---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...It also taught me that while cruelty…"
description: "\"“...It also taught me that while cruelty can be fun for a few moments, compassion has a much longer shelf life.”\" — Doreen Orion"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg"
---

#  ...It also taught me that while cruelty can be fun for a…

![“...It also taught me that while cruelty can be fun for a few moments, compassion has a much longer shelf life.” quote by Doreen Orion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg)

> ““...It also taught me that while cruelty can be fun for a few moments, compassion has a much longer shelf life.””

[Doreen Orion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-orion/)

## About This Quote

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

Compassion endures longer than fleeting cruelty, offering lasting fulfillment.

**In simple terms:** Compassion lasts longer than cruelty.

Key Takeaway

Choose compassion over short‑term cruelty.

Themes

compassion ethics longevity

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- leadership
- conflict resolution
- community building

Key Concepts

moral psychology emotional intelligence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you nurture compassion when faced with cruelty?
- What long‑term benefits does compassion bring?

A Different Perspective

Compassion may be harder to practice in hostile environments.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Compassion Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion-longer-4162247/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Cruelty Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty-fun-4162248/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moments Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-compassion-3453268/) [Shelf life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelf-life/) [Taught Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-cruelty-3107904/) [Teasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teasing/)

## Related quotes

> [Moments of compassion are the most holy moments of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/moments-of-compassion-are-the-most-holy-moments-of-life/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Compassion will no longer be seen as a spiritual luxury for a contemplative few; rather it will be viewed as a social necessity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-elgin/compassion-will-no-longer-be-seen-as-a-spiritual-luxury-for-a/)

[Duane Elgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-elgin/)

> [I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the past's fugitive moments of compassion rather than in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-am-supposing-or-perhaps-only-hoping-that-our-future-may-be-found-in/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [The cultivation of compassion is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, if our species is to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-cultivation-of-compassion-is-no-longer-a-luxury-but-a-necessity/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [It was woman that taught me cruelty, and on woman therefore I have exercised it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/it-was-woman-that-taught-me-cruelty-and-on-woman-therefore-i-have/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [“Human beings judge one another by their external actions. God judges them by their moral choices. When a neurotic who has a pathological horror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/human-beings-judge-one-another-by-their-external-actions-god-judges-2/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“The bad psychological material is not a sin but a disease. It does not need to be repented of, but to be cured. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/the-bad-psychological-material-is-not-a-sin-but-a-disease-it-does-not/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [Backstreet has been around a long time. Normally, groups like us have a shelf life of two to four years. We always wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-littrell/backstreet-has-been-around-a-long-time-normally-groups-like-us-have-a/)

[Brian Littrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-littrell/)

> [“like my body—I may not control the expiration date, but I can certainly influence the quality of the shelf life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gay-hendricks/like-my-body-i-may-not-control-the-expiration-date-but-i-can/)

[Gay Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gay-hendricks/)

> ['Local Hero' was probably the most enjoyable job I've ever done then or since. It's had a very long shelf life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-lawson/local-hero-was-probably-the-most-enjoyable-job-i-ve-ever-done-then-or/)

[Denis Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-lawson/)

> [Good music shouldn't have a shelf life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-ware/good-music-shouldn-t-have-a-shelf-life/)

[Jessie Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-ware/)

> [As with many pop acts, your shelf life isn't that great, we peaked with our first album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-donnelly/as-with-many-pop-acts-your-shelf-life-isn-t-that-great-we-peaked-with/)

[Declan Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-donnelly/)

> [ ... everyone has come to understand that unconditional love is a reality, but with as shelf life of about eight to ten seconds. \[p. 110\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/everyone-has-come-to-understand-that-unconditional-love-is-a-reality/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [The medium's gaze is brief, intense, and promiscuous. The shelf life of the moral causes it makes its own is brutally short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-medium-s-gaze-is-brief-intense-and-promiscuous-the-shelf-life-of/)

[Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/)

> [I'm kind of a firm believer that songs can have a shelf life with an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-kennedy/i-m-kind-of-a-firm-believer-that-songs-can-have-a-shelf-life-with-an/)

[Myles Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-kennedy/)

## More by Doreen Orion

> [“...for most of the ride through British Columbia we were treated to stunning scenery ranging from majestic peaks shrouded in mist to more barren…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/for-most-of-the-ride-through-british-columbia-we-were-treated-to/)

[Doreen Orion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-orion/)

> [“As Tim followed me up the narrow stairwell, he playfully pinched my butt with every step, a pleasant (and painful--in a black-and-blue sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/as-tim-followed-me-up-the-narrow-stairwell-he-playfully-pinched-my/)

[Doreen Orion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-orion/)

> [“In WASP families, if you don't get along with someone, you have as little to do with them as possible. In Jewish families, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/in-wasp-families-if-you-don-t-get-along-with-someone-you-have-as/)

[Doreen Orion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-orion/)

[Explore all 4 Doreen Orion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-orion/)

## More Compassion quotes

> [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/)

[Segun Magbagbeola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segun-magbagbeola/)

> [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/)

> [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/)

[R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/)

> [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/)

[Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/)

> [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/)

[Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/)

> [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/)

[Talib al Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-al-habib/)

> [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

[Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“...It also taught me that while cruelty can be fun for a few moments, compassion has a much longer shelf life.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Doreen Orion"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can-be-fun-for-a-few-moments/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Compassion"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can-be-fun-for-a-few-moments/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e49/doreen-orion-68803_compassion_it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can_1284544.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...It also taught me that while cruelty can be fun for a few moments, compassion has a much longer shelf life.” — Doreen Orion",
                "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": "Doreen Orion",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-orion/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“...It also taught me that while...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can-be-fun-for-a-few-moments/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-orion/it-also-taught-me-that-while-cruelty-can-be-fun-for-a-few-moments/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
