--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who have been taught to despise…" description: "\"“People who have been taught to despise themselves cannot easily respect others.”\" — Karen Armstrong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg" --- # People who have been taught to despise themselves cannot… ![“People who have been taught to despise themselves cannot easily respect others.” quote by Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg) > ““People who have been taught to despise themselves cannot easily respect others.”” [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑hatred hinders respect for others; internalized negativity blocks empathy. **In simple terms:** Self‑hate prevents respecting others. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑compassion to respect others. Themes self‑esteem empathy respect Mood reflective hopeful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - community building - education - leadership Key Concepts psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your self‑criticism? - How can you foster empathy? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism can be entrenched. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Respect others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-others/) ## Related quotes > [Never to despise in myself what I have been taught to despise. Nor to despise the other. Not to despise the it. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-rukeyser/never-to-despise-in-myself-what-i-have-been-taught-to-despise-nor-to/) [Muriel Rukeyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-rukeyser/) > [Our children should not be so taught as to despise labour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/our-children-should-not-be-so-taught-as-to-despise-labour/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“I have always suspected everyone who likes me of having poor judgment. I despise them for being so easily taken in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerzy-kosi-ski/i-have-always-suspected-everyone-who-likes-me-of-having-poor-judgment/) [Jerzy Kosiński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerzy-kosi-ski/) > [“You have been taught that you are unclean, that you are not holy, that your body is impure and could never harbour the divine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/you-have-been-taught-that-you-are-unclean-that-you-are-not-holy-that/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [Being taught to despise your body is being taught to perhaps admire someone else's body more than yours - being taught that your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/being-taught-to-despise-your-body-is-being-taught-to-perhaps-admire/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [There is a dearth of thinking skills - people are taught what to think, not how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-seckel/there-is-a-dearth-of-thinking-skills-people-are-taught-what-to-think/) [Al Seckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-seckel/) > [Sometimes people come in and out of our lives for a reason. It is the people that taught you something valuable about life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/sometimes-people-come-in-and-out-of-our-lives-for-a-reason-it-is-the/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [I had the chance to learn from some really talented people who have taught me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-welteroth/i-had-the-chance-to-learn-from-some-really-talented-people-who-have/) [Elaine Welteroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-welteroth/) > [People have taught me not to look for intelligence in rockmusic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-eldritch/people-have-taught-me-not-to-look-for-intelligence-in-rockmusic/) [Andrew Eldritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-eldritch/) > [The problem I have with schools is, people are taught, 'This is how you do this.' They're not taught about why you do this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-baker/the-problem-i-have-with-schools-is-people-are-taught-this-is-how-you/) [Rick Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-baker/) > [We moan and groan all the time about a lack of involvement of young people. But they have taught me a lot about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/we-moan-and-groan-all-the-time-about-a-lack-of-involvement-of-young/) [Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/) > [Boxing's a bit like the Army, nine out of 10 people come out as pretty nice people. It taught me self-worth, to respect my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/boxing-s-a-bit-like-the-army-nine-out-of-10-people-come-out-as-pretty/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [All around me, I saw people who were taught by their parents, as I was, to just toe the line, not ruffle the feathers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/all-around-me-i-saw-people-who-were-taught-by-their-parents-as-i-was/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [People can be taught to hate. And people can be taught to spell. But apparently, it's one or the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caprice-crane/people-can-be-taught-to-hate-and-people-can-be-taught-to-spell-but/) [Caprice Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caprice-crane/) > [The people who have taught me the most about grace are those who have blown it so bad that they know how much they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tullian-tchividjian/the-people-who-have-taught-me-the-most-about-grace-are-those-who-have/) [Tullian Tchividjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tullian-tchividjian/) ## More by Karen Armstrong > [If it is written and read with serious attention, a novel, like a myth or any great work of art, can become an initiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-it-is-written-and-read-with-serious-attention-a-novel-like-a-myth/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [A gentleman is not born but crafted. He had to work on himself in the same way as a sculptor shaped a rough stone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/a-gentleman-is-not-born-but-crafted-he-had-to-work-on-himself-in-the/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I was a lousy nun. I couldn't do it. I couldn't find God. It wasn't suitable for me. It is suitable for very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-was-a-lousy-nun-i-couldn-t-do-it-i-couldn-t-find-god-it-wasn-t/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [I have become convinced, through my studies, that the only way to achieve a safe, just and viable world is to live by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-become-convinced-through-my-studies-that-the-only-way-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [In the past some of the most influential Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologians, such as Maimonides, Aquinas and Ibn Sina, made it clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/in-the-past-some-of-the-most-influential-jewish-christian-and-muslim/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [The great task of our time is to build a global society, where people can live together in peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-great-task-of-our-time-is-to-build-a-global-society-where-people/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [We want to create, never mind the leaders or the bishops or chief rabbis or imams, or Popes. We want to create a grassroots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/we-want-to-create-never-mind-the-leaders-or-the-bishops-or-chief/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [If we don't manage to implement the Golden Rule globally, so that we treat all peoples, wherever and whoever they may be, as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/if-we-don-t-manage-to-implement-the-golden-rule-globally-so-that-we/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [After I left the convent, for 15 years I was worn out with religion, I wanted nothing whatever to do with it. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/after-i-left-the-convent-for-15-years-i-was-worn-out-with-religion-i/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“As we have seen, so many of the things we once took for granted have proved unreliable that we may have to “forget” old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/as-we-have-seen-so-many-of-the-things-we-once-took-for-granted-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Yet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/yet-a-personal-god-can-become-a-grave-liability-he-can-be-a-mere-idol/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“I discovered that I felt at home and alive in the silence, which compelled me to enter my interior world and around there. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-discovered-that-i-felt-at-home-and-alive-in-the-silence-which/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight into the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/each-of-the-world-religions-has-its-own-particular-genius-its-own/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“all rightly guided religion that submitted wholly to God, refused to worship man-made deities and preached that justice and equality came from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/all-rightly-guided-religion-that-submitted-wholly-to-god-refused-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“advocates of evolutionary theory since Thomas H. Huxley (1825–95) have found altruism problematic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/advocates-of-evolutionary-theory-since-thomas-h-huxley-1825-95-have/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) [Explore all 296 Karen Armstrong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## More Despise quotes > [My whole life has conspired to bring me to this place, and I can’t despise my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/my-whole-life-has-conspired-to-bring-me-to-this-place-and-i-can-t/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-may-be-important-to-great-thinkers-to-examine-the-world-to-explain/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“You don’t know what it’s like to worry you’ll start to despise the people who help you, the ones you should love, because they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-guzeman/you-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-to-worry-you-ll-start-to-despise-the/) [Tracy Guzeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-guzeman/) > [Never despise a drink because it is easy to make and/or uses commercial mixes. Unquestioning devotion to authenticity is, in any department of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/never-despise-a-drink-because-it-is-easy-to-make-and-or-uses/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [Everyone has conscience enough to hate; few have religion enough to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/everyone-has-conscience-enough-to-hate-few-have-religion-enough-to/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I agree that biphobia is real, but I think it's absolutely worth considering that someone who "despises" having sex with her husband - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-agree-that-biphobia-is-real-but-i-think-it-s-absolutely-worth/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I despise a person of little mind - one might as well not have any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-dunham-kelley-hawkins/i-despise-a-person-of-little-mind-one-might-as-well-not-have-any/) Emma Dunham Kelley-Hawkins > [I despise computers in many ways. I think they’re hopelessly underevolved and overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-despise-computers-in-many-ways-i-think-they-re-hopelessly/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer, not even Sir Walter Scott, whom I can despise so entirely as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/with-the-single-exception-of-homer-there-is-no-eminent-writer-not/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I despise the pleasure of pleasing people that I despise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/i-despise-the-pleasure-of-pleasing-people-that-i-despise/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [It was beautiful and rare, and you have every right to despise me." She stood pressed to the wall, not moving. "When you came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/it-was-beautiful-and-rare-and-you-have-every-right-to-despise-me-she/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“I'm really starting to despise good -nights and good -byes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mi-juan-yu-tu/i-m-really-starting-to-despise-good-nights-and-good-byes/) Mi Juan Yu tu > [But miserable most, to love unloved? This you should pity rather than despise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-miserable-most-to-love-unloved-this-you-should-pity-rather-than/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) Browse all 918 Despise quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People who have been taught to despise themselves cannot easily respect others.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karen Armstrong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-themselves-cannot-easily/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Despise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-themselves-cannot-easily/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/karen-armstrong-1053_despise_people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-t_2886637.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People who have been taught to despise themselves cannot easily respect others.” — Karen Armstrong", "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": "Karen Armstrong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“People who have been taught to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-themselves-cannot-easily/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/people-who-have-been-taught-to-despise-themselves-cannot-easily/#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 } } ] } ```