--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and everyone…" description: "\"“Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and everyone stopped to listen. “This is about those children I murdered, isn’t it?” He laughed. “Listen,” he said. “If yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/joey-comeau-10694_children_wait-wait-wait-he-said-and-everyone-stop_1337065.png" --- # Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and everyone stopped to… ![“Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and everyone stopped to listen. “This is about those children I murdered, isn’t it?” He laughed. “Listen,” he said. “If you spare the axe, you spoil the child.” quote by Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/joey-comeau-10694_children_wait-wait-wait-he-said-and-everyone-stop_1337065.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/joey-comeau-10694_children_wait-wait-wait-he-said-and-everyone-stop_1337065.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea1/joey-comeau-10694_children_wait-wait-wait-he-said-and-everyone-stop_1337065.png) > ““Wait, wait, wait,” he said, and everyone stopped to listen. “This is about those children I murdered, isn’t it?” He laughed. “Listen,” he said. “If you spare the axe, you spoil the child.”” [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character uses dark humor to confront guilt and the consequences of violent choices. **In simple terms:** Dark humor reveals guilt and consequences. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and own harmful actions. Themes guilt violence dark humor morality Mood dark ironic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - self‑reflection - conflict resolution - creative writing - theatre performance Key Concepts psychology ethical responsibility irony Questions to Reflect On - How does humor affect confronting personal guilt? - When does sarcasm hinder honest dialogue? A Different Perspective Humor can mask seriousness, preventing genuine accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Listen Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen-children-260027/) [Listen Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen-said-286962/) [Stopped Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopped-listen-1682933/) [Wait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wait/) [Wait Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wait-said-1582957/) ## Related quotes > [“If we only stopped to listen to them for a few minutes, kids could tell us that we move too fast, for their good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-only-stopped-to-listen-to-them-for-a-few-minutes-kids-could/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It was said of him that he did not say much, but that when he did everyone stopped to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/it-was-said-of-him-that-he-did-not-say-much-but-that-when-he-did/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“I can wait,” he said thickly, kissing her collarbone. “We have all the time in the world.” Maybe he was right. 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Talk with them, laugh and joke with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/mothers-take-time-to-be-a-real-friend-to-your-children-listen-to-your/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/listen-to-them-the-children-of-the-night-what-music-they-make/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [Listen to what children have to say-their windows to the soul are unclouded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-david-baird-1st-baronet/listen-to-what-children-have-to-say-their-windows-to-the-soul-are/) [Sir David Baird, 1st Baronet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-david-baird-1st-baronet/) > [“Listen to them, the children of the night. What sweet music they make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/listen-to-them-the-children-of-the-night-what-sweet-music-they-make/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [I love Child's Play 2! That movie has a great theme: You better listen to children. That's why I wanted to do it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/i-love-child-s-play-2-that-movie-has-a-great-theme-you-better-listen/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" Seeing, I suppose, some expression in my face strange to him, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/listen-to-them-the-children-of-the-night-what-music-they-make-seeing/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [It's important to be able to listen to your children. 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Children may not obey But children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/careful-the-things-you-say-children-will-listen-careful-the-things/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) ## More by Joey Comeau > [“There's something not quite Christian about it," Tony said. He sat back in his chair and looked up to where his Bible sat on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/there-s-something-not-quite-christian-about-it-tony-said-he-sat-back/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [“Our love is a forest fire and we are the little things that live in the trees.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/our-love-is-a-forest-fire-and-we-are-the-little-things-that-live-in/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [Depression is like slashing at ghosts. 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Deep and dark and cold, and anything but empty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/death-is-not-the-end-death-is-an-ocean-on-all-sides-of-our-lives-deep/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [If we couldn't carry our dead inside us, we would be empty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/if-we-couldn-t-carry-our-dead-inside-us-we-would-be-empty/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [Dear Nintendo, We need a new Mario game, where you rescue the princess in the first ten minutes, and for the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/dear-nintendo-we-need-a-new-mario-game-where-you-rescue-the-princess/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [I have a form of ESP that allows me to consistently pick losing lottery numbers, and generally make poor life choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/i-have-a-form-of-esp-that-allows-me-to-consistently-pick-losing/) [Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/) > [Satellite images, maps and blueprints of the whole world, of every city. 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