--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thoughts arise in the hostage's tormented…" description: "\"“Thoughts arise in the hostage's tormented brain. In the hospital, patients feel they are returning to childhood; in prison, they age. The gods blind t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/elie-wiesel-341_children_thoughts-arise-in-the-hostage-s-tormente_362357.png" --- # Thoughts arise in the hostage's tormented brain. In the… ![“Thoughts arise in the hostage's tormented brain. In the hospital, patients feel they are returning to childhood; in prison, they age. The gods blind themselves.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/elie-wiesel-341_children_thoughts-arise-in-the-hostage-s-tormente_362357.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/elie-wiesel-341_children_thoughts-arise-in-the-hostage-s-tormente_362357.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/elie-wiesel-341_children_thoughts-arise-in-the-hostage-s-tormente_362357.png) > ““Thoughts arise in the hostage's tormented brain. In the hospital, patients feel they are returning to childhood; in prison, they age. The gods blind themselves.”” [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trauma distorts perception, causing regression or accelerated aging, while even divine beings may choose blindness. **In simple terms:** Hardship can make minds feel childlike or aged, and gods may ignore pain. Key Takeaway Acknowledge how suffering reshapes consciousness. Themes suffering psychology spirituality Mood somber introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - therapy - spiritual practice - writing - teaching Key Concepts regression aging divine blindness Questions to Reflect On - How does trauma alter your worldview? - Can blindness be a coping mechanism? A Different Perspective None; not all suffering leads to insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) ## Related quotes > [Childhood is the one prison from which there's no escape, the one sentence from which there's no appeal. We all serve our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-james/childhood-is-the-one-prison-from-which-there-s-no-escape-the-one/) [P. D. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-james/) > [“In one sense, depression can feel even worse than cancer, because most cancer patients feel hope as well as self-esteem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/in-one-sense-depression-can-feel-even-worse-than-cancer-because-most/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Depression can seem worse than terminal cancer, because most cancer patients feel loved and they have hope and self-esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/depression-can-seem-worse-than-terminal-cancer-because-most-cancer/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [I make my patients feel like they're still part of life, part of some grand nutty scheme instead of alone with their diseases. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-shem/i-make-my-patients-feel-like-they-re-still-part-of-life-part-of-some/) [Samuel Shem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-shem/) > [“It can be rough going to maintain both composure and empathy in these situations, but a doctor's failure to do that is probably the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-ofri/it-can-be-rough-going-to-maintain-both-composure-and-empathy-in-these/) [Danielle Ofri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-ofri/) > [“When we cannot cure or save a life, our patients can at least feel cared for. It should be a basic human right.” Harris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/when-we-cannot-cure-or-save-a-life-our-patients-can-at-least-feel/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [With access to professional coaching and support around the clock, patients will feel more empowered to manage their own physical wellbeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-van-houten/with-access-to-professional-coaching-and-support-around-the-clock/) [Frans van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-van-houten/) > [What we are fighting isn't godlessness--this is the most godly country on earth. We aren't even fighting disease. Its poverty. Money for food, medicines...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/what-we-are-fighting-isn-t-godlessness-this-is-the-most-godly-country/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [ “often it is not “the pill in the hand, but the hand behind the pill” that helps our patients feel better \[6\].” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-colgan/often-it-is-not-the-pill-in-the-hand-but-the-hand-behind-the-pill/) [Richard Colgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-colgan/) > [Break, break, break, On thy cold gray stones, oh sea! And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/break-break-break-on-thy-cold-gray-stones-oh-sea-and-i-would-that-my/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [Jewel,' he said, 'what lies before us? Horrible thoughts arise in my heart. If we had died before today we should have been happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jewel-he-said-what-lies-before-us-horrible-thoughts-arise-in-my-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Peace can reign only where there is no disturbance, and disturbance is due to thoughts that arise in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/peace-can-reign-only-where-there-is-no-disturbance-and-disturbance-is/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [When a rainbow appears vividly in the sky, you can see its beautiful colors, yet you could not wear as clothing or put it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/when-a-rainbow-appears-vividly-in-the-sky-you-can-see-its-beautiful/) [Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/) > [Don't hate the arising of thoughts or stop the thoughts that do arise. Simply realize that our original mind, right from the start, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/don-t-hate-the-arising-of-thoughts-or-stop-the-thoughts-that-do-arise/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [If we allow our thoughts to arise and dissolve by themselves, they will pass through our mind as a bird flies through the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/if-we-allow-our-thoughts-to-arise-and-dissolve-by-themselves-they/) [Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/) ## More by Elie Wiesel > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/one-more-stab-to-the-heart-one-more-reason-to-hate-one-less-reason-to/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/what-all-these-victims-need-above-all-is-to-know-that-they-are-not/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I feel that books, just like people, have a destiny. Some invite sorrow, others joy, some both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-feel-that-books-just-like-people-have-a-destiny-some-invite-sorrow/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ \[Chinese\] are a huge empire now, you'll soon be - in a few years two billion people in the world. So, you should be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/chinese-are-a-huge-empire-now-you-ll-soon-be-in-a-few-years-two/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-i-write-it-so-as-not-to-go-mad-or-on-the-contrary-to-go-mad-in/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Take the story of Cain and Abel. Why were we given that story? Scientifically, you may have an explanation for it, but I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/take-the-story-of-cain-and-abel-why-were-we-given-that-story/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/mankind-must-remember-that-peace-is-not-god-s-gift-to-his-creatures/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [The world? The world is not interested in us. Today, everything is possible, even the crematoria...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-world-the-world-is-not-interested-in-us-today-everything-is/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-question-possessed-a-power-that-was-lost-in-the-answer/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/his-cold-eyes-stared-at-me-at-last-he-said-wearily-i-have-more-faith/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As you know, I describe Shirat ha-Yam as part of an epic story that has qualities of history and which also has qualities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/as-you-know-i-describe-shirat-ha-yam-as-part-of-an-epic-story-that/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Every Jew, somewhere in his being, should set apart a zone of hate -healthy virile hate- for what the German personifies and for what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-jew-somewhere-in-his-being-should-set-apart-a-zone-of-hate/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Did hope help us to survive, or not? 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