--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you start by hating one or two people…" description: "\"“If you start by hating one or two people, you won't be able to stop. Pretty soon you'll hate a hundred people.”\" — Jerry Spinelli" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jerry-spinelli-1413_hate_if-you-start-by-hating-one-or-two-people_2552898.png" --- # If you start by hating one or two people, you won't be… ![“If you start by hating one or two people, you won't be able to stop. Pretty soon you'll hate a hundred people.” quote by Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jerry-spinelli-1413_hate_if-you-start-by-hating-one-or-two-people_2552898.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jerry-spinelli-1413_hate_if-you-start-by-hating-one-or-two-people_2552898.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jerry-spinelli-1413_hate_if-you-start-by-hating-one-or-two-people_2552898.png) > ““If you start by hating one or two people, you won't be able to stop. Pretty soon you'll hate a hundred people.”” [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hate spreads like a contagion; beginning with a few targets leads to widespread animosity. **In simple terms:** Hate grows quickly from a few people. Key Takeaway Avoid letting hatred start. Themes prejudice empathy social influence Mood cautionary reflective Type moral advisory When to use this quote - school bullying - political rhetoric - online harassment - personal relationships Key Concepts psychology group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What small biases might you be ignoring? - How can you interrupt a cycle of hatred? A Different Perspective Hate can be mitigated by conscious self‑reflection and empathy building. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hate people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-people/) [Hating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hating/) [Hating People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hating-people/) [Hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred/) [Start Hating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-hating-369988/) ## Related quotes > [If you start by hating one or two people, you won't be able to stop. Pretty soon you'll hate a hundred people." 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nav/i-feel-like-people-start-hating-on-me-and-i-don-t-know-what-it-is/) [Nav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nav/) > [Never Make anyone Very SpeciaL In ur Life… . Because . When They ChangE, U Don't Hate Them .. Instead U Start HatinG yourself..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-make-anyone-very-special-in-ur-life-because-when-they-change-u/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are times we have to stop loving someone, not because we start hating them, but because we realize they would be much happier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/there-are-times-we-have-to-stop-loving-someone-not-because-we-start/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Never Make anyone Very Special In ur Life… Because . Whn They Change, U Don't Hate Them .. Instead U Start HatinG Urself...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-zhims/never-make-anyone-very-special-in-ur-life-because-whn-they-change-u/) [Keren Zhims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-zhims/) > [When u start hating holidays, when u cant see her \_when u start missing her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-bhatt/when-u-start-hating-holidays-when-u-cant-see-her-when-u-start-missing/) [Manu\_bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-bhatt/) > [Hate destroys the very structure of the personality of the hater… when you start hating anybody, it destroys the very center of your creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/hate-destroys-the-very-structure-of-the-personality-of-the-hater-when/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There's never a right time to say-goodbye , but I gotta make the first move , 'Cause if I dont your gonna start hating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mcdoodle/there-s-never-a-right-time-to-say-goodbye-but-i-gotta-make-the-first-2/) [Jessica Mcdoodle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mcdoodle/) > [There's never a right time to say goodbye. But I gotta make the first move 'cause if I don't you're gonna start hating me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/there-s-never-a-right-time-to-say-goodbye-but-i-gotta-make-the-first/) [Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/) > [We should not try to understand a person too much cause after understanding someone too deep make us to start hating them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhargavi-rajendran/we-should-not-try-to-understand-a-person-too-much-cause-after/) [Bhargavi Rajendran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhargavi-rajendran/) > [Im just saying you can do better, tell me have you heard that lately. Im juss saying you can do better, and I'll start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/im-just-saying-you-can-do-better-tell-me-have-you-heard-that-lately/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [I'm just saying you can do better, Have you hear that lately? I'm just saying you can do better, I'll start hating only if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-m-just-saying-you-can-do-better-have-you-hear-that-lately-i-m-just/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [When you speak the truth watch the fuck niggas start hating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-speak-the-truth-watch-the-fuck-niggas-start-hating/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jerry Spinelli > [“He still heard his mother's voice--"Davey"--rise like whisper-dust from unseen corners in the house, but it was no longer the only voice he heard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/he-still-heard-his-mother-s-voice-davey-rise-like-whisper-dust-from/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“That was fifteen years ago. Fifteen Valentine's Days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/that-was-fifteen-years-ago-fifteen-valentine-s-days/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“History sits on our shoulders, while reading opens our hearts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/history-sits-on-our-shoulders-while-reading-opens-our-hearts/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [Nobody has the time, the time cannot be owned. The time is free to everyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/nobody-has-the-time-the-time-cannot-be-owned-the-time-is-free-to/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [You’ll know her more by your questions than by her answers. Keep looking at her long enough. One day you might see someone you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/you-ll-know-her-more-by-your-questions-than-by-her-answers-keep/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“When you're inside your own story, you don't see things like a reader. You don't see your life in tidy paragraphs and chapters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/when-you-re-inside-your-own-story-you-don-t-see-things-like-a-reader/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [Nobody knows who said it first, but somebody must have: 'Kid's gotta be a maniac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/nobody-knows-who-said-it-first-but-somebody-must-have-kid-s-gotta-be/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“There's nothing sadder than a sobbing waffle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/there-s-nothing-sadder-than-a-sobbing-waffle/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“But feelings, they don't care about telling. They just go right on, piling on top of one another like a big sandwich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/but-feelings-they-don-t-care-about-telling-they-just-go-right-on/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“chewed time like a wad of bubble gum and stretched it across the darkness all the way to dawn, when the light at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/chewed-time-like-a-wad-of-bubble-gum-and-stretched-it-across-the/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [He was the Grand Marshall of our Everyday Parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/he-was-the-grand-marshall-of-our-everyday-parade/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“When the sun is a bike ride away, I will hear it. It will sound like wind in treetops. I will awaken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/when-the-sun-is-a-bike-ride-away-i-will-hear-it-it-will-sound-like/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“I had to get out. Move. I ran through neighborhoods, other lives, other worlds. Solipsism. A man on his lawn mower. Green and yellow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/i-had-to-get-out-move-i-ran-through-neighborhoods-other-lives-other/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [He tapped my chest. 'Happy is here.' He tapped his own chest. 'Here.' I looked down past my chin. 'Inside?' 'Inside.' It was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/he-tapped-my-chest-happy-is-here-he-tapped-his-own-chest-here-i/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/she-was-elusive-she-was-today-she-was-tomorrow-she-was-the-faintest/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) [Explore all 244 Jerry Spinelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) ## More Hate quotes > [If you hate yourself... The world will hate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cv-pillay/if-you-hate-yourself-the-world-will-hate-you/) [Cv Pillay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cv-pillay/) > [I do a lot of vocal exercises and drink hot tea, which I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/i-do-a-lot-of-vocal-exercises-and-drink-hot-tea-which-i-hate/) [Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/) > [Hate nothing in another human being because your eyes is made looking at others but never at your own self except in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/hate-nothing-in-another-human-being-because-your-eyes-is-made-looking/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I used to fight with hate. There's been a lot of aggression in my past growing up and stuff. 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Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [I have a way to photograph. 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