of another, wishing to confront danger and act morally despite fear and isolation. **In simple terms:** Desires courage and moral action despite fear. Key Takeaway Seek bravery and act with integrity. Themes courage morality fear identity loneliness Mood reflective determined hopeful Type literary philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - ethical dilemmas - overcoming fear - standing alone Key Concepts existentialism heroism self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What does “being like you” truly mean? - How can one balance safety with moral action? A Different Perspective Courage may lead to personal loss or unintended harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing the right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-right-thing/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) ## Related quotes > [We all need to be safe first and if the Government has announced a lockdown, you know it is very serious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shehnaaz-gill/we-all-need-to-be-safe-first-and-if-the-government-has-announced-a/) [Shehnaaz Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shehnaaz-gill/) > [“I like you. I want you safe. You have a daughter. You need to keep her safe. I’m the guy who’s gonna do both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-halston/i-like-you-i-want-you-safe-you-have-a-daughter-you-need-to-keep-her/) [Sidney Halston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-halston/) > [I don't need you attention Don't need it to stay alive All I need right now is Myself Me and my fucking knife So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-need-you-attention-don-t-need-it-to-stay-alive-all-i-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I feel like I have a great need to keep myself safe, mentally, physically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/i-feel-like-i-have-a-great-need-to-keep-myself-safe-mentally/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [Businesses need a safe environment to grow their enterprises and create jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-kim/businesses-need-a-safe-environment-to-grow-their-enterprises-and/) [Young Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-kim/) > [These race cars are dangerous and you don't put someone in one unless you are 100 per cent certain that they can do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-wolff/these-race-cars-are-dangerous-and-you-don-t-put-someone-in-one-unless/) [Susie Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-wolff/) > [“I don’t expect you to be flawless. I just need you to be my safe place… my Haven in the storm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dosher/i-don-t-expect-you-to-be-flawless-i-just-need-you-to-be-my-safe-place/) [Sarah Dosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dosher/) > [“You will be back by then Ellen, wont you? I'm keeping this notebook safe for you because I want to believe you'll read it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-mac-a-bhaird/you-will-be-back-by-then-ellen-wont-you-i-m-keeping-this-notebook/) Natasha Mac a'Bhaird > [“I won't stop you. I want this to happen, because I want you to be safe. And yet I want to be with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-won-t-stop-you-i-want-this-to-happen-because-i-want-you-to-be-safe/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [I am not that silly, romantic you think.I don't want shooting stars or diamonds.I want to fall asleep and wake up knowing my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny-dreams/i-am-not-that-silly-romantic-you-think-i-don-t-want-shooting-stars-or/) [Destiny Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny-dreams/) > [In every single place I have campaigned in and every single place I have lived, people want some fairly basic things. They want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-phillips/in-every-single-place-i-have-campaigned-in-and-every-single-place-i/) [Jess Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-phillips/) > [You can't play it safe if you want to get ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-rosenfeld/you-can-t-play-it-safe-if-you-want-to-get-ahead/) [Irene Rosenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-rosenfeld/) > [I see so many people living in a bubble. They want to be safe, they want their kids to be safe, and they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-see-so-many-people-living-in-a-bubble-they-want-to-be-safe-they/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [“I want her to be safe. I want her to be mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-want-her-to-be-safe-i-want-her-to-be-mine/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [You want your children to be safe. You want your families to be safe. We know that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/you-want-your-children-to-be-safe-you-want-your-families-to-be-safe/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) ## More by Barbara Kingsolver > [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) [Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) ## More Doing the right thing quotes > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [Money will come to you when you are doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phillips/money-will-come-to-you-when-you-are-doing-the-right-thing/) [Michael Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phillips/) > [It's all about doing the right things at the right times and I believe I can win everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-cross/it-s-all-about-doing-the-right-things-at-the-right-times-and-i/) [Rob Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-cross/) > [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“Management is about doing things right; leadership is about doing the right things. Peter Drucker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-banfield/management-is-about-doing-things-right-leadership-is-about-doing-the/) [Richard Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-banfield/) > [There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/there-are-certain-things-that-we-can-deal-with-by-following-the-rules/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Never let making a profit stand in the way of doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-jenkins/never-let-making-a-profit-stand-in-the-way-of-doing-the-right-thing/) George W. Jenkins > [“Doing the right thing causes us to stand taller, dance more often, and step into life with more confidence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patsy-clairmont/doing-the-right-thing-causes-us-to-stand-taller-dance-more-often-and/) [Patsy Clairmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patsy-clairmont/) > [“Health, peace of mind, peak performance, and success in any area of life all depend upon doing the right thing at the right time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobe-hanson/health-peace-of-mind-peak-performance-and-success-in-any-area-of-life/) [Tobe Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobe-hanson/) > [Sometimes you have to steer away from the crowd in order to be a better person. It's not always easy, that's for sure. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/sometimes-you-have-to-steer-away-from-the-crowd-in-order-to-be-a/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Doing the right thing at all costs is an absolute, and only a sith deals in absolutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-filoni/doing-the-right-thing-at-all-costs-is-an-absolute-and-only-a-sith/) [Dave Filoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-filoni/) > [ \[If\] we can celebrate that in a way that celebrates our love for New England as well as our love for the Italian culture… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/if-we-can-celebrate-that-in-a-way-that-celebrates-our-love-for-new/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [“What sort of man could you love for a lifetime?" he asked her. She was silent for a while. He guessed that she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/what-sort-of-man-could-you-love-for-a-lifetime-he-asked-her-she-was/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [Sometimes you cannot do anything because the guy in front of you is playing well and he's doing the right things to make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-wilfried-tsonga/sometimes-you-cannot-do-anything-because-the-guy-in-front-of-you-is/) [Jo-Wilfried Tsonga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-wilfried-tsonga/) > [Being trustworthy requires: Doing the right thing. And doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-peppers/being-trustworthy-requires-doing-the-right-thing-and-doing-things/) [Don Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-peppers/) [Browse all 619 Doing the right thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-right-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Carlo is safe because I don't really love him that much. If he stopped wanting me around one day, it wouldn't be so terrible. I wouldn't die. Hallie, I realize how that sounds. I feel small and ridiculous and hemmed in on every side by the need to be safe. All I want is to be like you, to walk into a country of chickens and land mines and call that home, and have it be home. 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