--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever I had read as a child about the…" description: "\"Whatever I had read as a child about the saints had thrilled me. I could see the nobility of giving one's life for the sick, the maimed, the leper. But..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/dorothy-day-1629_avoiding_whatever-i-had-read-as-a-child-about-the_2158714.jpg" --- # Whatever I had read as a child about the saints had… ![“Whatever I had read as a child about the saints had thrilled me. I could see the nobility of giving one's life for the sick, the maimed, the leper. But there was another question in my mind. Why was so much done in remedying the evil instead of avoiding it in the first place? Where were the saints…” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/dorothy-day-1629_avoiding_whatever-i-had-read-as-a-child-about-the_2158714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/dorothy-day-1629_avoiding_whatever-i-had-read-as-a-child-about-the_2158714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/dorothy-day-1629_avoiding_whatever-i-had-read-as-a-child-about-the_2158714.jpg) > “Whatever I had read as a child about the saints had thrilled me. I could see the nobility of giving one's life for the sick, the maimed, the leper. But there was another question in my mind. Why was so much done in remedying the evil instead of avoiding it in the first place? Where were the saints to try to change the social order, not just to minister to the slaves, but to do away with slavery?” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She admired saints’ self‑sacrifice but questioned why they focused on healing rather than preventing suffering, urging systemic change over mere relief. **In simple terms:** Questioning saints’ focus on cure versus prevention. Key Takeaway Advocate for structural reform. Themes faith justice activism systemic change Mood thoughtful critical Type theological social commentary When to use this quote - charitable work - policy advocacy - grassroots organizing Key Concepts social ethics moral philosophy community service Questions to Reflect On - How can compassion translate into social transformation? - What barriers prevent saints from challenging power structures? A Different Perspective Risk of idealizing saints without practical solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nobility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobility/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) [Saints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saints/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-order/) ## Related quotes > [“Bold is thoroughly sincere in his patriotic endeavours to mend mankind, and there is something to be admired in the energy with which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/bold-is-thoroughly-sincere-in-his-patriotic-endeavours-to-mend/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [“She says it's too easy to call people evil instead of their choices and that lets people justify making evil choices. Because they convince…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-novik/she-says-it-s-too-easy-to-call-people-evil-instead-of-their-choices/) [Naomi Novik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-novik/) > [We must substitute fear for faith, for fear is only inverted faith; it is faith in evil instead of good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-scovel-shinn/we-must-substitute-fear-for-faith-for-fear-is-only-inverted-faith-it/) [Florence Scovel Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-scovel-shinn/) > [In existing States a fresh law is looked upon as a remedy for evil. Instead of themselves altering what is bad, people begin by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kropotkin/in-existing-states-a-fresh-law-is-looked-upon-as-a-remedy-for-evil/) [Peter Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kropotkin/) > [I don't want to control anybody's mind or anybody's heart - I just want to help free people from the concept of sex as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-control-anybody-s-mind-or-anybody-s-heart-i-just-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So we can see we must substitute faith for fear, for fear is only inverted faith; it is faith in evil instead of good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-scovel-shinn/so-we-can-see-we-must-substitute-faith-for-fear-for-fear-is-only/) [Florence Scovel Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-scovel-shinn/) > [The anarchist philosophy is that the new social order is to be built up by groupings of men together in communities - whether in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-anarchist-philosophy-is-that-the-new-social-order-is-to-be-built/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I was always much impressed, in reading prison memoirs of revolutionists, such as Lenin and Trotsky ... by the amount of reading they did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-was-always-much-impressed-in-reading-prison-memoirs-of/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Where were the saints to try to change the social order, not just to minister to the slaves, but to do away with slavery?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/where-were-the-saints-to-try-to-change-the-social-order-not-just-to/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I felt that the Church was the Church of the poor,... but at the same time, I felt that it did not set its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-felt-that-the-church-was-the-church-of-the-poor-but-at-the-same/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [To feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the harborless without also trying to change the social order so that people can feed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/to-feed-the-hungry-clothe-the-naked-and-shelter-the-harborless/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Just now when I said, "I have a crush on you," you didn't say, "no way loser". I'd rather have a lobotomy by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/just-now-when-i-said-i-have-a-crush-on-you-you-didn-t-say-no-way/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/father-damien/i-make-myself-a-leper-with-the-lepers-to-gain-all-to-jesus-christ/) [Father Damien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/father-damien/) > [Compare the scale and magnifcence of Versailles with St James's - the brick-built hovel in which the 18th-century kings of England lived. What was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/compare-the-scale-and-magnifcence-of-versailles-with-st-james-s-the/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > ['Sex and The City' was made to correct the myth that if you were single at a certain age, you were a leper. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-patrick-king/sex-and-the-city-was-made-to-correct-the-myth-that-if-you-were-single/) [Michael Patrick King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-patrick-king/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. It means being indifferent to the material, doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/voluntary-poverty-isn-t-going-around-with-some-burlap-bag-around-you/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Women think with their whole bodies and they see things as a whole more than men do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/women-think-with-their-whole-bodies-and-they-see-things-as-a-whole/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [My whole life so far, my whole experience has been that our failure has been not to love enough. This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. They didn't do anything to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-communists-in-cuba-didn-t-assist-castro-in-his-revolution-they/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [A conversion is a lonely experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/a-conversion-is-a-lonely-experience/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The sense is always that community is natural to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sense-is-always-that-community-is-natural-to-people/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there he is in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-practice-the-presence-of-god-he-said-that-when-two-or-three/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Explore all 220 Dorothy Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More Avoiding quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“What I'm trying to say is that I spent the last four months learning to be alone, avoiding the world, hating pretty much anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/what-i-m-trying-to-say-is-that-i-spent-the-last-four-months-learning/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [ I can hardly believe what these 12 caricatures \[about Prophet Muhammad\] have caused in the world. We Danes feel like we have been placed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-can-hardly-believe-what-these-12-caricatures-about-prophet-muhammad/) [Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/) > [I know a bit about taxation and the remarkable effort that goes in to avoiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/i-know-a-bit-about-taxation-and-the-remarkable-effort-that-goes-in-to/) [Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) Raymond Briggs > [Resisting and avoiding pain sucks energy-and time. The more you let yourself feel those minute-and-a-half hells, the quicker you'll start feeling those minute-and-a-half happinesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-newman/resisting-and-avoiding-pain-sucks-energy-and-time-the-more-you-let/) [Leigh Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-newman/) > [Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/reading-is-sometimes-an-ingenious-device-for-avoiding-thought/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/a-day-can-really-slip-by-when-you-re-deliberately-avoiding-what-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [When someone starts Ignoring you, just back off without staying there with them Just to know the reason for avoiding..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishak/when-someone-starts-ignoring-you-just-back-off-without-staying-there/) [Vishak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishak/) > [You know what takes effort? Being kind, being patient, being respectful, telling someone how you feel politely instead of just avoiding them for six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-tapper/you-know-what-takes-effort-being-kind-being-patient-being-respectful/) [Jake Tapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-tapper/) > [It's all about being flexible, and avoiding choices whenever possible. Choices suck, they are inherently limiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-armstrong/it-s-all-about-being-flexible-and-avoiding-choices-whenever-possible/) Craig Armstrong > [In my personal life I'm very conservative. I've been married to the same person for nearly 50 years, I'm scrupulous about paying bills, avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-my-personal-life-i-m-very-conservative-i-ve-been-married-to-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) Browse all 713 Avoiding quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whatever I had read as a child about the saints had thrilled me. I could see the nobility of giving one's life for the sick, the maimed, the leper. But there was another question in my mind. Why was so much done in remedying the evil instead of avoiding it in the first place? 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