--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And so we know the satisfaction of hate…" description: "\"“And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet joy of revenge. How it feels good to get even. Oh, that was a nice idea Jesus had. That was..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg" --- # And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet… ![“And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet joy of revenge. How it feels good to get even. Oh, that was a nice idea Jesus had. That was a pretty notion, but you can't love people who do evil. It's neither sensible or practical. It's not wise to the world to love people who do such…” quote by Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg) > ““And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet joy of revenge. How it feels good to get even. Oh, that was a nice idea Jesus had. That was a pretty notion, but you can't love people who do evil. It's neither sensible or practical. It's not wise to the world to love people who do such terrible wrong. There is no way on earth we can love our enemies. They'll only do wickedness and hatefulness again. And worse, they'll think they can get away with this wickedness and evil, because they'll think we're weak and afraid. What would the world come to? But I want to say to you here on this hot July morning in Holt, what if Jesus wasn't kidding? What if he wasn't talking about some never-never land? What if he really did mean what he said two thousand years ago? What if he was thoroughly wise to the world and knew firsthand cruelty and wickedness and evil and hate? Knew it all so well from personal firsthand experience? And what if in spite of all that he knew, he still said love your enemies? Turn your cheek. Pray for those who misuse you. What if he meant every word of what he said? What then would the world come to? And what if we tried it? What if we said to our enemies: We are the most powerful nation on earth. We can destroy you. We can kill your children. We can make ruins of your cities and villages and when we're finished you won't even know how to look for the places where they used to be. We have the power to take away your water and to scorch your earth, to rob you of the very fundamentals of life. We can change the actual day into actual night. We can do these things to you. And more. But what if we say, Listen: Instead of any of these, we are going to give willingly and generously to you. We are going to spend the great American national treasure and the will and the human lives that we would have spent on destruction, and instead we are going to turn them all toward creation. We'll mend your roads and highways, expand your schools, modernize your wells and water supplies, save your ancient artifacts and art and culture, preserve your temples and mosques. In fact, we are going to love you. And again we say, no matter what has gone before, no matter what you've done: We are going to love you. We have set our hearts to it. We will treat you like brothers and sisters. We are going to turn our collective national cheek and present it to be stricken a second time, if need be, and offer it to you. Listen, we-- But then he was abruptly halted.”” [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker challenges the practicality of loving enemies, urging a radical, compassionate response despite historical teachings. **In simple terms:** Loving enemies is hard but powerful. Key Takeaway Try compassionate action toward adversaries. Themes ethics conflict compassion power war Mood thoughtful challenging Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political leadership - personal relationships - community building - peace negotiations - social activism Key Concepts Christian doctrine moral philosophy psychology of forgiveness Questions to Reflect On - What would happen if you forgave a personal enemy? - Can societies thrive on radical generosity? A Different Perspective Human nature often resists unconditional love. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-art/) [Art and culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-and-culture/) [Brothers and sisters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brothers-and-sisters/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Love your enemies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-your-enemies/) [National treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-treasure/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) ## Related quotes > [You hate evil, but you don't hate the people that do evil. So, hate has to go out the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/you-hate-evil-but-you-don-t-hate-the-people-that-do-evil-so-hate-has/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [There is a very good thing about hating evil. If you hate evil, that's all you will hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-a-very-good-thing-about-hating-evil-if-you-hate-evil-that-s/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/have-we-not-come-to-such-an-impasse-in-the-modern-world-that-we-must/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Men do not so much hate an evil-doer, or evil itself, as they hate the man who calls evil by its real name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/men-do-not-so-much-hate-an-evil-doer-or-evil-itself-as-they-hate-the/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/returning-hate-for-hate-multiplies-hate-adding-deeper-darkness-to-a-3/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [Cats are evil, and they hate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-cara/cats-are-evil-and-they-hate-me/) [Alessia Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-cara/) > [Something to keep in mind, whether you adore Obama or Trump: Drooling toadyism is not a good look on either side, and it paves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/something-to-keep-in-mind-whether-you-adore-obama-or-trump-drooling/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [Not all of those to whom we do good love us, neither do all those to whom we do evil hate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philibert-joseph-roux/not-all-of-those-to-whom-we-do-good-love-us-neither-do-all-those-to/) [Philibert Joseph Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philibert-joseph-roux/) > [If you really do hate evil, you can't hate anything else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/if-you-really-do-hate-evil-you-can-t-hate-anything-else/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [You do not see clearly the evil in yourself, else you would hate yourself with all your soul. Like the lion who sprang at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/you-do-not-see-clearly-the-evil-in-yourself-else-you-would-hate/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Those who don't fight evil hate those who do; and those who don't fight real evils make up little evils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/those-who-don-t-fight-evil-hate-those-who-do-and-those-who-don-t/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [I could not understand why men who knew all about good and evil could hate and kill each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-could-not-understand-why-men-who-knew-all-about-good-and-evil-could/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those who don't hate evil hate those who do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/those-who-don-t-hate-evil-hate-those-who-do/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [And I believe that I will never be able to hate any human being for his so-called 'wickedness,' that I shall only hate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/and-i-believe-that-i-will-never-be-able-to-hate-any-human-being-for/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) ## More by Kent Haruf > [I began writing seriously in my mid-20s and didn't publish my first book until I was 41.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-began-writing-seriously-in-my-mid-20s-and-didn-t-publish-my-first/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“quit trying to fix things and we settled into our long polite and quiet life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/quit-trying-to-fix-things-and-we-settled-into-our-long-polite-and/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“You understand? If you can read you can cook. You can always feed yourselves. You remember that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/you-understand-if-you-can-read-you-can-cook-you-can-always-feed/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“The precious ordinary. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/the-precious-ordinary-i/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [I enjoy bluegrass, folk, gospel, and classical. I don't listen to music when I write. I sometimes listen to music just before I sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-enjoy-bluegrass-folk-gospel-and-classical-i-don-t-listen-to-music/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [We'd do better to follow the admonition of Jesus about loving our neighbours. People in the U.S. are capable of forgiveness and willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/we-d-do-better-to-follow-the-admonition-of-jesus-about-loving-our/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [Writers who aren't from rural states in the Midwest or the West often treat such people as if they were the Waltons or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/writers-who-aren-t-from-rural-states-in-the-midwest-or-the-west-often/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [My desire is to be anonymous, isolated, quiet, peaceful, and concentrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/my-desire-is-to-be-anonymous-isolated-quiet-peaceful-and-concentrated/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“Alene looked out toward the fading sky. There was only a little light remaining. It would turn nighttime now and soon they would return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/alene-looked-out-toward-the-fading-sky-there-was-only-a-little-light/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [In terms of showing their emotions and acting on them, my women characters are a lot more advanced than the men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/in-terms-of-showing-their-emotions-and-acting-on-them-my-women/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [That was on a night in August. Dad Lewis died early that morning and the young girl Alice from next door got lost in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/that-was-on-a-night-in-august-dad-lewis-died-early-that-morning-and/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“The evening wasn’t cold yet... But the air was turning sharp, with a fall feeling of loneliness coming. Something unaccountable pending in the air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/the-evening-wasn-t-cold-yet-but-the-air-was-turning-sharp-with-a-fall/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [After finishing the first draft, I work for as long as it takes (for two or three weeks, most often) to rework that first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/after-finishing-the-first-draft-i-work-for-as-long-as-it-takes-for/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [I write in a journal first, briefly. Then read something I've read many times before, for about half an hour, then rework what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-write-in-a-journal-first-briefly-then-read-something-i-ve-read-many/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [You have to believe in yourself despite the evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/you-have-to-believe-in-yourself-despite-the-evidence/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) [Explore all 34 Kent Haruf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) ## More Ancient art quotes > [“Some, in an effort to protect and preserve the gospel message, have become like the guards in that museum, fueled by fear that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-hipps/some-in-an-effort-to-protect-and-preserve-the-gospel-message-have/) Shane Hipps > [“Storytelling is an ancient art that rarely receives the respect it deserves. Is it even possible to find someone these days with the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-eichenseer/storytelling-is-an-ancient-art-that-rarely-receives-the-respect-it/) Erika Eichenseer > [“There’s something with these ancient arts. They don’t last for centuries for nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-m-wayne/there-s-something-with-these-ancient-arts-they-don-t-last-for/) Peter M. Wayne > [“What the...? "Holy S\*\*\*! You're 250 years old!?" He gives me a wink of his beautiful eye in response. "Surprised?" "Um, hell yeah. Ok,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-l-jennings/what-the-holy-s-you-re-250-years-old-he-gives-me-a-wink-of-his/) [S.L. Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-jennings/) > [“To what end do we sit together under the moon? Why circle in together? We sit to be heard. To speak without being judged.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-aitkenread/to-what-end-do-we-sit-together-under-the-moon-why-circle-in-together/) Lucy Aitkenread > [Poetry is such an ancient art, and I consider myself young within that art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-joseph/poetry-is-such-an-ancient-art-and-i-consider-myself-young-within-that/) [Allison Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-joseph/) > [It’s never going to be very mainstream. One reason is that poetry requires concentration, both on the part of the writer and the reader.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-armitage/it-s-never-going-to-be-very-mainstream-one-reason-is-that-poetry/) [Simon Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-armitage/) > [But that was the trouble with ancient artifacts - no one really knew what they did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/but-that-was-the-trouble-with-ancient-artifacts-no-one-really-knew/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Bob Dylan's one of the greatest blues singers of the western world; ancient art, on-the-spot improvisation, mind quickness, endless variation, classical formulae, prophetic vision,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/bob-dylan-s-one-of-the-greatest-blues-singers-of-the-western-world/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [“He was learning that to win a fight like this, it was not enough to know what one was fighting against. That was easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/he-was-learning-that-to-win-a-fight-like-this-it-was-not-enough-to/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it began as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/poetry-is-one-of-the-ancient-arts-and-it-began-as-did-all-the-fine/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [Today the thing I find myself thinking about the most is our landscape...I think it's something a lot of us take for granted; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-dodson/today-the-thing-i-find-myself-thinking-about-the-most-is-our/) [Mick Dodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-dodson/) > [“Storytelling is an ancient art. The lucent vibes of stories express what we cannot articulate directly. When we hear someone’s story, we respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-an-ancient-art-the-lucent-vibes-of-stories-express/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Ancient art has a specific inner content. At one time, art possessed the same purpose that books do in our day, namely: to preserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-i-gurdjieff/ancient-art-has-a-specific-inner-content-at-one-time-art-possessed/) [G. I. Gurdjieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-i-gurdjieff/) > [I conceive of the film as a modern art form particularly interesting to the sense of sight. Painting has its own peculiar problems and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-richter/i-conceive-of-the-film-as-a-modern-art-form-particularly-interesting/) Hans Richter [Browse all 32 Ancient art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet joy of revenge. How it feels good to get even. Oh, that was a nice idea Jesus had. That was a pretty notion, but you can't love people who do evil. It's neither sensible or practical. It's not wise to the world to love people who do such terrible wrong. There is no way on earth we can love our enemies. They'll only do wickedness and hatefulness again. And worse, they'll think they can get away with this wickedness and evil, because they'll think we're weak and afraid. What would the world come to? But I want to say to you here on this hot July morning in Holt, what if Jesus wasn't kidding? What if he wasn't talking about some never-never land? What if he really did mean what he said two thousand years ago? What if he was thoroughly wise to the world and knew firsthand cruelty and wickedness and evil and hate? Knew it all so well from personal firsthand experience? And what if in spite of all that he knew, he still said love your enemies? Turn your cheek. Pray for those who misuse you. What if he meant every word of what he said? What then would the world come to? And what if we tried it? What if we said to our enemies: We are the most powerful nation on earth. We can destroy you. We can kill your children. We can make ruins of your cities and villages and when we're finished you won't even know how to look for the places where they used to be. We have the power to take away your water and to scorch your earth, to rob you of the very fundamentals of life. We can change the actual day into actual night. We can do these things to you. And more. But what if we say, Listen: Instead of any of these, we are going to give willingly and generously to you. We are going to spend the great American national treasure and the will and the human lives that we would have spent on destruction, and instead we are going to turn them all toward creation. We'll mend your roads and highways, expand your schools, modernize your wells and water supplies, save your ancient artifacts and art and culture, preserve your temples and mosques. In fact, we are going to love you. And again we say, no matter what has gone before, no matter what you've done: We are going to love you. We have set our hearts to it. We will treat you like brothers and sisters. We are going to turn our collective national cheek and present it to be stricken a second time, if need be, and offer it to you. Listen, we-- But then he was abruptly halted.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kent Haruf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate-we-know-the-sweet-joy-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancient art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate-we-know-the-sweet-joy-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c26/kent-haruf-18766_art-and-culture_and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate_1075206.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And so we know the satisfaction of hate. 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