--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a stricken conscience of public…" description: "\"“There was a stricken conscience of public guilt and we all felt that we had been wrong, that something was wrong with that building which we had accep..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/frances-perkins-28753_regret_there-was-a-stricken-conscience-of-publi_594903.jpg" --- # There was a stricken conscience of public guilt and we all… ![“There was a stricken conscience of public guilt and we all felt that we had been wrong, that something was wrong with that building which we had accepted or the tragedy never would have happened. Moved by this sense of stricken guilt, we banded ourselves together to find a way by law to prevent…” quote by Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/frances-perkins-28753_regret_there-was-a-stricken-conscience-of-publi_594903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/frances-perkins-28753_regret_there-was-a-stricken-conscience-of-publi_594903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47b/frances-perkins-28753_regret_there-was-a-stricken-conscience-of-publi_594903.jpg) > ““There was a stricken conscience of public guilt and we all felt that we had been wrong, that something was wrong with that building which we had accepted or the tragedy never would have happened. Moved by this sense of stricken guilt, we banded ourselves together to find a way by law to prevent this kind of disaster.”” [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A collective feeling of responsibility and remorse can drive people to unite and create legal safeguards against future tragedies. **In simple terms:** Guilt can motivate collective action for safety. Key Takeaway Channel guilt into proactive policy. Themes responsibility collective action public safety Mood reflective determined Type motivational policy. When to use this quote - government reform - community organizing - disaster preparedness - legislative advocacy Key Concepts ethics law prevention Questions to Reflect On - How can societies sustain vigilance after a crisis? - What role does personal conscience play in policy change? A Different Perspective Legal measures alone may not change underlying cultural attitudes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [“It was not...a woman's fancy that drove them to it, but an eruption of a long-smolering volcano, an overflow of suffering, abuse and exhaustion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-s-malkiel/it-was-not-a-woman-s-fancy-that-drove-them-to-it-but-an-eruption-of-a/) Theresa S. Malkiel > [“mother was under virtual sentence of death, and Vicky flew to the bedside and knelt beside her. ‘Oh, Mama,’ she whispered, stricken with guilt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/mother-was-under-virtual-sentence-of-death-and-vicky-flew-to-the/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [The guilt I felt for having a mental illness was horrible. I prayed for a broken bone that would heal in six weeks. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/the-guilt-i-felt-for-having-a-mental-illness-was-horrible-i-prayed/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) > [True guilt is guilt at the obligation one owes to oneself to be oneself. False guilt is guilt felt at not being what other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/true-guilt-is-guilt-at-the-obligation-one-owes-to-oneself-to-be/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [“Guilt is felt by not only the guilty, but more so by those who feel they deserve it when in fact, they don’t. Guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-golland/guilt-is-felt-by-not-only-the-guilty-but-more-so-by-those-who-feel/) [K.M. Golland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-golland/) > [“was a weird thing, weight-guilt. 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This was a different kind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-charlins/of-guilt-it-wasn-t-the-same-kind-of-guilt-she-felt-when-it-came-to/) [Claire Charlins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-charlins/) > [“The guilt you felt when you were smiling and others were suffering, the guilt you felt when you were petty with friends and impatient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/the-guilt-you-felt-when-you-were-smiling-and-others-were-suffering/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) ## More by Frances Perkins > [Out of our first century of national life we evolved the ethical principle that it was not right or just that an honest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/out-of-our-first-century-of-national-life-we-evolved-the-ethical/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [Our idea of what constitutes social good has advanced with the procession of the ages, from those desperate times when just to keep body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/our-idea-of-what-constitutes-social-good-has-advanced-with-the/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [To one who believes that really good industrial conditions are the hope for a machine civilization, nothing is more heartening than to watch conference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/to-one-who-believes-that-really-good-industrial-conditions-are-the/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [But with the slow menace of a glacier, depression came on. No one had any measure of its progress; no one had any plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/but-with-the-slow-menace-of-a-glacier-depression-came-on-no-one-had/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [Most of man's problems upon this planet, in the long history of the race, have been met and solved either partially or as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/most-of-man-s-problems-upon-this-planet-in-the-long-history-of-the/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [Being a woman has only bothered me in climbing trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/being-a-woman-has-only-bothered-me-in-climbing-trees/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [It's only when we're relaxed that the thing way down deep in all of us - call it the subconscious mind, the spirit, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/it-s-only-when-we-re-relaxed-that-the-thing-way-down-deep-in-all-of/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The accusation that I am a woman is incontrovertible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-accusation-that-i-am-a-woman-is-incontrovertible/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The quality of his being one with the people, of having no artificial or natural barriers between him and them, made it possible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-quality-of-his-being-one-with-the-people-of-having-no-artificial/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The door might not be opened to a woman again for a long, long time, and I had a kind of duty to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-door-might-not-be-opened-to-a-woman-again-for-a-long-long-time/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [You can always get sympathy by using the word small. With little industries you feel as you do about a little puppy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/you-can-always-get-sympathy-by-using-the-word-small-with-little/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to give all the people under its jurisdiction the best possible life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-people-are-what-matter-to-government-and-a-government-should-aim/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [I came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain common workingmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/i-came-to-washington-to-work-for-god-fdr-and-the-millions-of/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [“The New Deal began on March 25th, 1911. The day that the Triangle factory burned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/the-new-deal-began-on-march-25th-1911-the-day-that-the-triangle/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) > [This leads to a question - if a great many people are for a certain project, is it necessarily right? If the vast majority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-perkins/this-leads-to-a-question-if-a-great-many-people-are-for-a-certain/) [Frances Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) [Explore all 19 Frances Perkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-perkins/) ## More Regret quotes > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [I don't regret burning bridges. I regret that some people weren't on those bridges when I burned them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-regret-burning-bridges-i-regret-that-some-people-weren-t-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mero/i-have-no-regrets-in-my-life-i-think-that-everything-happens-to-you/) [Rita Mero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mero/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Having no regrets is very unrealistic. Everyone has that awkward or embarrassing moment they wish they could take back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayden-hayes/having-no-regrets-is-very-unrealistic-everyone-has-that-awkward-or/) [Jayden Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayden-hayes/) > [I always had a sort of niggling regret that we didn't come do stuff in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/i-always-had-a-sort-of-niggling-regret-that-we-didn-t-come-do-stuff/) [Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/) > [I am not perfect by any means and ill be the first to admit I make plenty of mistakes but I wont make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-perfect-by-any-means-and-ill-be-the-first-to-admit-i-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) [Browse all 9,960 Regret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was a stricken conscience of public guilt and we all felt that we had been wrong, that something was wrong with that building which we had accepted or the tragedy never would have happened. 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