---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She thought about how it was so simple…"
description: "\"She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They gave their hearts without question or fear. They had no expectations. They were so easy to lo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg"
---

#  She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They…

![“She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They gave their hearts without question or fear. They had no expectations. They were so easy to love. If people could only be like that, no one would ever be hurt, she thought. No one would ever need to learn how to forgive.” quote by Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg)

> “She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They gave their hearts without question or fear. They had no expectations. They were so easy to love. If people could only be like that, no one would ever be hurt, she thought. No one would ever need to learn how to forgive.”

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

## About This Quote

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

Animals love unconditionally without expectations, suggesting pure, uncomplicated affection that humans could emulate to avoid hurt.

**In simple terms:** Animals give love freely, without expectations.

Key Takeaway

Embrace unconditional love.

Themes

compassion trust innocence

Mood

thoughtful hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- pet ownership
- volunteering
- mindful listening
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

unconditional affection human relationships

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance openness with self‑protection?
- What expectations do we place on love?

A Different Perspective

Human relationships are complex; unconditional love may be unrealistic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals Gave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals-gave-3622352/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Easy love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-love/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Gave Hearts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave-hearts-532108/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [How to forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how-to-forgive/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Learn Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-forgive-295616/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Simple Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-animals-3622351/)

## Related quotes

> [“Deborah laughed, hugged the dog, allowed herself to be licked on the nose. She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/deborah-laughed-hugged-the-dog-allowed-herself-to-be-licked-on-the/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [Rather than studying the most complex form of memory in a very complicated animal, we had to take the most simple form - an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kandel/rather-than-studying-the-most-complex-form-of-memory-in-a-very/)

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

> [If you learn how to forgive others for not being strong, then people can learn how to forgive you for your own issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/if-you-learn-how-to-forgive-others-for-not-being-strong-then-people/)

[T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/)

> [Everybody kind of has to learn the same lessons. You've got to learn how to get over your first love. You've got to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weyes-blood/everybody-kind-of-has-to-learn-the-same-lessons-you-ve-got-to-learn/)

[Weyes Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weyes-blood/)

> [If we are going to be happy and have any chance at growing then we must learn how to forgive others ... and ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/if-we-are-going-to-be-happy-and-have-any-chance-at-growing-then-we/)

[Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/)

> [Isn't it easier to forgive than to hate? Until we learn how to forgive, that sort of thing is going to keep on happening."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eddings/isn-t-it-easier-to-forgive-than-to-hate-until-we-learn-how-to-forgive/)

[David Eddings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eddings/)

> [I try to incorporate faith every day, to not remind myself of past failures, to learn how to forgive and to trust the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-l-williams/i-try-to-incorporate-faith-every-day-to-not-remind-myself-of-past/)

[Vanessa L. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-l-williams/)

> [Let us go to Calvary to learn how we may be forgiven. And then let us linger there to learn how to forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/let-us-go-to-calvary-to-learn-how-we-may-be-forgiven-and-then-let-us/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> [Whatever our religion, we know that if we really want to love, we must first learn to forgive before anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/whatever-our-religion-we-know-that-if-we-really-want-to-love-we-must/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [In order to heal oneself, we must learn how to forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/in-order-to-heal-oneself-we-must-learn-how-to-forgive/)

[Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/)

> [God gave 2 hearts to Girls... if One Fullfill So they could divert to another one. But Boys Have one Heart So they Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arif-shaikh/god-gave-2-hearts-to-girls-if-one-fullfill-so-they-could-divert-to/)

[Arif Shaikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arif-shaikh/)

> [The girls gave their hearts into their mother's keeping-their souls into their father's; and to both parents, who lived and labored so faithfully for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-girls-gave-their-hearts-into-their-mother-s-keeping-their-souls/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard. We lived and learned, life threw curves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jackson/gave-our-hearts-made-the-start-it-was-hard-we-lived-and-learned-life/)

[Alan Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jackson/)

> [“All kinds of ordinary people gave their whole hearts to things you wouldn't think you could give your heart to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-horvath/all-kinds-of-ordinary-people-gave-their-whole-hearts-to-things-you/)

[Polly Horvath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-horvath/)

> [Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/forgiving-does-not-erase-the-bitter-past-a-healed-memory-is-not-a-2/)

[Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/)

## More by Elizabeth George

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“Wisdom is the God-given ability to see life with rare objectivity and to handle life with rare stability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/wisdom-is-the-god-given-ability-to-see-life-with-rare-objectivity-and/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“Home is the best place to teach young men and women about God’s kind of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/home-is-the-best-place-to-teach-young-men-and-women-about-god-s-kind/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“God’s Word changes the way you think, feel, and live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/god-s-word-changes-the-way-you-think-feel-and-live/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“The more time you spend with God, the more you will resemble Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/the-more-time-you-spend-with-god-the-more-you-will-resemble-him/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“At the end of the day, no one gets away with anything, I've found.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/at-the-end-of-the-day-no-one-gets-away-with-anything-i-ve-found/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“For every need and issue and decision that must be made in life, the Bible has the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/for-every-need-and-issue-and-decision-that-must-be-made-in-life-the/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“God-confidence comes as the Holy Spirit works in us. As we pray and when we make choices that honor God, the Holy Spirit fills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/god-confidence-comes-as-the-holy-spirit-works-in-us-as-we-pray-and/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“Living in the Spirit changes your attitude, thinking, and ultimately your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/living-in-the-spirit-changes-your-attitude-thinking-and-ultimately/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“Let a clear understanding of your identity In Christ shed light on all the ways you can live out your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/let-a-clear-understanding-of-your-identity-in-christ-shed-light-on/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“...because God knows everything about us, cares about us, helps us, and listens to us whenever we turn to Him, we are not carrying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/because-god-knows-everything-about-us-cares-about-us-helps-us-and/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“When you cultivate a godly thought life your soul will shine and you will exhibit the presence of the Lord in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/when-you-cultivate-a-godly-thought-life-your-soul-will-shine-and-you/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“Delighting in the Lord, knowing His Word, and committing yourself to Him are ways to ensure that your plans and desires for yourself match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/delighting-in-the-lord-knowing-his-word-and-committing-yourself-to/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [Just as stars shine brightest in the darkest night, your joy blazes brilliantly through life's problems when you count them as joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/just-as-stars-shine-brightest-in-the-darkest-night-your-joy-blazes/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [“The only wrong way to read the Bible is to not read it at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/the-only-wrong-way-to-read-the-bible-is-to-not-read-it-at-all/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

[Explore all 245 Elizabeth George quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

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

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They gave their hearts without question or fear. They had no expectations. They were so easy to love. If people could only be like that, no one would ever be hurt, she thought. No one would ever need to learn how to forgive.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elizabeth George"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-with-animals-they-gave-their/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-with-animals-they-gave-their/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/elizabeth-george-1393_animal_she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-w_2825714.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She thought about how it was so simple with animals. They gave their hearts without question or fear. They…” — Elizabeth George",
                "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": "Elizabeth George",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "She thought about how it was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-with-animals-they-gave-their/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/she-thought-about-how-it-was-so-simple-with-animals-they-gave-their/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
