--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was so benevolent, so merciful a man…" description: "\"He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.\" — Douglas Willi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png" --- # He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his… ![“He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.” quote by Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png) > “He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.” [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A merciful man would protect even a duck in the rain, showing extreme kindness. **In simple terms:** Kindness can be shown in tiny acts. Key Takeaway Practice compassion in everyday situations. Themes kindness compassion humility empathy irony Mood warm reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - helping strangers - animal care - small gestures - volunteering Key Concepts ethics human nature literature Questions to Reflect On - When have you helped someone unexpectedly? - Can kindness be taken advantage of? A Different Perspective Excessive kindness may be impractical or naive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benevolent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent/) [Benevolent Merciful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent-merciful-2079279/) [Duck Shower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duck-shower-2079282/) [Held Umbrella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/held-umbrella-2079281/) [Merciful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merciful/) [Merciful Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merciful-man-2079278/) [Mistaken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistaken/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rain/) [Umbrella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/umbrella/) [Umbrella Duck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/umbrella-duck-2079280/) ## Related quotes > [Let there always be a preponderance of mercy with you, even though you don't feel such mercy in yourself, as God has for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-of-nineveh/let-there-always-be-a-preponderance-of-mercy-with-you-even-though-you/) [Isaac of Nineveh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-of-nineveh/) > [“I look at the others, simpering courtiers and visiting dignitaries, all unsuspecting of what is to come. A merciful man should spare them, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-f-stewart/i-look-at-the-others-simpering-courtiers-and-visiting-dignitaries-all/) [A.F. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-f-stewart/) > [We have not yet encountered any god who is as merciful as a man who flicks a beetle over on its feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/we-have-not-yet-encountered-any-god-who-is-as-merciful-as-a-man-who/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“The merciful man is rarely victorious. One's enemies are like snakes; though one may learn to handle them, they are always poisonous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-essex/the-merciful-man-is-rarely-victorious-one-s-enemies-are-like-snakes/) [Karen Essex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-essex/) > [“It’s okay, buddy!” I shade my eyes and look up at the sky. “Luckily for you, I am both stunningly good-looking and benevolent. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wolf/it-s-okay-buddy-i-shade-my-eyes-and-look-up-at-the-sky-luckily-for/) [Sara Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wolf/) > [The Jews looked for a special savior, a messiah, who was to redeem mankind by the agreeable process of restoring the fabulous glories of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-jews-looked-for-a-special-savior-a-messiah-who-was-to-redeem/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [What am I writing for anyway? Is it like dreaming? Is it a benevolent process? Something that moves the past forward? And what about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selima-hill/what-am-i-writing-for-anyway-is-it-like-dreaming-is-it-a-benevolent/) [Selima Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selima-hill/) > [I worship nothing. Not a good lie nor a dark one. If nature is proof of God's amazing creation then I have truly seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-numan/i-worship-nothing-not-a-good-lie-nor-a-dark-one-if-nature-is-proof-of/) [Gary Numan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-numan/) > [A universal peace, it is to be feared, is in the catalogue of events, which will never exist but in the imaginations of visionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-universal-peace-it-is-to-be-feared-is-in-the-catalogue-of-events/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [You can't have it both ways. You can't have both free will and a benevolent higher power who protects you from yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/you-can-t-have-it-both-ways-you-can-t-have-both-free-will-and-a/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“There's no pain on earth that doesn't require a benevolent witness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/there-s-no-pain-on-earth-that-doesn-t-require-a-benevolent-witness/) [sue monk kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-capable-benevolent-despot-what/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The soul of the truly benevolent man does not seem to reside much in his own body. Its life, to a great extent, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-soul-of-the-truly-benevolent-man-does-not-seem-to-reside-much-in/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [Intelligent Design opens the whole possibility of us being created in the image of a benevolent God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/intelligent-design-opens-the-whole-possibility-of-us-being-created-in/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) ## More by Douglas William Jerrold > [Self-defense is the clearest of all laws, and for this reason: lawyers didn't make it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/self-defense-is-the-clearest-of-all-laws-and-for-this-reason-lawyers/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Slugs crawl and crawl over our cabbages, like the world's slander over a good name. You may kill them, it is true; but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/slugs-crawl-and-crawl-over-our-cabbages-like-the-world-s-slander-over/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Patience is the strongest of strong drinks; for it kills the giant despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/patience-is-the-strongest-of-strong-drinks-for-it-kills-the-giant/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Humor is the harmony of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/humor-is-the-harmony-of-the-heart/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Love the sea? I dote upon it--from the beach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/love-the-sea-i-dote-upon-it-from-the-beach/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Modesty is a bright dish-cover, which makes us fancy there is something very nice underneath it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/modesty-is-a-bright-dish-cover-which-makes-us-fancy-there-is/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Reputations, like beavers and cloaks, shall last some people twice the time of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/reputations-like-beavers-and-cloaks-shall-last-some-people-twice-the/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [He is one of those wise philanthropists who, in a time of famine, would vote for nothing but a supply of toothpicks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/he-is-one-of-those-wise-philanthropists-who-in-a-time-of-famine-would/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Rogues are prone to find things before they are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/rogues-are-prone-to-find-things-before-they-are-lost/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [That man is thought a dangerous knave, Or zealot plotting crime, Who for advancement of his kind Is wiser than his time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/that-man-is-thought-a-dangerous-knave-or-zealot-plotting-crime-who/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [A man is in no danger so long as he talks his love; but to write it is to impale himself on his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/a-man-is-in-no-danger-so-long-as-he-talks-his-love-but-to-write-it-is/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Luck, mere luck may make even madness wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/luck-mere-luck-may-make-even-madness-wisdom/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Dogmation is puppyism come to its full growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/dogmation-is-puppyism-come-to-its-full-growth/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [In this world truth can wait; she is used to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/in-this-world-truth-can-wait-she-is-used-to-it/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) > [Wishes, at least, are the easy pleasures of the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/wishes-at-least-are-the-easy-pleasures-of-the-poor/) [Douglas William Jerrold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) [Explore all 75 Douglas William Jerrold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/) ## More Benevolent quotes > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Intelligent Design opens the whole possibility of us being created in the image of a benevolent God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/intelligent-design-opens-the-whole-possibility-of-us-being-created-in/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [The soul of the truly benevolent man does not seem to reside much in his own body. Its life, to a great extent, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-soul-of-the-truly-benevolent-man-does-not-seem-to-reside-much-in/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-capable-benevolent-despot-what/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“There's no pain on earth that doesn't require a benevolent witness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/there-s-no-pain-on-earth-that-doesn-t-require-a-benevolent-witness/) [sue monk kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [You can't have it both ways. You can't have both free will and a benevolent higher power who protects you from yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/you-can-t-have-it-both-ways-you-can-t-have-both-free-will-and-a/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [A universal peace, it is to be feared, is in the catalogue of events, which will never exist but in the imaginations of visionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-universal-peace-it-is-to-be-feared-is-in-the-catalogue-of-events/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I worship nothing. Not a good lie nor a dark one. If nature is proof of God's amazing creation then I have truly seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-numan/i-worship-nothing-not-a-good-lie-nor-a-dark-one-if-nature-is-proof-of/) [Gary Numan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-numan/) > [What am I writing for anyway? Is it like dreaming? Is it a benevolent process? Something that moves the past forward? And what about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selima-hill/what-am-i-writing-for-anyway-is-it-like-dreaming-is-it-a-benevolent/) [Selima Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selima-hill/) > [The Jews looked for a special savior, a messiah, who was to redeem mankind by the agreeable process of restoring the fabulous glories of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-jews-looked-for-a-special-savior-a-messiah-who-was-to-redeem/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [“It’s okay, buddy!” I shade my eyes and look up at the sky. “Luckily for you, I am both stunningly good-looking and benevolent. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wolf/it-s-okay-buddy-i-shade-my-eyes-and-look-up-at-the-sky-luckily-for/) [Sara Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wolf/) > [Nature is not benevolent; Nature is just, gives pound for pound, measure for measure, makes no exceptions, never tempers her decrees with mercy, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/nature-is-not-benevolent-nature-is-just-gives-pound-for-pound-measure/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [“My creed on the subject of slavery is short. Slavery per se is not sin. It is a social condition ordained from the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-morse/my-creed-on-the-subject-of-slavery-is-short-slavery-per-se-is-not-sin/) [Samuel Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-morse/) > [The charming aspect of Christmas is the fact that it expresses good will in a cheerful, happy, benevolent, non-sacrificial way. One says: “Merry Christmas”-not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-charming-aspect-of-christmas-is-the-fact-that-it-expresses-good/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [... so large a portion of those who hold much capital, instead of using their various advantages for the greatest good of those around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-beecher/so-large-a-portion-of-those-who-hold-much-capital-instead-of-using/) [Catharine Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-beecher/) [Browse all 289 Benevolent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benevolent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas William Jerrold" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-that-in-his-mistaken-passion/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Benevolent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-that-in-his-mistaken-passion/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f7/douglas-william-jerrold-9046_benevolent_he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-t_2617285.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a…” — Douglas William Jerrold", "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": "Douglas William Jerrold", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-william-jerrold/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He was so benevolent, so merciful...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-that-in-his-mistaken-passion/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-william-jerrold/he-was-so-benevolent-so-merciful-a-man-that-in-his-mistaken-passion/#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 } } ] } ```