---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that's why we're always so…"
description: "\"I think that's why we're always so fascinated with criminal stories because there but for the grace of God it could be us.\" — Jacki Weaver"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg"
---

#  I think that's why we're always so fascinated with…

![“I think that's why we're always so fascinated with criminal stories because there but for the grace of God it could be us.” quote by Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg)

> “I think that's why we're always so fascinated with criminal stories because there but for the grace of God it could be us.”

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

## About This Quote

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

The allure of crime stories stems from seeing ourselves in the potential for downfall and redemption.

**In simple terms:** We fear we could become the criminals we watch.

Key Takeaway

Recognize empathy for others' mistakes.

Themes

empathy danger human nature

Mood

curious reflective

Type

cultural observational

When to use this quote

- media consumption
- law enforcement
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

psychology morality storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this fascination reveal about your own values?
- How does identifying with criminals affect moral judgments?

A Different Perspective

Stories can sensationalize crime, obscuring systemic issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Grace of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace-of-god/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I think being fascinated by others is just who we are; we're curious creatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/i-think-being-fascinated-by-others-is-just-who-we-are-we-re-curious/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [“Great stories give us the grace of a mystical experience, on the level of the imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/great-stories-give-us-the-grace-of-a-mystical-experience-on-the-level/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [I am fascinated with criminal law because it is as rigorous as a poem and because it is based on what has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucie-brock-broido/i-am-fascinated-with-criminal-law-because-it-is-as-rigorous-as-a-poem/)

[Lucie Brock-Broido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucie-brock-broido/)

> [I think I'm fascinated with history and - just in general. And I'm always interested in how did - how did this come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-mclorin-salvant/i-think-i-m-fascinated-with-history-and-just-in-general-and-i-m/)

[Cecile McLorin Salvant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-mclorin-salvant/)

> [I always have the feeling that my subjects are the same - I'm just changing my point of view. I'm going to move a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-ghesquiere/i-always-have-the-feeling-that-my-subjects-are-the-same-i-m-just/)

[Nicolas Ghesquiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-ghesquiere/)

> [I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-everett-hale/i-am-only-one-but-i-am-one-i-can-t-do-everything-but-i-can-do/)

[Edward Everett Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-everett-hale/)

> [“Do not take the grace of God for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/do-not-take-the-grace-of-god-for-granted/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“An institution theoretically devoted to providing comfort to those in need (the church) is in trouble because it has embraced the same pressure cooker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/an-institution-theoretically-devoted-to-providing-comfort-to-those-in/)

[Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/)

> [To be a responsible person is to find one's role in the building of shalom, the re-webbing of God, humanity and all creation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-plantinga/to-be-a-responsible-person-is-to-find-one-s-role-in-the-building-of/)

[Cornelius Plantinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-plantinga/)

> [With God, I can do all things! But with God and you, and the people who you can interest, by the grace of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-semple-mcpherson/with-god-i-can-do-all-things-but-with-god-and-you-and-the-people-who/)

[Aimee Semple McPherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-semple-mcpherson/)

> [If you watch home videos, at 4 years old, I was doing nothing but being the entertainer. Singing 'Boot Scootin' Boogie' in the living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rhett/if-you-watch-home-videos-at-4-years-old-i-was-doing-nothing-but-being/)

[Thomas Rhett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rhett/)

> [“THE GRACE OF GOD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-grace-of-god/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/)

[Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/)

> [“To have even one year when you're presented with choices that can alter your circumstances, your character, your course- that's by the grace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amor-towles/to-have-even-one-year-when-you-re-presented-with-choices-that-can/)

[Amor Towles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amor-towles/)

## More by Jacki Weaver

> ['Promiscuous' implies that I'm not choosy. In fact I'm very choosy. I just happen to have had a lot of choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/promiscuous-implies-that-i-m-not-choosy-in-fact-i-m-very-choosy-i/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [Emily and I have some funny scenes where we quarrel and it gets quite heated, the mother-daughter relationship. You know, film mothers and daughters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/emily-and-i-have-some-funny-scenes-where-we-quarrel-and-it-gets-quite/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I'm crazy about the Coen brothers, I'm crazy about Sean Penn. I love the usual suspects like Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep and people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-m-crazy-about-the-coen-brothers-i-m-crazy-about-sean-penn-i-love/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I love pretending to be other people. The more unlike me they are the better - I find other people endlessly fascinating and myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-love-pretending-to-be-other-people-the-more-unlike-me-they-are-the/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [Being a theater actor, I've done a lot of plays where I've seen someone else play the same role in another production. Especially with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/being-a-theater-actor-i-ve-done-a-lot-of-plays-where-i-ve-seen/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I believe in sex on a first date. Otherwise, how do you know if a second date is worth the effort?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-believe-in-sex-on-a-first-date-otherwise-how-do-you-know-if-a/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [When you get as old as I am, you kind of believe there's nothing new under the sun, but there's always a fresh way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/when-you-get-as-old-as-i-am-you-kind-of-believe-there-s-nothing-new/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [The Oscar buzz when I was nominated was totally overwhelming. I think I can cope with anything now that I've coped with that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/the-oscar-buzz-when-i-was-nominated-was-totally-overwhelming-i-think/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [The eyes are the windows of your soul, and when you're acting, they're one of your most important instruments. Especially for close-ups!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/the-eyes-are-the-windows-of-your-soul-and-when-you-re-acting-they-re/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I usually do get to play the very sweet, charming roles... but I'm not an obvious kind of villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-usually-do-get-to-play-the-very-sweet-charming-roles-but-i-m-not-an/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I live for my work, apart from my family who come first. And I live to tell stories and pretend to be other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-live-for-my-work-apart-from-my-family-who-come-first-and-i-live-to/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I love a bit of a sequin and a bead. I do, even though I usually wear trousers, when I put a frock on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-love-a-bit-of-a-sequin-and-a-bead-i-do-even-though-i-usually-wear/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I do have friends in Australia who now refer to me as 'Hollywood Jack.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-do-have-friends-in-australia-who-now-refer-to-me-as-hollywood-jack/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I've had my share of villains and played some fairly nasty characters. But I've been acting for so long. I started out as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-ve-had-my-share-of-villains-and-played-some-fairly-nasty-characters/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

> [I guess just a lively imagination is the best effort an actor can have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-guess-just-a-lively-imagination-is-the-best-effort-an-actor-can-have/)

[Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

[Explore all 71 Jacki Weaver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/)

## More Criminals quotes

> [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/)

[Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/)

> [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/)

[Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/)

> [There are over 500,000 registered sex offenders across the country, and statistics have shown that the recidivism rate for those criminals is high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/there-are-over-500-000-registered-sex-offenders-across-the-country/)

[Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/)

> [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/)

[Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/)

> [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/)

[Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/)

> [What most needs explanation is not why some people are criminals, but why most people are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/what-most-needs-explanation-is-not-why-some-people-are-criminals-but/)

[James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/)

> [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [There's some criminals that wear badges. Guess what? There's some criminals that work in the media. There's some criminals that are football coaches. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/there-s-some-criminals-that-wear-badges-guess-what-there-s-some/)

[Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/)

> [Nobody can really compare a relationship in which the victim is 15 years old to one where she's 6. While both criminal, they're very different circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/nobody-can-really-compare-a-relationship-in-which-the-victim-is-15/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/humanity-is-not-perfect-in-any-fashion-no-more-in-the-case-of-evil/)

[Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/)

> [“criminals were all derived from the same ethnicity – scumbag”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/criminals-were-all-derived-from-the-same-ethnicity-scumbag/)

[L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/)

> [New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/new-orleans-food-is-as-delicious-as-the-less-criminal-forms-of-sin/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has the nerve and he has the knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/when-a-doctor-does-go-wrong-he-is-the-first-of-criminals-he-has-the/)

[Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/)

> [Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons and gendarmes at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/sometimes-the-law-defends-plunder-and-participates-in-it-sometimes/)

[Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/)

> [War should be made a crime, and those who instigate it should be punished as criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-evans-hughes/war-should-be-made-a-crime-and-those-who-instigate-it-should-be/)

[Charles Evans Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-evans-hughes/)

[Browse all 1,886 Criminals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think that's why we're always so fascinated with criminal stories because there but for the grace of God it could be us.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jacki Weaver"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fascinated-with-criminal-stories/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Criminals"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fascinated-with-criminal-stories/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jacki-weaver-9615_criminals_i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fasci_2047322.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think that's why we're always so fascinated with criminal stories because there but for the grace of God…” — Jacki Weaver",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jacki Weaver",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think that's why we're always...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fascinated-with-criminal-stories/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/i-think-that-s-why-we-re-always-so-fascinated-with-criminal-stories/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
