--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And so this became his pattern: he knew…" description: "\"“And so this became his pattern: he knew the law. He had a feeling for it. But then, just when I wanted him to stop talking, he would introduce a moral..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ethics-and-morals_and-so-this-became-his-pattern-he-knew-t_755751.jpg" --- # And so this became his pattern: he knew the law. He had a… ![“And so this became his pattern: he knew the law. He had a feeling for it. But then, just when I wanted him to stop talking, he would introduce a moral argument, he would mention ethics. Please, I would think, please don’t do this. The law is simple. It allows for less nuance than you’d imagine…” quote by Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ethics-and-morals_and-so-this-became-his-pattern-he-knew-t_755751.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ethics-and-morals_and-so-this-became-his-pattern-he-knew-t_755751.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/hanya-yanagihara-4245_ethics-and-morals_and-so-this-became-his-pattern-he-knew-t_755751.jpg) > ““And so this became his pattern: he knew the law. He had a feeling for it. But then, just when I wanted him to stop talking, he would introduce a moral argument, he would mention ethics. Please, I would think, please don’t do this. The law is simple. It allows for less nuance than you’d imagine. Ethics and morals do, in reality, have a place in law—although not in jurisprudence. It is morals that help us make the laws, but morals do not help us apply them. I”” [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law is rigid, but ethics shape its creation; morals guide lawmaking but not its application. **In simple terms:** Law lacks nuance; ethics guide its creation. Key Takeaway Remember ethics when crafting rules. Themes law ethics jurisprudence Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy drafting - court decisions - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts moral philosophy legal theory Questions to Reflect On - Can law ever fully reflect ethics? - How to balance law and morality? A Different Perspective Law alone cannot capture moral complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ethics and morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics-and-morals/) [Jurisprudence Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jurisprudence-morals-5870120/) [Knew Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-law-2082434/) [Law Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-simple-2046348/) [Laws Morals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-morals-2445594/) [Moral Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-argument-1388805/) [Stop talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-talking/) ## Related quotes > [“All ethics and morals are culturally relative. 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Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [In statesmanship get formalities right, never mind about the moralities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-statesmanship-get-formalities-right-never-mind-about-the-moralities/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“All ethics and morals are culturally relative. And Esme's reaction taught me that while cultural relativism is an easy concept to process intellectually, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanya-yanagihara/all-ethics-and-morals-are-culturally-relative-and-esme-s-reaction/) [Hanya Yanagihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanya-yanagihara/) [Browse all 22 Ethics and morals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics-and-morals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And so this became his pattern: he knew the law. He had a feeling for it. 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