--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This attack is the greatest tragedy in…" description: "\"“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the good, decent people ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/james-s-a-corey-861_decent-people_this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-h_51297.jpg" --- # This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,”… ![“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the good, decent people who live there? Belters aren’t thugs, and they aren’t murderers, they are men and women who love their children the same as any of us. They are good…” quote by James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/james-s-a-corey-861_decent-people_this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-h_51297.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/james-s-a-corey-861_decent-people_this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-h_51297.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/james-s-a-corey-861_decent-people_this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-h_51297.jpg) > ““This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the good, decent people who live there? Belters aren’t thugs, and they aren’t murderers, they are men and women who love their children the same as any of us. They are good and evil and wise and foolish and human, and this Free Navy will never be able to kill enough people to make earth forget that shared humanity. Let the Belt consult its own conscious and you’ll see compassion and decency and kindness flourish in any gravity, or none. Earth has been bloodied, but we will not be debased. Not on my fucking watch.”” [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) ## 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 condemns a violent assault on the Belt, asserting that Belters are ordinary people with families, not monsters, and that humanity’s shared compassion must prevail over oppression. **In simple terms:** Humanity’s shared compassion transcends conflict. Key Takeaway Violence cannot erase common humanity. Themes humanity compassion conflict social justice identity Mood defiant hopeful determined Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political negotiation - military escalation - humanitarian crisis - interplanetary diplomacy Key Concepts shared humanity moral responsibility political oppression cultural misunderstanding Practical Applications - advocacy for peace - policy reform Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect marginalized groups during conflict? - What role does empathy play in resolving political disputes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avasarala Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avasarala-said-729021/) [Decent people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-people/) [Earth Bloodied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-bloodied-729020/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-let-729022/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Shared humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shared-humanity/) [Tragedy Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy-human-472674/) ## Related quotes > [“We all grieve in our own ways,” Avasarala said. “For what it’s worth, you’ll never kill enough people to keep your platoon from dying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/we-all-grieve-in-our-own-ways-avasarala-said-for-what-it-s-worth-you/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“You’re making a mistake, shithead,” Avasarala said, and dropped the connection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/you-re-making-a-mistake-shithead-avasarala-said-and-dropped-the/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“There’s a thing that happens,” Avasarala said, “when unthinkable things become thinkable. We’re in a moment of chaos. Everything’s up for grabs. Legitimacy itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/there-s-a-thing-that-happens-avasarala-said-when-unthinkable-things/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Fuckers,” Avasarala said. “That’s why they took out the missile. Throw a changeup and let us think it was their fastball.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/fuckers-avasarala-said-that-s-why-they-took-out-the-missile-throw-a/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“I’m as surprised as you are,” Avasarala said. “Though I feel like I shouldn’t be. I actually read history. It’s like reading prophecy, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/i-m-as-surprised-as-you-are-avasarala-said-though-i-feel-like-i/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“I could do it. I could stand here amid the flames, let them lap at my skin, and laugh in a death-defying haze—because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-howard/i-could-do-it-i-could-stand-here-amid-the-flames-let-them-lap-at-my/) [A.G. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-howard/) > [“Humanity, let us say, is like people packed in an automobile which is traveling downhill without lights at terrific speed and driven by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-dunsany/humanity-let-us-say-is-like-people-packed-in-an-automobile-which-is/) [Lord Dunsany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-dunsany/) > [Act always from a sense of common humanity, and let God judge if it be charity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/act-always-from-a-sense-of-common-humanity-and-let-god-judge-if-it-be/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [In an effort to reclaim our humanity, let us find new motivation for living by opening our minds to broader concepts of spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-powell/in-an-effort-to-reclaim-our-humanity-let-us-find-new-motivation-for/) [Kevin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-powell/) > [Not for ourselves alone, but for all humanity... Let us hasten to find the path that leads to liberty, safety, and peace for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/not-for-ourselves-alone-but-for-all-humanity-let-us-hasten-to-find/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Humanity...Let Us Pray For PEACE. Peace In Our World and Peace Deep With in Our Souls. Now May We Try And Live That PEACE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/humanity-let-us-pray-for-peace-peace-in-our-world-and-peace-deep-with/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [“The blaze from the trees spreads to tablecloths and crepe paper - a chain reaction so brilliantly spectacular and terrible, I ache to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-g-howard/the-blaze-from-the-trees-spreads-to-tablecloths-and-crepe-paper-a/) [A.G. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-g-howard/) > [Let us have a fair field! This is all we ask, and we will be content with nothing less. The finger of evolution, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-celeste-claflin/let-us-have-a-fair-field-this-is-all-we-ask-and-we-will-be-content/) [Tennessee Celeste Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-celeste-claflin/) > [“Now more than ever the world needs a caring positive influence to help better humanity. Let's Be The Generation That Made A Difference!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/now-more-than-ever-the-world-needs-a-caring-positive-influence-to/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [Let us have but one end in view, the welfare of humanity; and let us put aside all selfishness in consideration of language, nationality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-have-but-one-end-in-view-the-welfare-of-humanity-and-let-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by James S.A. Corey > [“If life transcends death, then I will seek for you there. If not, then there too.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/if-life-transcends-death-then-i-will-seek-for-you-there-if-not-then/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“This was the difference, she thought, between solitude and isolation. And now she knew something about herself she hadn’t known before. It was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-was-the-difference-she-thought-between-solitude-and-isolation/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Oh, I’m not dying out here,” Amos said, and pointed toward the interior of the ship with his chin. “Worst-case scenario, I’m dying inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/oh-i-m-not-dying-out-here-amos-said-and-pointed-toward-the-interior/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“My love is a pure love,” Alex said with a grin. “I wouldn’t sully it by actually, you know, doin’ anything about it.” “The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/my-love-is-a-pure-love-alex-said-with-a-grin-i-wouldn-t-sully-it-by/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“The mech hadn’t been designed for violence, but it was suited for it. That made her and it the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-mech-hadn-t-been-designed-for-violence-but-it-was-suited-for-it/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“For another thing, we’re under martial law, so I can do very nearly whatever the fuck I want. Including march through your precious little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/for-another-thing-we-re-under-martial-law-so-i-can-do-very-nearly/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Church of Humanity Ascendant, a religion that eschewed supernaturalism in all forms, and whose theology boiled down to Humans can be better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/church-of-humanity-ascendant-a-religion-that-eschewed-supernaturalism/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Oh good,” Amos replied. “Somebody got killed there. That’s how we claim stuff, you know. This planet is officially ours now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/oh-good-amos-replied-somebody-got-killed-there-that-s-how-we-claim/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Alamogordo and worked his two-year service stripping down ancient solar electricity stations from the bad old days before fusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/alamogordo-and-worked-his-two-year-service-stripping-down-ancient/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“But humans hadn’t been living and working in space nearly long enough for the primitive part of the brain not to say, I’ll fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/but-humans-hadn-t-been-living-and-working-in-space-nearly-long-enough/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“I like the backup plan better,” Amos said. “Backup plan?” Prax asked. “The backup plan is I grab the first guy we see, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/i-like-the-backup-plan-better-amos-said-backup-plan-prax-asked-the/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“She had seen Holden on the newsfeeds and reports. At the beginning of the war between Mars and the Belt, he had been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/she-had-seen-holden-on-the-newsfeeds-and-reports-at-the-beginning-of/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“the lizard living at the base of her spine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-lizard-living-at-the-base-of-her-spine/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“So are you conscious?” The alien robot—the skin the Miller construct was using—shrugged. It was strange how well the gesture translated. “Don’t know. Seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/so-are-you-conscious-the-alien-robot-the-skin-the-miller-construct/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) [Explore all 341 James S.A. Corey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) ## More Decent people quotes > [I guess the only thing to do now is meet his parents. I'm sure they're decent people. I mean they gotta be if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-guess-the-only-thing-to-do-now-is-meet-his-parents-i-m-sure-they-re/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“You may of course ask whether we really need to refer to "saints". Wouldn't it suffice just to refer to decent people? It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-emil-frankl/you-may-of-course-ask-whether-we-really-need-to-refer-to-saints/) [Viktor Emil Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-emil-frankl/) > [I have a treasure trove of Baker memories, all of which reinforce my sense of Howard Baker as one of the most decent people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/i-have-a-treasure-trove-of-baker-memories-all-of-which-reinforce-my/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [Certain types of loudmouthism should be a capital offense among decent people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/certain-types-of-loudmouthism-should-be-a-capital-offense-among/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Ineos is a friendly organisation. Very few people leave. It's collegiate. There's not much politics, and we like decent people. We don't like arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ratcliffe/ineos-is-a-friendly-organisation-very-few-people-leave-it-s/) [Jim Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ratcliffe/) > [Don't try to be fancy. Shoot for the center of mass. The world is full of decent people. Criminals we can do without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/don-t-try-to-be-fancy-shoot-for-the-center-of-mass-the-world-is-full/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [“On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/on-the-one-hand-we-must-never-imagine-that-our-own-unaided-efforts/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“They just don't know you,' Penelope said, patting her on the hand. 'And they don't know \*you\*, either,' Lady Danbury quite pointedly replied ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/they-just-don-t-know-you-penelope-said-patting-her-on-the-hand-and/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/religious-factions-will-go-on-imposing-their-will-on-others-unless/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [ I explain how America hatred and Jew hatred are \[INDEMIC\] to Modern Liberalism and delve deeper into why it is the otherwise good and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-sayet/i-explain-how-america-hatred-and-jew-hatred-are-indemic-to-modern/) [Evan Sayet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-sayet/) > [When someone puts you down and treats you badly, just remember that there is something wrong with them, not you. Decent people will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/when-someone-puts-you-down-and-treats-you-badly-just-remember-that/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [Most of my heroes are just decent people. Decency is rare and underrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/most-of-my-heroes-are-just-decent-people-decency-is-rare-and/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“No respecter of evidence has ever found the least clue as to what life is all about, and what people should do with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/no-respecter-of-evidence-has-ever-found-the-least-clue-as-to-what/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [“If you’re decent to people, you’ll usually find out they’re decent people, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lane/if-you-re-decent-to-people-you-ll-usually-find-out-they-re-decent/) [Amy Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lane/) [Browse all 156 Decent people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decent-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the good, decent people who live there? Belters aren’t thugs, and they aren’t murderers, they are men and women who love their children the same as any of us. They are good and evil and wise and foolish and human, and this Free Navy will never be able to kill enough people to make earth forget that shared humanity. Let the Belt consult its own conscious and you’ll see compassion and decency and kindness flourish in any gravity, or none. Earth has been bloodied, but we will not be debased. Not on my fucking watch.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James S.A. 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