--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But Peter had seen too much, knew too…" description: "\"But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind didn't need an excuse to be cruel and murder one another.\" — Brom" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg" --- # But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind… ![“But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind didn't need an excuse to be cruel and murder one another.” quote by Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg) > “But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind didn't need an excuse to be cruel and murder one another.” [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature can be cruel without needing justification; violence is often inherent. **In simple terms:** People can be cruel without excuse. Key Takeaway Recognize and curb innate tendencies toward cruelty. Themes human nature cruelty violence morality psychology Mood somber thoughtful critical Type philosophical psychological literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - law enforcement - education - media - policy making Key Concepts existentialism behavioral science ethics Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to act cruelly? - Can empathy reduce inherent violence? A Different Perspective Not all cruelty is conscious; some stems from systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cruel Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel-murder-872734/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Knew Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-men-1346477/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-kind-293083/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter/) [Peter Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter-seen-5585944/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Others too would occasionally entertain and privately express such doubts; though we all had been most solemnly warned by the cruel murder of Saint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-monk/others-too-would-occasionally-entertain-and-privately-express-such/) [Maria Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-monk/) > [Men-kind shared this world for but a blink, then, sadly, they became enlightened, found science and religion. The new world of men left little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/men-kind-shared-this-world-for-but-a-blink-then-sadly-they-became/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Q: What is the best thing men do? A: To be kind, to be proud, to be fearless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/q-what-is-the-best-thing-men-do-a-to-be-kind-to-be-proud-to-be/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [There were no men in this painting, but it was about men, the kind who caused women to fall. I did not ascribe any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/there-were-no-men-in-this-painting-but-it-was-about-men-the-kind-who/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The great majority of men and women, in ordinary times, pass through life without ever contemplating or criticising, as a whole, either their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-great-majority-of-men-and-women-in-ordinary-times-pass-through-2/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [The first white men of your people who came to our country were named Lewis and Clark. They brought many things that our people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/the-first-white-men-of-your-people-who-came-to-our-country-were-named-2/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [“That men of this kind despise women, though a not uncommon belief, is one which hardly appears to be justified. Indeed, though naturally not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-carpenter/that-men-of-this-kind-despise-women-though-a-not-uncommon-belief-is/) [Edward Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-carpenter/) > [“But a Christ who is all grace cannot stir the masculine soul. Deep down, men long for a harsh affection—the love of a coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-murrow/but-a-christ-who-is-all-grace-cannot-stir-the-masculine-soul-deep/) [David Murrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-murrow/) > [Upscale young men seem to go for the kind of woman who plays with a full deck of credit cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/upscale-young-men-seem-to-go-for-the-kind-of-woman-who-plays-with-a/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [I believe almost every men have some kind of fantasy for action scenes. I'm one of them, and I just can't be so sluggish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joo-won/i-believe-almost-every-men-have-some-kind-of-fantasy-for-action/) [Joo Won](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joo-won/) > [I have found men to be more kind than I expected, and less just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-have-found-men-to-be-more-kind-than-i-expected-and-less-just/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Men will be just to men when they are kind to animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-bergh/men-will-be-just-to-men-when-they-are-kind-to-animals/) [Henry Bergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-bergh/) > [“Like men of his kind, at cross-purposes with their purpose, there could be nothing fortuitous that happened to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-butts/like-men-of-his-kind-at-cross-purposes-with-their-purpose-there-could/) [Mary Butts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-butts/) > [Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/think-of-what-a-paradise-this-world-would-be-if-men-were-kind-and-wise/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I go for two kinds of men. The kind with muscles, and the kind without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/i-go-for-two-kinds-of-men-the-kind-with-muscles-and-the-kind-without/) [Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/) ## More by Brom > [Everything comes with a price. Everything. Some things just cost more than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/everything-comes-with-a-price-everything-some-things-just-cost-more/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Krampus reached over and wiggled one of the nails protruding from Jesse's leg. "Ow, fuck!" Jesse cried. "Watch it. Goddamn, what's wrong with you?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/krampus-reached-over-and-wiggled-one-of-the-nails-protruding-from/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“She laughed and said not to confuse pride with nobleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/she-laughed-and-said-not-to-confuse-pride-with-nobleness/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Stop your weeping. Grief is for the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/stop-your-weeping-grief-is-for-the-dead/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Death has come to cut your throats and drink your blood!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/death-has-come-to-cut-your-throats-and-drink-your-blood/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Me, I say too much optimism will get you killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/me-i-say-too-much-optimism-will-get-you-killed/) [brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“How much blood will it take to make them stop? How many more children must die?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/how-much-blood-will-it-take-to-make-them-stop-how-many-more-children/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [Men-kind shared this world for but a blink, then, sadly, they became enlightened, found science and religion. The new world of men left little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/men-kind-shared-this-world-for-but-a-blink-then-sadly-they-became/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [Peter stood up and let a wicked smile slide across his face. "Time to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/peter-stood-up-and-let-a-wicked-smile-slide-across-his-face-time-to/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Help her," Peter pleaded. "Do something. You have ways. Your potions. Your medicines. Do something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/help-her-peter-pleaded-do-something-you-have-ways-your-potions-your/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“I bring fresh blood," Peter said and grinned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/i-bring-fresh-blood-peter-said-and-grinned/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [Had not enough gone wrong?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/had-not-enough-gone-wrong/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [Your dreams are your spirit, your soul and without them your are dead. You must guard your dreams always. Always. Lest someone steal them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/your-dreams-are-your-spirit-your-soul-and-without-them-your-are-dead/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“You are free. The world is yours. got take it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/you-are-free-the-world-is-yours-got-take-it/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“Julio was willing to bet that Officer "I've Seen It All" Mac had never seen a horde of black-skinned demons wearing rags and armor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/julio-was-willing-to-bet-that-officer-i-ve-seen-it-all-mac-had-never/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) [Explore all 75 Brom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) ## More Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) [Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind didn't need an excuse to be cruel and murder one another.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-well-that-men-kind-didn-t-need/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-well-that-men-kind-didn-t-need/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cc/brom-9075_excuse_but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-wel_2327536.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But Peter had seen too much, knew too well that men-kind didn't need an excuse to be cruel and murder one…” — Brom", "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": "Brom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But Peter had seen too much,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-well-that-men-kind-didn-t-need/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/but-peter-had-seen-too-much-knew-too-well-that-men-kind-didn-t-need/#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 } } ] } ```