---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To see an enemy humiliated gives a…"
description: "\"To see an enemy humiliated gives a certain contentment, but this is jejune compared with the highly blent satisfaction of seeing him humiliated by your..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/george-eliot-84_action_to-see-an-enemy-humiliated-gives-a-certa_930426.png"
---

#  To see an enemy humiliated gives a certain contentment…

![“To see an enemy humiliated gives a certain contentment, but this is jejune compared with the highly blent satisfaction of seeing him humiliated by your benevolent action or concession on his behalf. That is the sort of revenge which falls into the scale of virtue.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/george-eliot-84_action_to-see-an-enemy-humiliated-gives-a-certa_930426.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/george-eliot-84_action_to-see-an-enemy-humiliated-gives-a-certa_930426.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60b/george-eliot-84_action_to-see-an-enemy-humiliated-gives-a-certa_930426.png)

> “To see an enemy humiliated gives a certain contentment, but this is jejune compared with the highly blent satisfaction of seeing him humiliated by your benevolent action or concession on his behalf. That is the sort of revenge which falls into the scale of virtue.”

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker finds satisfaction in seeing an enemy humbled through benevolent actions, viewing it as virtuous revenge.

**In simple terms:** Kindness can humble foes.

Key Takeaway

Use compassion to transform conflict.

Themes

revenge virtue compassion

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- conflict resolution
- leadership
- negotiation

Key Concepts

moral philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can kindness replace retaliation?
- When is forgiveness more powerful than vengeance?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on moralizing may ignore practicality.

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[Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/)

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