--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's grief,\" said Akiva. \"It's rage. It…" description: "\"“It's grief,\" said Akiva. \"It's rage. It makes us into the thing we despise.\" And he thought, And I was the thing you despised. Am I still? \"Its the fu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/laini-taylor-258_anger_it-s-grief-said-akiva-it-s-rage-it-makes_1528348.jpg" --- # It's grief," said Akiva. "It's rage. It makes us into the… ![“It's grief," said Akiva. "It's rage. It makes us into the thing we despise." And he thought, And I was the thing you despised. Am I still? "Its the fuel for everything our people have done to each other since the beginning. That's what makes peace seem impossible. How can you blame someone for…” quote by Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/laini-taylor-258_anger_it-s-grief-said-akiva-it-s-rage-it-makes_1528348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/laini-taylor-258_anger_it-s-grief-said-akiva-it-s-rage-it-makes_1528348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ae/laini-taylor-258_anger_it-s-grief-said-akiva-it-s-rage-it-makes_1528348.jpg) > ““It's grief," said Akiva. "It's rage. It makes us into the thing we despise." And he thought, And I was the thing you despised. Am I still? "Its the fuel for everything our people have done to each other since the beginning. That's what makes peace seem impossible. How can you blame someone for wanting to kill the killer of their loved ones? How can you fault people for what they do in grief?”” [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grief transforms into rage, turning victims into the very monsters they hate, perpetuating cycles of violence and making peace feel unattainable. **In simple terms:** Grief fuels rage, turning us into what we despise. Key Takeaway Recognize how grief drives destructive cycles. Themes grief rage cycle of violence peace identity Mood painful reflective somber Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - war - personal loss - family tragedy - revenge scenarios - community healing Key Concepts psychology moral conflict emotional transformation Questions to Reflect On - How does grief shape your actions? - Can hatred be broken by understanding? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex motivations behind conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Loved ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-ones/) [Rage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rage/) ## Related quotes > [“I am thinking of Achilles’ grief, he said. That famous, terrible, grief. Let me tell you boys something. Such grief can only be told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/i-am-thinking-of-achilles-grief-he-said-that-famous-terrible-grief/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [“You know nothing about my grief", said Anastasia. " So speak nothing of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-legrand/you-know-nothing-about-my-grief-said-anastasia-so-speak-nothing-of-it/) [Claire Legrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-legrand/) > [“Grief,” he said, “is carnivorous. It feeds whether you’re awake or not, whether you fight it or you don’t. Much like cancer. And one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/grief-he-said-is-carnivorous-it-feeds-whether-you-re-awake-or-not/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“You can't fix grief,” said Simon. “A rabbi told me that when my father died. The only thing that fixes grief is time, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-can-t-fix-grief-said-simon-a-rabbi-told-me-that-when-my-father/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Grief, he said, is carnivorous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/grief-he-said-is-carnivorous/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“I made an attempt to reach him in his grief. I said, "I've had this pain. To tell you it will go away would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-brown/i-made-an-attempt-to-reach-him-in-his-grief-i-said-i-ve-had-this-pain/) [Eli Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-brown/) > [“Stephen Colbert still mourns. “Grief,” he said, “will always accept the invitation to appear. It’s got plenty of time for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-watson/stephen-colbert-still-mourns-grief-he-said-will-always-accept-the/) [Bruce Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-watson/) > [“Other people's grief is sweet; success is not joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/other-people-s-grief-is-sweet-success-is-not-joy/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [“I need to tell about my people in their grief. I don’t think grief is something they get over or get away from. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-need-to-tell-about-my-people-in-their-grief-i-don-t-think-grief-is/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“people in grief can imagine many things. It makes them feel better. It doesn't make it real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/people-in-grief-can-imagine-many-things-it-makes-them-feel-better-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [People are people, and grief that is limited to those within a specific political boundary denies the humanity of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jensen/people-are-people-and-grief-that-is-limited-to-those-within-a/) [Robert Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jensen/) > [“This is why you need everyone you know after a disaster, because there is not one right response. It's what paralyzes people around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mccracken/this-is-why-you-need-everyone-you-know-after-a-disaster-because-there/) [Elizabeth McCracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mccracken/) > [People in grief need someone to walk with them without judging them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/people-in-grief-need-someone-to-walk-with-them-without-judging-them/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [One of the things that happens to people in grief is they secretly think they're crazy, because they realize they are thinking things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/one-of-the-things-that-happens-to-people-in-grief-is-they-secretly/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“There was something about other people's grief that was so exposing, so personal, that she felt she shouldn't be looking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fallon/there-was-something-about-other-people-s-grief-that-was-so-exposing/) [Jane Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fallon/) ## More by Laini Taylor > [“Word spread quickly: The visitor wished to address the scholars. 'What can he want?' they wondered, streaming into the Royal Theater. Attendance was voluntary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/word-spread-quickly-the-visitor-wished-to-address-the-scholars-what/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“The past and the future were just blinders we wore so that infinity wouldn’t drive us mad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/the-past-and-the-future-were-just-blinders-we-wore-so-that-infinity/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“I love books. Not just for what they contain. I love them as objects too, as ever-present reminders of what they contain, and because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/i-love-books-not-just-for-what-they-contain-i-love-them-as-objects/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“To the naked eye, he’s decent kissing height if I wear platforms, though of course a live test will be required before official certification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/to-the-naked-eye-he-s-decent-kissing-height-if-i-wear-platforms/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [You almost hold up your piece of paper and say, ‘The girl I like just gave me a treasure map to herself.’ But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/you-almost-hold-up-your-piece-of-paper-and-say-the-girl-i-like-just/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“...You are not just going to vanish like this, Karou. This isn't some goddamn Narnia book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/you-are-not-just-going-to-vanish-like-this-karou-this-isn-t-some/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [Have you ever asked yourself, do monsters make war, or does war make monsters?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/have-you-ever-asked-yourself-do-monsters-make-war-or-does-war-make/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“She told Mik, "You have perfect violin-playing muscles." "And you, with your mighty puppeteer arms. We put the chimaera to shame." She stopped fanning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/she-told-mik-you-have-perfect-violin-playing-muscles-and-you-with/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [As far back as she could remember, a phantom life had mocked her with its impenetrable “something else,” but now it was the opposite.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/as-far-back-as-she-could-remember-a-phantom-life-had-mocked-her-with/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“By the time the plan's wheels touched down on a desolate stretch of desert runway, the sun had cleared a ridge of mountains and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/by-the-time-the-plan-s-wheels-touched-down-on-a-desolate-stretch-of/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“It was hard to imagine feeling that magical tingling sensation in the pit of her belly anytime soon. Best not to worry about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/it-was-hard-to-imagine-feeling-that-magical-tingling-sensation-in-the/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [“He listened like a cactus drinks the rain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/he-listened-like-a-cactus-drinks-the-rain/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [Around Mik, my powers desert me. I lose basic motor function, like my brain focuses all neural activity on my lips and shifts into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/around-mik-my-powers-desert-me-i-lose-basic-motor-function-like-my/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [Everything lined up. It has been easy, as if it were meant-" "Meant!" she said, amazed. She spun to face him, which, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/everything-lined-up-it-has-been-easy-as-if-it-were-meant-meant-she/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) [Explore all 715 Laini Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's grief,\" said Akiva. \"It's rage. It makes us into the thing we despise.\" And he thought, And I was the thing you despised. Am I still? \"Its the fuel for everything our people have done to each other since the beginning. That's what makes peace seem impossible. How can you blame someone for wanting to kill the killer of their loved ones? 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