--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This precious thing of empathy and love…" description: "\"This precious thing of empathy and love and understanding is something we have to hold and appreciate and protect.\" — Kamasi Washington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg" --- # This precious thing of empathy and love and understanding… ![“This precious thing of empathy and love and understanding is something we have to hold and appreciate and protect.” quote by Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg) > “This precious thing of empathy and love and understanding is something we have to hold and appreciate and protect.” [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empathy, love, and understanding are valuable assets that must be nurtured and defended against neglect. **In simple terms:** Protect empathy and love. Key Takeaway Cherish and safeguard emotional connections. Themes empathy love understanding humanity Mood warmth hope Type philosophical statement When to use this quote - conflict resolution - community building - mental‑health support Key Concepts emotional intelligence Practical Applications - practice active listening Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better protect empathy? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love And Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-understanding/) [Love Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-understanding/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [“My mother looks at me with love and understanding, and I realize: she knows what my father did. She knows what I want. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/my-mother-looks-at-me-with-love-and-understanding-and-i-realize-she/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Mother's eyes are always filled with love and understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/mother-s-eyes-are-always-filled-with-love-and-understanding/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) > [Love and understanding never condemn but always seek to help and encourage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meher-baba/love-and-understanding-never-condemn-but-always-seek-to-help-and/) [Meher Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meher-baba/) > [It is quite clear that between love and understanding there is a very close link...He who loves understands, and he who understands loves. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tournier/it-is-quite-clear-that-between-love-and-understanding-there-is-a-very/) [Paul Tournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tournier/) > [If we would know true love and understanding one for another, we must realize that communication is more than a sharing of words. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/if-we-would-know-true-love-and-understanding-one-for-another-we-must/) [Marvin J. Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [What's so funny about peace, love and understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/what-s-so-funny-about-peace-love-and-understanding/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [You can't rule the world, but what you can do is win the world with love and understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/you-can-t-rule-the-world-but-what-you-can-do-is-win-the-world-with/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [“My dear, how can I make you perceive that there is no danger where there is nothing but love and understanding?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/my-dear-how-can-i-make-you-perceive-that-there-is-no-danger-where/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [The truly good gaze upon everything with love and understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-truly-good-gaze-upon-everything-with-love-and-understanding/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“whats so funny bout peace, love and understanding?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/whats-so-funny-bout-peace-love-and-understanding/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [I still believe in peace, love, and understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-still-believe-in-peace-love-and-understanding/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I guess in America we're so sold on this ideal of the perfect, well-adjusted family that is able to confront any conflict and, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ball/i-guess-in-america-we-re-so-sold-on-this-ideal-of-the-perfect-well/) [Alan Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ball/) > [The giving of love and understanding is an education in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-giving-of-love-and-understanding-is-an-education-in-itself/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I think we should have understanding and love and peace. I mean, peace and love has been my situation. You hear that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-think-we-should-have-understanding-and-love-and-peace-i-mean-peace/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [Fatherhood is a relationship of love and understanding It is power and action. It is counsel and instruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-theodore-tuttle/fatherhood-is-a-relationship-of-love-and-understanding-it-is-power/) [A. Theodore Tuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-theodore-tuttle/) ## More by Kamasi Washington > [Every day we're here is an opportunity to do what we can to make the world right, to help someone close or far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/every-day-we-re-here-is-an-opportunity-to-do-what-we-can-to-make-the/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [I was hearing music in my head and trying to play it on the clarinet, but it didn't match.' Then, literally the first day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/i-was-hearing-music-in-my-head-and-trying-to-play-it-on-the-clarinet/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [So much good music has been looked over because of preconceived notions of genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/so-much-good-music-has-been-looked-over-because-of-preconceived/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [It's either, like, 'Your album was the first jazz album I listened to,' or, like, 'My friend took me to this show, and I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/it-s-either-like-your-album-was-the-first-jazz-album-i-listened-to-or/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [By the time I was about 15, I was out playing gigs and knew I was going to be a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/by-the-time-i-was-about-15-i-was-out-playing-gigs-and-knew-i-was/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [We learned at a young age, with our dad, that even if you weren't doing something, you had to look like you were, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/we-learned-at-a-young-age-with-our-dad-that-even-if-you-weren-t-doing/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [West Coast hip hop was the sound of my neighbourhood. It was something I could relate to because it had a sound that felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/west-coast-hip-hop-was-the-sound-of-my-neighbourhood-it-was-something/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [We've played so many places where, if you asked people, 'Do you like jazz?' they would be like, 'Not at all.' But I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/we-ve-played-so-many-places-where-if-you-asked-people-do-you-like/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [In the '80s, a lot of kids, if you were kind of bright, you got bussed to schools out of your community. So you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/in-the-80s-a-lot-of-kids-if-you-were-kind-of-bright-you-got-bussed-to/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [Jazz is like a telescope, and a lot of other music is like a microscope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/jazz-is-like-a-telescope-and-a-lot-of-other-music-is-like-a-microscope/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [At a certain point, when there's a barrier between you and what's right, eventually you have to decide you're not going to allow yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/at-a-certain-point-when-there-s-a-barrier-between-you-and-what-s/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [I started playing drums at three, then piano at five, then clarinet. But it wasn't till I picked up a saxophone aged 13 that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/i-started-playing-drums-at-three-then-piano-at-five-then-clarinet-but/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [You have to dig deep to make great music, and it gets harder and harder. It's a difficult, painful process to reach deep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/you-have-to-dig-deep-to-make-great-music-and-it-gets-harder-and/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [Fela Kuti blew my mind. His playing is very unorthodox, but I learned how to appreciate that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/fela-kuti-blew-my-mind-his-playing-is-very-unorthodox-but-i-learned/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) > [We do have the power to kind of make this world what we want it to be. But we have to just choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/we-do-have-the-power-to-kind-of-make-this-world-what-we-want-it-to-be/) [Kamasi Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) [Explore all 104 Kamasi Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/) ## More Empathy quotes > [I have a lot of empathy, and I think that's where mothering starts. You are there to empathise and facilitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-lot-of-empathy-and-i-think-that-s-where-mothering-starts-you/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Cinematography speaks to everything that women do inherently well: It's multitasking, it's empathy, and it's channeling visuals into human emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/cinematography-speaks-to-everything-that-women-do-inherently-well-it/) [Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Understanding breeds empathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/understanding-breeds-empathy/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Making a movie is about following characters and embarking on an adventure with them, seeing their reactions, and seeing what they do, having empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franck-khalfoun/making-a-movie-is-about-following-characters-and-embarking-on-an/) Franck Khalfoun > [“A novel is not an allegory...it is a sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter that world, hold your breath with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/a-novel-is-not-an-allegory-it-is-a-sensual-experience-of-another/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I try to treat every job with the exact same level of respect. When I go into it, it doesn't matter what the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-try-to-treat-every-job-with-the-exact-same-level-of-respect-when-i/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/) Sindiwe Magona > [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [I began to use my sensitivity. And I realized I wasn't weird because I cried a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-began-to-use-my-sensitivity-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-weird-because-i/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [“The emotional intelligence model consists of four clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.  ● Self-Awareness is a propensity for self-reflection and thoughtfulness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-bolton/the-emotional-intelligence-model-consists-of-four-clusters-self/) [Chuck Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-bolton/) > [I need voices of reason and of hysteria and of empathy. I need to have an Alanis moment. I need advice from Elizabeth Bennett.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-voices-of-reason-and-of-hysteria-and-of-empathy-i-need-to-have/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) [Browse all 2,480 Empathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This precious thing of empathy and love and understanding is something we have to hold and appreciate and protect.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kamasi Washington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love-and-understanding-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Empathy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love-and-understanding-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/kamasi-washington-4976_empathy_this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love_104611.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This precious thing of empathy and love and understanding is something we have to hold and appreciate and…” — Kamasi Washington", "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": "Kamasi Washington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamasi-washington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This precious thing of empathy and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love-and-understanding-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamasi-washington/this-precious-thing-of-empathy-and-love-and-understanding-is/#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 } } ] } ```