--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never, even for a moment, doubted what…" description: "\"I never, even for a moment, doubted what they’d told me. This is why it is that adults and even parents can, unwittingly, be cruel: they cannot imagine..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/david-foster-wallace-161_absence_i-never-even-for-a-moment-doubted-what-t_2036681.jpg" --- # I never, even for a moment, doubted what they’d told me… ![“I never, even for a moment, doubted what they’d told me. This is why it is that adults and even parents can, unwittingly, be cruel: they cannot imagine doubt’s complete absence. They have forgotten.” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/david-foster-wallace-161_absence_i-never-even-for-a-moment-doubted-what-t_2036681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/david-foster-wallace-161_absence_i-never-even-for-a-moment-doubted-what-t_2036681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/david-foster-wallace-161_absence_i-never-even-for-a-moment-doubted-what-t_2036681.jpg) > “I never, even for a moment, doubted what they’d told me. This is why it is that adults and even parents can, unwittingly, be cruel: they cannot imagine doubt’s complete absence. They have forgotten.” [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adults often assume certainty, lacking the ability to imagine doubt, which can lead to unintentional cruelty toward those who question. **In simple terms:** Adults may be cruel because they cannot imagine doubt. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy by recognizing uncertainty in others. Themes empathy certainty cruelty Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - education - workplace - mental health Key Concepts psychology social cognition Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you hold that might limit empathy? - How can you model healthy doubt for others? A Different Perspective Assuming certainty can blind us to others' perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubted/) [Doubted Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubted-told-3768168/) [Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Moment Doubted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-doubted-2622509/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parents Unwittingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-unwittingly-3768167/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Told Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-adults-2482515/) ## Related quotes > [It cannot for a moment be doubted that an art work to be alive, to awaken us to its life, to inspire us sooner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-sullivan/it-cannot-for-a-moment-be-doubted-that-an-art-work-to-be-alive-to/) [Louis Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-sullivan/) > [“She had come to the clinic because she didn't want to be a little girl anymore. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never, even for a moment, doubted what they’d told me. This is why it is that adults and even parents can, unwittingly, be cruel: they cannot imagine doubt’s complete absence. 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