--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bitterness is repaid more often than…" description: "\"Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness.\" — Brandon Sanderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg" --- # Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness. ![“Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg) > “Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness.” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kindness often goes unrewarded, while bitterness tends to be repaid. **In simple terms:** Kindness is less often returned than bitterness. Key Takeaway Practice kindness despite uncertain returns. Themes kindness justice karma Mood cautious thoughtful Type ethical observational When to use this quote - everyday interactions - leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral reciprocity human behavior Questions to Reflect On - When have you seen kindness backfire? - How can you protect yourself while staying kind? A Different Perspective Kindness can be exploited if not paired with discernment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitterness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) ## Related quotes > [“Mma Ramotswe was right: evil repaid with retribution, with punishment, had achieved half its goal; evil repaid with kindness was shown to be what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mma-ramotswe-was-right-evil-repaid-with-retribution-with-punishment/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“A life for a life. All debts have to be repaid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-london/a-life-for-a-life-all-debts-have-to-be-repaid/) [Alex London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-london/) > [Put God in your debt. Every stroke shall be repaid. The longer the payment is with-held, the better for you; for compound interest on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/put-god-in-your-debt-every-stroke-shall-be-repaid-the-longer-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I hope I have repaid Australia for the humanity it showed me, as it has shown to so many others over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yu/i-hope-i-have-repaid-australia-for-the-humanity-it-showed-me-as-it/) John Yu > [Debt is always repaid, either by the borrower or by the lender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-grant/debt-is-always-repaid-either-by-the-borrower-or-by-the-lender/) [James Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-grant/) > [“Freedom is a gift that can never adequately be repaid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-r-ford/freedom-is-a-gift-that-can-never-adequately-be-repaid/) [S.R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-r-ford/) > [“I love what Jesus said in Luke 19:29-30: “Everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-love-what-jesus-said-in-luke-19-29-30-everyone-who-has-given-up/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [No man ever did me so much good, or enemy so much harm, but I repaid him with interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulla/no-man-ever-did-me-so-much-good-or-enemy-so-much-harm-but-i-repaid/) Sulla > [“She would but be repaid by my taking her to wife, and that I could not grant her, for love cometh of the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-s-holland/she-would-but-be-repaid-by-my-taking-her-to-wife-and-that-i-could-not/) Rupert S. Holland > [“Ralph Waldo Emerson had this truth in mind when he said (in his essay on Compensation), “If you serve an ungrateful master, serve him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/ralph-waldo-emerson-had-this-truth-in-mind-when-he-said-in-his-essay/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“You are necessary to that end, and to me...you are all I have of the garden. You are the image of me and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tosca-lee/you-are-necessary-to-that-end-and-to-me-you-are-all-i-have-of-the/) [Tosca Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tosca-lee/) > [If grace is to be free - which is the very meaning of grace - we cannot view it as something to be repaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/if-grace-is-to-be-free-which-is-the-very-meaning-of-grace-we-cannot/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Investment in AIDS will be repaid a thousand-fold in lives saved and communities held together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-piot/investment-in-aids-will-be-repaid-a-thousand-fold-in-lives-saved-and/) [Peter Piot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-piot/) > [No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulla/no-friend-ever-served-me-and-no-enemy-ever-wronged-me-whom-i-have-not/) Sulla > [Want to snatch a day from the manacles of boredom?Do overgenerous deeds,act beyond reimbursement.Kind without compensation.Do a deed for which you cannot repaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/want-to-snatch-a-day-from-the-manacles-of-boredom-do-overgenerous/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) [Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More Bitterness quotes > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If Japanese tea 'stands,' it acquires a coarse bitterness and an unwholesome astringency. Milk and sugar are not used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/if-japanese-tea-stands-it-acquires-a-coarse-bitterness-and-an/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [Stronger than alcohol, vaster than poetry, Ferment the freckled red bitterness of love!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rimbaud/stronger-than-alcohol-vaster-than-poetry-ferment-the-freckled-red/) [Arthur Rimbaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rimbaud/) > [“What?" I ask. I try not to get snappy with her. She hasn't really done anything wrong. Falling in love with Turner isn't a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-stunich/what-i-ask-i-try-not-to-get-snappy-with-her-she-hasn-t-really-done/) [C.M. Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/) > [“The fairest things have fleetest end, Their scent survives their close: But the rose’s scent is bitterness To him that loved the rose. —Francis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-rule/the-fairest-things-have-fleetest-end-their-scent-survives-their-close/) [Ann Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-rule/) > [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“No," I say. "I didn't know that," and as I say it I feel flooded with bitterness at all the things Ingrid kept secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/no-i-say-i-didn-t-know-that-and-as-i-say-it-i-feel-flooded-with/) [Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/) > [Forgiving someone who've done you wrong or didn't treat you right could mean that you are allowing yourself to end up away from bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-t-pascua/forgiving-someone-who-ve-done-you-wrong-or-didn-t-treat-you-right/) [April T Pascua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-t-pascua/) > [You cannot be inspired if you are surrounded with negativity, open the door and step into the inspirational garden of nature. Do not let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/you-cannot-be-inspired-if-you-are-surrounded-with-negativity-open-the/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. Carry it by the comfortable handles of gratitude for what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-horne/it-s-not-the-load-that-breaks-you-down-it-s-the-way-you-carry-it/) [Lena Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-horne/) > [Not forgiving prolongs hurt and anger and leads to smoldering resentment, which will make us miserable until it kills us. Resentment destroys the perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-walters/not-forgiving-prolongs-hurt-and-anger-and-leads-to-smoldering/) Richard Walters > [Let us not give in to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/let-us-not-give-in-to-pessimism-to-that-bitterness-that-the-devil/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves how bitterness tastes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rin-chupeco/sometimes-it-is-good-to-remind-ourselves-how-bitterness-tastes/) [Rin Chupeco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rin-chupeco/) > [What folly made young people, even those in middle age, think they were immortal? How much better, their lives, if they could remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/what-folly-made-young-people-even-those-in-middle-age-think-they-were/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [Be sure there is something waiting for you after much patience, to astonish you to a degree, that you forget the bitterness of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/be-sure-there-is-something-waiting-for-you-after-much-patience-to/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 1,210 Bitterness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kindness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bitterness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kindness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/brandon-sanderson-112_bitterness_bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kin_1487057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness.” — Brandon Sanderson", "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": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Bitterness is repaid more often than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kindness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/bitterness-is-repaid-more-often-than-kindness/#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 } } ] } ```