--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly…" description: "\"“But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that Love was a damaging mistake and its acco..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png" --- # But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the future did… ![“But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that Love was a damaging mistake and its accomplice, Hope, a treacherous illusion.” quote by Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png) > ““But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that Love was a damaging mistake and its accomplice, Hope, a treacherous illusion.”” [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love and hope are portrayed as dangerous, leading characters to dismiss future concerns and cling to painful wisdom. **In simple terms:** Love and hope are seen as harmful, so characters ignore the future. Key Takeaway Question the value of love and hope in suffering. Themes love hope pain Mood reflective somber Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - war‑torn families - personal trauma - emotional healing Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Can love ever be a positive force? - How does hope survive in hardship? A Different Perspective Love and hope can also inspire resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cared/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Hardly Cared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardly-cared-5019861/) [Hope Treacherous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-treacherous-1369740/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mariam Hardly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mariam-hardly-5019860/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wisdom love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-love/) ## Related quotes > [“And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/and-the-past-held-only-this-wisdom-that-love-was-a-damaging-mistake/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Love was a damaging mistake and its accomplice,hope, a treacherous illusion".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/love-was-a-damaging-mistake-and-its-accomplice-hope-a-treacherous/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion. And whenever those twin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/and-the-past-held-only-this-wisdom-that-love-was-a-damaging-mistake-2/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“There, the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/there-the-future-did-not-matter-and-the-past-held-only-this-wisdom/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Hope is the most treacherous of all human fancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/hope-is-the-most-treacherous-of-all-human-fancies/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [Hope is the most treacherous thing in the world. It lifts you and lets you plummet. But as long as you're being lifted you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/hope-is-the-most-treacherous-thing-in-the-world-it-lifts-you-and-lets/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [Hope is treacherous, but how can you live without it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/hope-is-treacherous-but-how-can-you-live-without-it/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/when-i-see-i-am-nothing-that-is-wisdom-when-i-see-i-am-everything/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [The word philosophy sounds high-minded, but it simply means the love of wisdom. If you love something, you don't just read about it; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-jackman/the-word-philosophy-sounds-high-minded-but-it-simply-means-the-love/) [Hugh Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-jackman/) > [“The basic principle of spiritual life is that our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love. With”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/the-basic-principle-of-spiritual-life-is-that-our-problems-become-the/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“It is far more difficult to love fellow human beings with all their imperfections and defects. One can only know what one is capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-aon-prakasha/it-is-far-more-difficult-to-love-fellow-human-beings-with-all-their/) [Padma Aon Prakasha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-aon-prakasha/) > [Maybe I shall never achieve happiness, but one thing I have had - the terrible wisdom of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corra-may-harris/maybe-i-shall-never-achieve-happiness-but-one-thing-i-have-had-the/) [Corra May Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corra-may-harris/) > [In regard of the rich grace and wisdom of his love toward his people; for who sees not, but that it is a curse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-shepard/in-regard-of-the-rich-grace-and-wisdom-of-his-love-toward-his-people/) [Thomas Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-shepard/) > [Love of peace is common among weak, short-sighted, timid, and lazy persons; and on the other hand courage is found among many men of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/love-of-peace-is-common-among-weak-short-sighted-timid-and-lazy/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [For this is Wisdom; to love, to live To take what fate, or the Gods may give. To ask no question, to make no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-this-is-wisdom-to-love-to-live-to-take-what-fate-or-the-gods-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Khaled Hosseini > [“Winter was every kid’s favorite season in Kabul, at least those whose fathers could afford to buy a good iron stove. The reason was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/winter-was-every-kid-s-favorite-season-in-kabul-at-least-those-whose/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Their fights didn’t so much end as dissipate, like a drop of ink in a bowl of water, with a residual taint that lingered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/their-fights-didn-t-so-much-end-as-dissipate-like-a-drop-of-ink-in-a/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“I think that everything he did, feeding the poor, giving money to friends in need, it was all a way of redeeming himself. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-think-that-everything-he-did-feeding-the-poor-giving-money-to/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“it always falls on the sober to pay for the sins of the drunk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/it-always-falls-on-the-sober-to-pay-for-the-sins-of-the-drunk/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Mariam knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her. But as she walked the final twenty paces, she could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/mariam-knew-that-life-for-the-most-part-had-been-unkind-to-her-but-as/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“I pray. I pray that my sins have not caught up with me the way I'd always feared they would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-pray-i-pray-that-my-sins-have-not-caught-up-with-me-the-way-i-d/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“shoes: that putting them on a bed invited death into the family, that a quarrel would follow if one put on the left shoe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/shoes-that-putting-them-on-a-bed-invited-death-into-the-family-that-a/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I have a theory about marriage, Monsieur Boustouler. And it's that nearly always you will know within two weeks if it's going to work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-have-a-theory-about-marriage-monsieur-boustouler-and-it-s-that/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [The short of it is, as an aspiring writer, there is nothing as damaging to your credibility as saying that you don't like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/the-short-of-it-is-as-an-aspiring-writer-there-is-nothing-as-damaging/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Throughout the last century there were multiple attempts at giving Afghan women more autonomy, to change marriage laws, to abolish the practice of bride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/throughout-the-last-century-there-were-multiple-attempts-at-giving/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [At that moment, she cannot think of a more reckless, irrational thing than choosing to become a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/at-that-moment-she-cannot-think-of-a-more-reckless-irrational-thing/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“He says this is war. There is no shame in war. Tell him he's wrong. War doesn't negate decency. It demands it, even more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/he-says-this-is-war-there-is-no-shame-in-war-tell-him-he-s-wrong-war/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [For many people in the west, Afghanistan is synonymous with the Soviet war and the Taliban. I wanted to remind people that Afghans had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/for-many-people-in-the-west-afghanistan-is-synonymous-with-the-soviet/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Educate yourself, learn about what refugees face when they don't have homes, after they have lost everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/educate-yourself-learn-about-what-refugees-face-when-they-don-t-have/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“Rahim Khan laughed. “Children aren’t coloring books. You don’t get to fill them with your favorite colors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/rahim-khan-laughed-children-aren-t-coloring-books-you-don-t-get-to/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) [Explore all 697 Khaled Hosseini quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) ## More Cared quotes > [I never cared a lot for school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-lutke/i-never-cared-a-lot-for-school/) [Tobias Lutke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-lutke/) > [The only person I truly cared for left me with a broken heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keys/the-only-person-i-truly-cared-for-left-me-with-a-broken-heart/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keys/) > [You know what would be nice? If you actually cared about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-what-would-be-nice-if-you-actually-cared-about-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's funny, I used to say on 'That 70's Show', you could really put us in any decade, and it was about the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/it-s-funny-i-used-to-say-on-that-70-s-show-you-could-really-put-us-in/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [No one cared what she wanted. No one had ever cared. And perhaps, worst of all, no one ever would care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-one-cared-what-she-wanted-no-one-had-ever-cared-and-perhaps-worst/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her underwear, her jeans, the comforter, my corduroys and my boxers between us, I thought. Five layers, and yet I felt it, the nervous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/her-underwear-her-jeans-the-comforter-my-corduroys-and-my-boxers/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If he really cared..he would go out his way to make you happy <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-he-really-cared-he-would-go-out-his-way-to-make-you-happy-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Did that mean she had not cared deeply for any of her husbands? I wondered. Or only that she was a woman of great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/did-that-mean-she-had-not-cared-deeply-for-any-of-her-husbands-i/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [You make me laugh, mad, happy, excited, sad, jumpy, careless, most of all you make me..well me. your my best friend, you were there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany/you-make-me-laugh-mad-happy-excited-sad-jumpy-careless-most-of-all/) [Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany/) > [I'd occasionally do some exercises at home, but I never cared for gyms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-moore/i-d-occasionally-do-some-exercises-at-home-but-i-never-cared-for-gyms/) [Roger Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-moore/) > [“Nobody cared if you plagiarized in the third grade. All”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-janz/nobody-cared-if-you-plagiarized-in-the-third-grade-all/) [Jonathan Janz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-janz/) > [He loved them and cared for them, and you don't kill kids that you love and care for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-griffith/he-loved-them-and-cared-for-them-and-you-don-t-kill-kids-that-you/) [Thomas Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-griffith/) > [I was always hurting to some extent, but never really cared about it. Now, I do care, because I have a reason to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-michaels/i-was-always-hurting-to-some-extent-but-never-really-cared-about-it/) [Shawn Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-michaels/) > [“That’s all she cared about—protecting her brother, who was probably some fop with a lame sword hand and a fear of pistols!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/that-s-all-she-cared-about-protecting-her-brother-who-was-probably/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [I don't give a shit anymore, think what you think, believe what you want, but remember I cared when no one else did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-don-t-give-a-shit-anymore-think-what-you-think-believe-what-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) [Browse all 487 Cared quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cared/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that Love was a damaging mistake and its accomplice, Hope, a treacherous illusion.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Khaled Hosseini" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-the-future-did-not-matter-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cared" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-the-future-did-not-matter-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17f/khaled-hosseini-251_cared_but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-t_620343.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom…” — Khaled Hosseini", "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": "Khaled Hosseini", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared...the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-the-future-did-not-matter-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/but-mariam-hardly-noticed-hardly-cared-the-future-did-not-matter-and/#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 } } ] } ```