--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a lot of ugly things in this…" description: "\"There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.\" — Harper Lee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/harper-lee-451_away-from-you_there-s-a-lot-of-ugly-things-in-this-wor_1035745.png" --- # There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I… ![“There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.” quote by Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/harper-lee-451_away-from-you_there-s-a-lot-of-ugly-things-in-this-wor_1035745.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/harper-lee-451_away-from-you_there-s-a-lot-of-ugly-things-in-this-wor_1035745.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/harper-lee-451_away-from-you_there-s-a-lot-of-ugly-things-in-this-wor_1035745.png) > “There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.” [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Protecting loved ones from life's harshness is impossible; acceptance is needed. **In simple terms:** You can’t shield all from bad. Key Takeaway Accept reality, guide wisely. Themes family protection realism Mood protectful reflective Type advice literary When to use this quote - parenting - advice - counseling Key Concepts vulnerability parenthood hope Questions to Reflect On - What risks are worth taking for growth? - How do you balance care and independence? A Different Perspective Overprotectiveness can hinder growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away from you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-you/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Ugly things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly-things/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [See, the thing of it is, there's a lot of ugly people out there walking around but they don't know they're ugly because nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/see-the-thing-of-it-is-there-s-a-lot-of-ugly-people-out-there-walking/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [An ugly thing, that is what you are when you become a tourist, an ugly, empty thing, a stupid thing, a piece of rubbish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/an-ugly-thing-that-is-what-you-are-when-you-become-a-tourist-an-ugly/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I think perfection is ugly. Somewhere in the things humans make, I want to see scars, failure, disorder, distortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yohji-yamamoto/i-think-perfection-is-ugly-somewhere-in-the-things-humans-make-i-want/) [Yohji Yamamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yohji-yamamoto/) > [Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/beautiful-objects-are-wrought-by-study-through-effort-but-ugly-things/) [Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/) > [A lot of my work is intelligent, a lot of the work is beautiful, but I make ugly things, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/a-lot-of-my-work-is-intelligent-a-lot-of-the-work-is-beautiful-but-i/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [I have let go of ugly things that have happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rubina-dilaik/i-have-let-go-of-ugly-things-that-have-happened-to-me/) [Rubina Dilaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rubina-dilaik/) > [It's the ugly things I notice more, because other people tend to ignore the ugly things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mcqueen/it-s-the-ugly-things-i-notice-more-because-other-people-tend-to/) [Alexander McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mcqueen/) > [One thing that's certain: around the corner from every ugly thing, there's something really beautiful. If we stop at every bitter interaction; we'll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/one-thing-that-s-certain-around-the-corner-from-every-ugly-thing/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [I wanted to do a war movie, a western and an alien movie. In reality, there are a lot of ugly things happening in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-eckhart/i-wanted-to-do-a-war-movie-a-western-and-an-alien-movie-in-reality/) [Aaron Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-eckhart/) > [I remember when my daddy gave me that gun. He told me that I should never point it at anything in the house; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-remember-when-my-daddy-gave-me-that-gun-he-told-me-that-i-should/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [There's just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to 'em. Even then, they ain't worth the bullet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/there-s-just-some-kind-of-men-you-have-to-shoot-before-you-can-say/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I try to give'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-try-to-give-em-a-reason-you-see-it-helps-folks-if-they-can-latch/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [And what do you really do? asked Tiffany. The thin witch hesitatied for a moment, and then: We look to ... the edges, said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/and-what-do-you-really-do-asked-tiffany-the-thin-witch-hesitatied-for/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This world o' God's is brighter Than we ever dream or know; Its burdens growin' lighter- An' it's Love that makes 'em so! An'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lebby-stanton/this-world-o-god-s-is-brighter-than-we-ever-dream-or-know-its-burdens/) [Frank Lebby Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lebby-stanton/) > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## More by Harper Lee > [“No jury in this part of the world's going to say, "We think you're guilty, but not very," on a charge like that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/no-jury-in-this-part-of-the-world-s-going-to-say-we-think-you-re/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/that-proves-something-that-a-gang-of-wild-animals-can-be-stopped/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wanted-you-to-see-something-about-her-i-wanted-you-to-see-what-real/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/any-writer-worth-his-salt-writes-to-please-himself-it-s-a-self/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/folks-don-t-like-to-have-somebody-around-knowin-more-than-they-do-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [ “...\[Summer\] was a thousand colors in a parched landscape...” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/summer-was-a-thousand-colors-in-a-parched-landscape/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [It’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/it-s-never-an-insult-to-be-called-what-somebody-thinks-is-a-bad-name/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I wonder how much of the day I spend just callin' after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wonder-how-much-of-the-day-i-spend-just-callin-after-you/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Writing is something you'll never learn in any university or at any school. It's something that is within you, and if it isn't there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/writing-is-something-you-ll-never-learn-in-any-university-or-at-any/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/to-begin-with-this-case-should-never-have-come-to-trial-the-state-has/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Naw, Jem. I think that there is just one kind of folks. Folks." Jen turned and punched his pillow. WHen he settle back his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/naw-jem-i-think-that-there-is-just-one-kind-of-folks-folks-jen-turned/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The course of English Literature would have been decidedly different had Mr. Wordsworth owned a power mower.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-course-of-english-literature-would-have-been-decidedly-different/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The gum looked fresh. I sniffed it and it smelled all right. I licked it and waited for a while. When I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-gum-looked-fresh-i-sniffed-it-and-it-smelled-all-right-i-licked/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I just thought you'd like to know I can read. You got anything needs readin' I can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-just-thought-you-d-like-to-know-i-can-read-you-got-anything-needs/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) [Explore all 494 Harper Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## More Away from you quotes > [But one of the things I learned is that when you fight for something you believe in and you tell the truth and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kerry/but-one-of-the-things-i-learned-is-that-when-you-fight-for-something/) [Vanessa Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kerry/) > [Read. Always read. No one can take that away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/read-always-read-no-one-can-take-that-away-from-you/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you, by the grace of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-brueggemann/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being/) [Walter Brueggemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-brueggemann/) > [The label of 'marathoner' has, from the beginning, been awarded to those who went the distance under their own power, whether they ran, walked,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-galloway/the-label-of-marathoner-has-from-the-beginning-been-awarded-to-those/) [Jeff Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-galloway/) > [You're killing yourself with cynicism. Your idols got taken away from you one by one and now you have nothing to give your love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/you-re-killing-yourself-with-cynicism-your-idols-got-taken-away-from/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [Is driving a right? You are entitled to a driving license if you can abide by the traffic laws and drive responsibly. If your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/is-driving-a-right-you-are-entitled-to-a-driving-license-if-you-can/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [If, when you talk to people, they keep backing away from you, it's because you're TOO CLOSE, alright? SO DON'T KEEP ADVANCING ON THEM…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-when-you-talk-to-people-they-keep-backing-away-from-you-it-s/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Because you don't learn anything unless you can find the patience to read. TV takes that away from you. It robs you from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/because-you-don-t-learn-anything-unless-you-can-find-the-patience-to/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [His lessons were chock-full of analogies for a variety of musical situations. Those little things were my favorites. 'No . . . that's too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-laureano/his-lessons-were-chock-full-of-analogies-for-a-variety-of-musical/) Manny Laureano > [Love leaves a memory nobody can take away from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/love-leaves-a-memory-nobody-can-take-away-from-you/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [Roads taken far away from you are many. Do not fear, Mother; they all lead back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/roads-taken-far-away-from-you-are-many-do-not-fear-mother-they-all/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [If you feel inside you are a woman, be a woman - no one can take that away from you, man. No one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-davis/if-you-feel-inside-you-are-a-woman-be-a-woman-no-one-can-take-that/) [Jonathan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-davis/) > [The little boy had wandered away from his mother, tacking across the grass toward the play structure. His mother watched him go, proud, tickled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/the-little-boy-had-wandered-away-from-his-mother-tacking-across-the/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [What you want most you push away from you. You want more than you care to admit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarjei-vesaas/what-you-want-most-you-push-away-from-you-you-want-more-than-you-care/) [Tarjei Vesaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarjei-vesaas/) > [Once you're a mom, whether you're kids are next to you or far away from you, you're always a mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-paradis/once-you-re-a-mom-whether-you-re-kids-are-next-to-you-or-far-away/) [Vanessa Paradis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-paradis/) [Browse all 243 Away from you quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-you/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. 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