--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It could be said that just about anyone…" description: "\"It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is our neighbor, but it especially applies to those we would be least likely to love.\" — Leith And..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png" --- # It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is… ![“It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is our neighbor, but it especially applies to those we would be least likely to love.” quote by Leith Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png) > “It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is our neighbor, but it especially applies to those we would be least likely to love.” [Leith Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leith-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Everyone we meet is a neighbor, especially those we find hardest to love, urging empathy beyond comfort zones. **In simple terms:** All people are neighbors, even those we dislike. Key Takeaway Practice empathy toward all. Themes empathy humanity relationships Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - neighborhood interactions - online communities - conflict resolution Key Concepts social ethics inclusion Questions to Reflect On - Who do you struggle to love? - How can you show kindness to them? A Different Perspective Loving the difficult may feel forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Encounter Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounter-neighbor-1845924/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Especially Applies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/especially-applies-1845926/) [Likely Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/likely-love-1845925/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Neighbor Especially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor-especially-1845923/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [The greater our commitment, the more likely our love will last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-greater-our-commitment-the-more-likely-our-love-will-last/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“We are way less likely to love someone just because they love us than we are to hate someone just because they hate us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/we-are-way-less-likely-to-love-someone-just-because-they-love-us-than/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The Internet offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-internet-offers-immense-possibilities-for-encounter-and/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [...not all encounters with the world affect the mind equally. Studies have demonstrated that if the brain appraises an event as "meaningful," it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/not-all-encounters-with-the-world-affect-the-mind-equally-studies/) [Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/) > [A crisis is a close encounter of the third kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/a-crisis-is-a-close-encounter-of-the-third-kind/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [God isn't chocolate, he's the encounter between chocolate and the palate capable of appreciating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-nothomb/god-isn-t-chocolate-he-s-the-encounter-between-chocolate-and-the/) [Amelie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-nothomb/) > [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/) [David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/) > [The goal in raising one's child is to enable him, first, to discover who he wants to be, and then to become a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-bettelheim/the-goal-in-raising-one-s-child-is-to-enable-him-first-to-discover/) [Bruno Bettelheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-bettelheim/) > [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/if-you-abide-in-the-love-of-christ-rooted-in-the-faith-you-will/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Wherever you encounter truth, look upon it as Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/wherever-you-encounter-truth-look-upon-it-as-christianity/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [The truly still mind, with which you were born, is the mind that moves freely. Without ignoring anything, it reacts wholeheartedly to everything it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soko-morinaga/the-truly-still-mind-with-which-you-were-born-is-the-mind-that-moves/) [Soko Morinaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soko-morinaga/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Gun control laws don't work. What is worse, they act perversely. While legitimate users of firearms encounter intense regulation, scrutiny and bureaucratic control, illicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/gun-control-laws-don-t-work-what-is-worse-they-act-perversely-while/) [Daniel D. Polsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-polsby/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) ## More by Leith Anderson > [The significant mistake of the traditionalists is they require the people to start where the church is instead of the church starting where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/the-significant-mistake-of-the-traditionalists-is-they-require-the/) [Leith Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leith-anderson/) > [The simple definition of evangelism: Those who know, telling those who don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/the-simple-definition-of-evangelism-those-who-know-telling-those-who/) [Leith Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leith-anderson/) [Explore all 3 Leith Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leith-anderson/) ## More Encounters quotes > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [Gun control laws don't work. What is worse, they act perversely. While legitimate users of firearms encounter intense regulation, scrutiny and bureaucratic control, illicit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/gun-control-laws-don-t-work-what-is-worse-they-act-perversely-while/) [Daniel D. Polsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-polsby/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [The truly still mind, with which you were born, is the mind that moves freely. Without ignoring anything, it reacts wholeheartedly to everything it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soko-morinaga/the-truly-still-mind-with-which-you-were-born-is-the-mind-that-moves/) [Soko Morinaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soko-morinaga/) > [Wherever you encounter truth, look upon it as Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/wherever-you-encounter-truth-look-upon-it-as-christianity/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/if-you-abide-in-the-love-of-christ-rooted-in-the-faith-you-will/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The goal in raising one's child is to enable him, first, to discover who he wants to be, and then to become a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-bettelheim/the-goal-in-raising-one-s-child-is-to-enable-him-first-to-discover/) [Bruno Bettelheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-bettelheim/) > [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/) [David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/) > [God isn't chocolate, he's the encounter between chocolate and the palate capable of appreciating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelie-nothomb/god-isn-t-chocolate-he-s-the-encounter-between-chocolate-and-the/) [Amelie Nothomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelie-nothomb/) > [A crisis is a close encounter of the third kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/a-crisis-is-a-close-encounter-of-the-third-kind/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [...not all encounters with the world affect the mind equally. Studies have demonstrated that if the brain appraises an event as "meaningful," it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/not-all-encounters-with-the-world-affect-the-mind-equally-studies/) [Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/) > [The Internet offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-internet-offers-immense-possibilities-for-encounter-and/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I've had some very close encounters with the other side. They chose me to do this - I was doing this all before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-bagans/i-ve-had-some-very-close-encounters-with-the-other-side-they-chose-me/) [Zak Bagans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-bagans/) > [The impulse to paint comes neither from observation nor from the soul (which is probably blind) but from an encounter: the encounter between painter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/the-impulse-to-paint-comes-neither-from-observation-nor-from-the-soul/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) [Browse all 1,199 Encounters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is our neighbor, but it especially applies to those we would be least likely to love.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leith Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone-we-encounter-is-our-neighbor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Encounters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone-we-encounter-is-our-neighbor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/leith-anderson-87120_encounters_it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone_2589170.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It could be said that just about anyone we encounter is our neighbor, but it especially applies to those we…” — Leith Anderson", "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": "Leith Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leith-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It could be said that just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone-we-encounter-is-our-neighbor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leith-anderson/it-could-be-said-that-just-about-anyone-we-encounter-is-our-neighbor/#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 } } ] } ```