--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We pity people too often for the wrong…" description: "\"We pity people too often for the wrong reasons.\" — Katherine Anne Porter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg" --- # We pity people too often for the wrong reasons. ![“We pity people too often for the wrong reasons.” quote by Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg) > “We pity people too often for the wrong reasons.” [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often feel sympathy based on superficial judgments rather than true understanding of a person's circumstances. **In simple terms:** Sympathy can be misguided. Key Takeaway Examine why you feel pity. Themes empathy judgment humanity Mood reflective thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - news consumption - charity work - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology social perception Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions drive your compassion? - How can you seek deeper understanding before judging? A Different Perspective Pity may ignore deeper causes and perpetuate stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-wrong/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Pity People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity-people-345038/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong reasons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-reasons/) ## Related quotes > [“I had great pity on Ansje, because she always acted very happy, but I believed that it was really a front. I could see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diet-eman/i-had-great-pity-on-ansje-because-she-always-acted-very-happy-but-i/) [Diet Eman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diet-eman/) > [Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this? I pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-maud-montgomery/isn-t-it-good-just-to-be-alive-on-a-day-like-this-i-pity-the-people/) [Lucy Maud Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-maud-montgomery/) > [“Too often, we love for the wrong reasons, when we think the right one comes along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/too-often-we-love-for-the-wrong-reasons-when-we-think-the-right-one/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [We turn to God for the wrong reasons...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/we-turn-to-god-for-the-wrong-reasons/) [Trunxbeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trunxbeats/) > [The moment you think having a baby is going t0 keep a man is the moment your having the baby for the wrong reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naishalova/the-moment-you-think-having-a-baby-is-going-t0-keep-a-man-is-the/) [Naishalova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naishalova/) > [I've always wanted to prove people wrong, and that's what drives me. I've been like that since Sierra Leone, when everyone said, 'Nobody is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/i-ve-always-wanted-to-prove-people-wrong-and-that-s-what-drives-me-i/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [The killing of innocent people is always wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/the-killing-of-innocent-people-is-always-wrong/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [I feel like I've been proving people wrong all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-landry/i-feel-like-i-ve-been-proving-people-wrong-all-my-life/) [Jarvis Landry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-landry/) > [I don't think I'm saying anything wrong. And that's just how I judge it. I believe it's not so much about the people, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hawkins/i-don-t-think-i-m-saying-anything-wrong-and-that-s-just-how-i-judge/) [Andrew Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hawkins/) > [“You should give up sarcasm. People could get the wrong idea about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pryor/you-should-give-up-sarcasm-people-could-get-the-wrong-idea-about-you/) [Michael Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pryor/) > [Apparently being right frustrates people who are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/apparently-being-right-frustrates-people-who-are-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People have said to me, 'It must be nice to prove so many people wrong,' but I've never really cared about proving anything to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bryan/people-have-said-to-me-it-must-be-nice-to-prove-so-many-people-wrong/) [Daniel Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bryan/) > [“What a splendid day! Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this? I pity the people who aren't born yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/what-a-splendid-day-isn-t-it-good-just-to-be-alive-on-a-day-like-this/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [“I pity people who don't like to read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-turi/i-pity-people-who-don-t-like-to-read/) [Susan Turi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-turi/) > [And pity--people who inspire it in you are actually very powerful people. To get someone else to take care of you, to feel sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/and-pity-people-who-inspire-it-in-you-are-actually-very-powerful/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) ## More by Katherine Anne Porter > [There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/there-seems-to-be-a-kind-of-order-in-the-universe-in-the-movement-of/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [The human heart is not yet so corroded that it can read off the extinction of these two men without a shock to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/the-human-heart-is-not-yet-so-corroded-that-it-can-read-off-the/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [I always write a story in one sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/i-always-write-a-story-in-one-sitting/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [What we need is endless courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/what-we-need-is-endless-courage/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [Human life itself may be almost pure chaos, but the work of the artist is to take these handfuls of confusion and disparate things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/human-life-itself-may-be-almost-pure-chaos-but-the-work-of-the-artist/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [But the great leveler, Death: not even the gods can defend a man, not even one they love, that day when fate takes hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/but-the-great-leveler-death-not-even-the-gods-can-defend-a-man-not/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [I started out with nothing in the world but a kind of passion, a driving desire. I don't know where it came from, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/i-started-out-with-nothing-in-the-world-but-a-kind-of-passion-a/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [I am in Paris. Yes ma'am , I made it back. I came up from Berlin, stopped here ten days, fought a losing battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/i-am-in-paris-yes-ma-am-i-made-it-back-i-came-up-from-berlin-stopped/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [Your mind outwears all sorts of things you may set your heart upon; you can enjoy it when all other things are taken away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/your-mind-outwears-all-sorts-of-things-you-may-set-your-heart-upon/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [we know that the Furies do not come uninvited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/we-know-that-the-furies-do-not-come-uninvited/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [The arts do live continuously, and they live literally by faith; their names and their shapes and their uses and their basic meanings survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/the-arts-do-live-continuously-and-they-live-literally-by-faith-their/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [The very thing about people that makes the human race interesting is also the thing that makes it so hard to get anything done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/the-very-thing-about-people-that-makes-the-human-race-interesting-is/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [A cultivated style would be like a mask. Everybody knows it's a mask, and sooner or later you must show yourself -- or at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/a-cultivated-style-would-be-like-a-mask-everybody-knows-it-s-a-mask/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [The past is never where you think you left it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/the-past-is-never-where-you-think-you-left-it/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [In the arts, you simply cannot secure your bread and your freedom of action too. You cannot be a hostile critic of society and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/in-the-arts-you-simply-cannot-secure-your-bread-and-your-freedom-of/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) [Explore all 156 Katherine Anne Porter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/) [John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) [Browse all 211,607 People quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We pity people too often for the wrong reasons.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katherine Anne Porter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-reasons/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "People" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-reasons/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/katherine-anne-porter-2653_people_we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-r_2993499.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We pity people too often for the wrong reasons.” — Katherine Anne Porter", "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": "Katherine Anne Porter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We pity people too often for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-reasons/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/we-pity-people-too-often-for-the-wrong-reasons/#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 } } ] } ```