--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am content to be hated, and bloody, and…" description: "\"“I am content to be hated, and bloody, and outnumbered. For in this sickened world, it is better to believe in something too fiercely than to believe i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/210/frances-hardinge-1417_faith_i-am-content-to-be-hated-and-bloody-and_1598496.jpg" --- # I am content to be hated, and bloody, and outnumbered. For… ![“I am content to be hated, and bloody, and outnumbered. For in this sickened world, it is better to believe in something too fiercely than to believe in nothing." Words, words, wonderful words. But lies too. "No, it isn’t!" shouted Mosca the Housefly, Quillam Mye’s daughter. "Not if what you’re…” quote by Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/210/frances-hardinge-1417_faith_i-am-content-to-be-hated-and-bloody-and_1598496.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/210/frances-hardinge-1417_faith_i-am-content-to-be-hated-and-bloody-and_1598496.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/210/frances-hardinge-1417_faith_i-am-content-to-be-hated-and-bloody-and_1598496.jpg) > ““I am content to be hated, and bloody, and outnumbered. For in this sickened world, it is better to believe in something too fiercely than to believe in nothing." Words, words, wonderful words. But lies too. "No, it isn’t!" shouted Mosca the Housefly, Quillam Mye’s daughter. "Not if what you’re believin’ isn’t blinkin’ well True! You shouldn’t just go believin’ things for no reason, pertickly if you got a sword in your hand! Sacred just means something you’re not meant to think about properly, an’ you should never stop thinking! Show me something I can kick, and hit with rocks, and set fire to, and leave out in the rain, and think about, and if it’s still standing after all that then maybe, just maybe, I’ll start to believe in it, but not till then. An’ if all we’re left with is muck and wickedness and no gods, then we’d better face it and get used to it because it’s better than a lie.”” [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that fierce belief, even in harsh or violent contexts, is preferable to nihilism, urging confronting reality through action and skepticism. **In simple terms:** Strong belief beats emptiness. Key Takeaway Act, test, then believe. Themes belief skepticism action resilience nihilism Mood defiant reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal crisis - political upheaval - war zones - social movements Key Concepts existentialism psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would change your belief? - How do you balance action with reflection? A Different Perspective Belief without evidence can lead to fanaticism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe Fiercely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-fiercely-6073836/) [Believe Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-words-249456/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Words Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-lies-1793806/) ## Related quotes > [No more words, no more lies, let it go before it dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-more-words-no-more-lies-let-it-go-before-it-dies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If your ACTIONS do not prove the TRUTH of your WORDS, then your words are nothing more than LIES!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-your-actions-do-not-prove-the-truth-of-your-words-then-your-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Even if the stars and moon collide I never want you back into my life You can take your words and all your lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-if-the-stars-and-moon-collide-i-never-want-you-back-into-my-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Words are lies. It's what's beneath the words that has any hope of being true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-sturges/words-are-lies-it-s-what-s-beneath-the-words-that-has-any-hope-of/) [Matthew Sturges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-sturges/) > [“What lies behind the innocent looks? What lies behind the kind words? What lies behind the gentle smiles? Do not remain on the surface…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/what-lies-behind-the-innocent-looks-what-lies-behind-the-kind-words/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“... Such a scribe you pay and praise for putting life in stones, Fire into fog, making the past your world. There's plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning-robert-browning/such-a-scribe-you-pay-and-praise-for-putting-life-in-stones-fire-into/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning-robert-browning/) > [I guess people dont understand why. How much crap can you do and say and think that it will be fine later on? Words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-people-dont-understand-why-how-much-crap-can-you-do-and-say/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We always used to talk real late after midnight Now the only thing we do on the phone is fight Is there a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-always-used-to-talk-real-late-after-midnight-now-the-only-thing-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He hated words. Words glossed every real thing with brittle artifice and deceit. Words were always lies, always intended to deceive even when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-granger/he-hated-words-words-glossed-every-real-thing-with-brittle-artifice/) [Bill Granger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-granger/) > [One may say with one's lips: 'I believe that God is one, and also three' - but no one can believe it, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/one-may-say-with-one-s-lips-i-believe-that-god-is-one-and-also-three/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I look for the words, Professor. I look for the words because I believe that the words is the way to your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-look-for-the-words-professor-i-look-for-the-words-because-i-believe/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [I believe that words can help us move or keep us paralyzed, and that our choices of language and verbal tone have something -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-believe-that-words-can-help-us-move-or-keep-us-paralyzed-and-that/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I love what you say but I cant believe you Words dont hold meaning anymore! Today you like me the way I am Tomorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menka/i-love-what-you-say-but-i-cant-believe-you-words-dont-hold-meaning/) [Menka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menka/) > [“Oh dear heart, save yourself. will you not sing yourself to sleep humming wishes you thought you wouldn't make. will you not step into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-cao/oh-dear-heart-save-yourself-will-you-not-sing-yourself-to-sleep/) [Hannah Cao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-cao/) > [If experiments are performed thousands of times at all seasons and in every place without once producing the effects mentioned by your philosophers, poets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/if-experiments-are-performed-thousands-of-times-at-all-seasons-and-in/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) ## More by Frances Hardinge > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Clent, however, suppressed any sense of pity without the slightest difficulty. His brain was busy with the icy clockwork of calculation. If only this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/clent-however-suppressed-any-sense-of-pity-without-the-slightest/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-swam-across-the-torrent-of-my-madness-and-pulled-myself-upon-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Before her escort could react, she sprinted out from their little pool of lantern-light into the darkness, her feet pounding the soft, treacherous clods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/before-her-escort-could-react-she-sprinted-out-from-their-little-pool/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“She was not undamaged, however, and she knew it. No food or drink had passed her lips, but she had drunk deep of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/she-was-not-undamaged-however-and-she-knew-it-no-food-or-drink-had/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“All her life, Neverfell had suffered the dull, embarrassed ache of the knowledge that she was always the maddest person in the room. Funnily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/all-her-life-neverfell-had-suffered-the-dull-embarrassed-ache-of-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Well, if you are to help me with my work, you had better get used to stories without endings. True stories seldom have endings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/well-if-you-are-to-help-me-with-my-work-you-had-better-get-used-to/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“And you may comfort yourself with the thought that you have been the caltrop under her satin shoe every step of the way. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/and-you-may-comfort-yourself-with-the-thought-that-you-have-been-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“The little pedlar, it seemed, fancied that he had the tools to fix the wheel. The footmen were glad to hear this, and agreed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/the-little-pedlar-it-seemed-fancied-that-he-had-the-tools-to-fix-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“For a second, she could almost see Caverna as the Kleptomancer did, a murky, monstrous beauty, smiling her fine-fanged smile as she prepared to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/for-a-second-she-could-almost-see-caverna-as-the-kleptomancer-did-a/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you’re sane? That you’ve always been sane? That perhaps you’re the sanest person in the city?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/has-it-ever-occurred-to-you-that-maybe-you-re-sane-that-you-ve-always/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Thank you," she whispered. "I promise I will not interfere in Court business again." "Oh yes, you will." Zouelle looked up to see her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/thank-you-she-whispered-i-promise-i-will-not-interfere-in-court/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“People's personalities took up space, he sometimes thought. When they were trapped in a house or a job or a school together, they rubbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/people-s-personalities-took-up-space-he-sometimes-thought-when-they/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Revenge is a dish best served unexpectedly and from a distance - like a thrown trifle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-unexpectedly-and-from-a-distance-like-a/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Little god, you see the world through such black eyes." "Got no choice. My father give ’em to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/little-god-you-see-the-world-through-such-black-eyes-got-no-choice-my/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) [Explore all 244 Frances Hardinge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) [Matt Morris (1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-morris-1/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am content to be hated, and bloody, and outnumbered. For in this sickened world, it is better to believe in something too fiercely than to believe in nothing.\" Words, words, wonderful words. 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