Government Quote by Joyce Cary
““You take a straight tip from the stable, Cokey, if you must hate, hate the government or the people or the sea or men, but don't hate an individual person. Who's done you a real injury. Next thing you know he'll be getting into your beer like prussic acid; and blotting out your eyes like a cataract and screaming in your ears like a brain tumour and boiling round your heart like melted lead and ramping though your guts like a cancer. And a nice fool you'd look if he knew. It would make him laugh till his teeth dropped out; from old age.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The House of Day, 1945
The quote warns against indiscriminate hatred, urging focus on personal grievances rather than broad animosity toward groups or abstract concepts.
In simple terms: Don't hate groups, hate only those who hurt you personally.
Key Takeaway
Target resentment at specific harms, not whole categories.
Themes
hate
personal responsibility
justice
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- personal relationships
- conflict resolution
- social media debates
Key Concepts
ethical restraint
psychology of anger
Questions to Reflect On
- Who have you unfairly blamed?
- How can you channel anger constructively?
A Different Perspective
Broad hatred can blind judgment and fuel cycles of violence.
