---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not the innocent young things that…"
description: "\"It's not the innocent young things that need gentle handling--it's the ones that have been frightened and hurt.\" — Dorothy L. Sayers"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dorothy-l-sayers-738_frightened_it-s-not-the-innocent-young-things-that_825447.jpg"
---

#  It's not the innocent young things that need gentle…

![“It's not the innocent young things that need gentle handling--it's the ones that have been frightened and hurt.” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dorothy-l-sayers-738_frightened_it-s-not-the-innocent-young-things-that_825447.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dorothy-l-sayers-738_frightened_it-s-not-the-innocent-young-things-that_825447.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dorothy-l-sayers-738_frightened_it-s-not-the-innocent-young-things-that_825447.jpg)

> “It's not the innocent young things that need gentle handling--it's the ones that have been frightened and hurt.”

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

## About This Quote

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

Gentle care belongs to those who have been hurt, not the innocent.

**In simple terms:** Care the wounded, not the untouched.

Key Takeaway

Offer empathy to the scarred.

Themes

compassion healing vulnerability

Mood

empathetic soft

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- counseling
- friendship
- support groups

Key Concepts

psychology trauma empathy

Questions to Reflect On

- Who in your life needs gentle handling?
- How do you recognize hidden pain?

A Different Perspective

Innocence may also need kindness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Gentle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentle/)

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> [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/)

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> [Megachurches. I can't be the only one frightened when our houses of worship sound like they could take on Godzilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/megachurches-i-can-t-be-the-only-one-frightened-when-our-houses-of/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/)

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> [We all have prejudices to dispel: the need to get away from thinking that 'I' am important and special and 'you' are not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/we-all-have-prejudices-to-dispel-the-need-to-get-away-from-thinking/)

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> [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/american-imperialism-has-always-been-the-imperialism-that-has-been/)

[Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/)

> [I don't think kids have a problem with death. It's us older ones who are nearer to it, that start being frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/i-don-t-think-kids-have-a-problem-with-death-it-s-us-older-ones-who/)

[Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/)

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

## More by Dorothy L. Sayers

> [“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-really-essential-factors-of-success-in-any-undertaking-are-money/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/)

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> [“ Peter! Were you looking for a horse-shoe?" "No; I was expecting the horse, but the shoe is a piece of pure, gorgeous luck."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/peter-were-you-looking-for-a-horse-shoe-no-i-was-expecting-the-horse/)

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> [ “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. \[That\] the fundamental treason to the mind ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-rest-may-follow-or-not-as-god/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/)

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[Explore all 386 Dorothy L. Sayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

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Browse all 1,303 Frightened quotes

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