---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He walked away. It was a shame really…"
description: "\"“He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I do? He was the law; I broke the law, two things one should never combine. From WIP The Trinity..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg"
---

#  He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I…

![“He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I do? He was the law; I broke the law, two things one should never combine. From WIP The Trinity Saints” quote by Dawn Hullender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg)

> ““He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I do? He was the law; I broke the law, two things one should never combine. From WIP The Trinity Saints””

[Dawn Hullender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-hullender/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A conflict between personal conscience and legal duty leads to shame and paradoxical choices.

**In simple terms:** Law and conscience clash, causing shame.

Key Takeaway

Reflect on personal values versus authority.

Themes

shame law conflict morality personal responsibility

Mood

conflicted reflective

Type

Shame:1 Trinity:0 Walked away:1 Broke Law:1 Law Broke:1

When to use this quote

- legal work
- personal decision
- moral conflict

Key Concepts

ethical dilemma paradox conscience

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you reconcile personal ethics with external rules?
- When is it justified to break the law?

A Different Perspective

Legal systems may not account for individual moral nuance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Broke Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broke-law-1013650/) [Law Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-broke-3234965/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Trinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trinity/) [Walked away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walked-away/)

## Related quotes

> [The only law we broke was the Brezhnev doctrine that once a country is in the Soviet bloc it cannot be overthrown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/the-only-law-we-broke-was-the-brezhnev-doctrine-that-once-a-country/)

[Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/)

> [“She did worse than break the law, she broke the rules”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy-anna-karenina/she-did-worse-than-break-the-law-she-broke-the-rules/)

[Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy-anna-karenina/)

> [I was always unlawful; I broke the law when I was born because my parents weren't married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-was-always-unlawful-i-broke-the-law-when-i-was-born-because-my/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [When in UK you pay ''fine'' if you broke the law, while in Morocco it's ''just fine''.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachid-jouhadi/when-in-uk-you-pay-fine-if-you-broke-the-law-while-in-morocco-it-s/)

[Rachid Jouhadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachid-jouhadi/)

> [There isn't much question that the person who obtained the WikiLeaks cables from a classified U.S. government network broke U.S. law and should expect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/there-isn-t-much-question-that-the-person-who-obtained-the-wikileaks/)

[Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/)

> [Most liberties have been won by people who broke the law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foot/most-liberties-have-been-won-by-people-who-broke-the-law/)

[Michael Foot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-foot/)

> [But simply someone who broke the law, came here, say, 'I'll give you citizenship now,' that I don't think is going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goodlatte/but-simply-someone-who-broke-the-law-came-here-say-i-ll-give-you/)

[Bob Goodlatte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goodlatte/)

> [Vote Leave broke the law. I can say that out loud now. Vote Leave broke the law. But nothing happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/vote-leave-broke-the-law-i-can-say-that-out-loud-now-vote-leave-broke/)

[Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/)

> [ They \[illegal immigrants\] broke the law, but it's not a felony, it's an act of love. It's an act of commitment to your family. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/they-illegal-immigrants-broke-the-law-but-it-s-not-a-felony-it-s-an/)

[Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/)

> [Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubicon," Frank said. "Great leaders have to think out side the box sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/caesar-broke-the-law-when-he-crossed-the-rubicon-frank-said-great/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [Richard Nixon clearly broke the law in the cover up of Watergate and hush money payments. That was all criminal activity. With these guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/richard-nixon-clearly-broke-the-law-in-the-cover-up-of-watergate-and/)

[Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/)

> [I made mistakes and I broke the law and I'm more than willing to pay a price for that. But there's a price beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-poundstone/i-made-mistakes-and-i-broke-the-law-and-i-m-more-than-willing-to-pay/)

[Paula Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-poundstone/)

> [While I support immigration regulated through a legal framework, I do not support rewarding those who broke the law to get here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-i-support-immigration-regulated-through-a-legal-framework-i-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Yes, they broke the law, but we can't deport them. Let's get over this pointing fingers and do something about that, whether it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/yes-they-broke-the-law-but-we-can-t-deport-them-let-s-get-over-this/)

[Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/)

> [“Father, what are you to do now?” Triton’s sneer grew scarier. “She broke the law.” turning away from the terrified faces of his daughters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalia-hades/father-what-are-you-to-do-now-triton-s-sneer-grew-scarier-she-broke/)

[Khalia Hades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalia-hades/)

## More Shame quotes

> [“So she bowed her head and devoted herself to Beartown’s real traditional sports: shame and silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/so-she-bowed-her-head-and-devoted-herself-to-beartown-s-real/)

[Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/)

> [It's a shame that when you've actually lived some life and have something to write about, they're saying you're too old to come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-s-a-shame-that-when-you-ve-actually-lived-some-life-and-have/)

[KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/)

> [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/)

[Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/)

> [Mine would be, "We will stand together, he and I. One in victory, one in shame. Only then can I truly own the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mine-would-be-we-will-stand-together-he-and-i-one-in-victory-one-in/)

[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/)

> [Telling a story of illness, one pulls a thread through a narrow opening flanked on one side by shame and the other by trivia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/telling-a-story-of-illness-one-pulls-a-thread-through-a-narrow/)

[Susan Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-griffin/)

> [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [“There's something energizing about getting what you want, even if that something is shame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-sager/there-s-something-energizing-about-getting-what-you-want-even-if-that/)

[Riley Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-sager/)

> [Most readers, then and now, have at some time experienced the humiliation of being told that their occupation is reprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/most-readers-then-and-now-have-at-some-time-experienced-the/)

[Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/)

> [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/)

[Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/)

> [“He stopped at an intersection, panting, rubbing at the twinge in his hamstrings, looking around, though he knew no cars were coming in either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mina/he-stopped-at-an-intersection-panting-rubbing-at-the-twinge-in-his/)

[Denise Mina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-mina/)

> [“Shame is the deepest of the “negative emotions,” a feeling we will do almost anything to avoid. Unfortunately, our abiding fear of shame impairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/shame-is-the-deepest-of-the-negative-emotions-a-feeling-we-will-do/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [“To shame our sins He blushed in blood; He closed His eyes to show us God; Let all the world fall down and know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-of-clairvaux/to-shame-our-sins-he-blushed-in-blood-he-closed-his-eyes-to-show-us/)

[Bernard of Clairvaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-of-clairvaux/)

> [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/)

[Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/)

[Browse all 4,033 Shame quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I do? He was the law; I broke the law, two things one should never combine. From WIP The Trinity Saints”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dawn Hullender"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-hullender/he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but-what-could-i-do-he-was-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Shame"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-hullender/he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but-what-could-i-do-he-was-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ab/dawn-hullender-231670_quote_he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but_2142606.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I do? He was the law; I broke the law, two things one…” — Dawn Hullender",
                "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": "Dawn Hullender",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-hullender/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He walked away. It was a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-hullender/he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but-what-could-i-do-he-was-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-hullender/he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but-what-could-i-do-he-was-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
