--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart…" description: "\"“Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone, this all I have lived for, this all I have known.”\" — Les Miserables" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg" --- # Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone, this… ![“Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone, this all I have lived for, this all I have known.” quote by Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg) > ““Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone, this all I have lived for, this all I have known.”” [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Vengeful cycles turn hearts cold, perpetuating suffering and loss. **In simple terms:** Revenge hardens the heart and spreads pain. Key Takeaway Break the cycle of revenge. Themes revenge human nature pain redemption Mood somber thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal healing - social justice Key Concepts justice forgiveness emotional transformation Questions to Reflect On - Can forgiveness replace the desire for revenge? - What alternatives exist to ending a cycle of harm? A Different Perspective Seeking vengeance often deepens hurt rather than healing it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eye for an eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-for-an-eye/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [The entire method consists in the order and arrangement of the things to which the mind's eye must turn so that we can discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/the-entire-method-consists-in-the-order-and-arrangement-of-the-things/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) > [“They had lived and known glory, and then they were ddead. She was alive and they were not, and nothing but a heartbeat separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-thomas/they-had-lived-and-known-glory-and-then-they-were-ddead-she-was-alive/) [Rosie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-thomas/) > [Turn off your brain and turn on your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axwell/turn-off-your-brain-and-turn-on-your-heart/) [Axwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axwell/) > [The time has come to turn your heart into a temple of fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/the-time-has-come-to-turn-your-heart-into-a-temple-of-fire/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Trust your heart and embrace the journey. You may make a wrong turn but your heart will get you back on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-yen-a-gardner/trust-your-heart-and-embrace-the-journey-you-may-make-a-wrong-turn/) [E'yen A. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-yen-a-gardner/) > [Pleasures may turn a heart to stone, riches may make it callous, but sorrows cannot break it. Hearts live by being wounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pleasures-may-turn-a-heart-to-stone-riches-may-make-it-callous-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I need someone to shut off my brain, and turn on my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-need-someone-to-shut-off-my-brain-and-turn-on-my-heart/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“Who Do You Turn To? By Sydney Baker When you’ve lost all of your hope, Who do you turn to? When your heart turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-frances/who-do-you-turn-to-by-sydney-baker-when-you-ve-lost-all-of-your-hope/) Deanna Frances > [“The thing with love is, you cannot choose who you fall for. Falling in love often happens at the wrong time, in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-reed/the-thing-with-love-is-you-cannot-choose-who-you-fall-for-falling-in/) [J.C. Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-reed/) > [Lower your gaze from the world and turn your heart away from it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umar/lower-your-gaze-from-the-world-and-turn-your-heart-away-from-it/) [Umar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umar/) > [“Just as much as you cannot stop growing feelings for a certain man, there’s no switch to turn off your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-reed/just-as-much-as-you-cannot-stop-growing-feelings-for-a-certain-man/) [J.C. Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-reed/) > [Love turn my heart into a hell and my eyes into rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-turn-my-heart-into-a-hell-and-my-eyes-into-rivers/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God is always working in every detail of our lives to help us turn our heart toward him. The life we've always wanted is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-heim-and-lisa-heim/god-is-always-working-in-every-detail-of-our-lives-to-help-us-turn/) Gary Heim and Lisa Heim > [God's eternal laws are kind-and break the heart of stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/god-s-eternal-laws-are-kind-and-break-the-heart-of-stone/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Heart of stone will be shattered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/heart-of-stone-will-be-shattered/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) ## More by Les Miserables > [“Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the posture of the body, the soul is on it's knees.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/certain-thoughts-are-prayers-there-are-moments-when-whatever-the/) [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) > [To love anther person is to see the face of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/to-love-anther-person-is-to-see-the-face-of-god/) [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) > [Watch 'em run amuck, Catch 'em as they fall, Never know your luck When there's a free for all, Here a little 'dip' There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/watch-em-run-amuck-catch-em-as-they-fall-never-know-your-luck-when/) [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) > [Rain will make the flowers grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/rain-will-make-the-flowers-grow/) [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) > [“You are never fully dressed until you put on a smile!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/you-are-never-fully-dressed-until-you-put-on-a-smile/) [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) > [“What's the use of praying if there's nobody who hears?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/what-s-the-use-of-praying-if-there-s-nobody-who-hears/) [Les Miserables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) [Explore all 7 Les Miserables quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/) ## More Eye for an eye quotes > [There are some - called 'death fatigue' - people who just grow so tired of death, so they don't want to keep perpetuating death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-are-some-called-death-fatigue-people-who-just-grow-so-tired-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Any racial reconciliation we've had in this country has come not out of confrontation but out of a spirit of reconciliation. If we continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/any-racial-reconciliation-we-ve-had-in-this-country-has-come-not-out/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/an-eye-for-an-eye-will-only-make-the-whole-world-blind/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [And violence is impractical, because the old eye for an eye philosophy ends up leaving everybody blind .. It is immoral because it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/and-violence-is-impractical-because-the-old-eye-for-an-eye-philosophy/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“When we examine, not the language of the propaganda, but the witness of the combatants themselves, religion does not occupy the first place. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzvetan-todorov/when-we-examine-not-the-language-of-the-propaganda-but-the-witness-of/) [Tzvetan Todorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzvetan-todorov/) > [The South is the home of 'an eye for an eye.' 'Turning the other cheek'? The South can't see that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/the-south-is-the-home-of-an-eye-for-an-eye-turning-the-other-cheek/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [Here we again Loving you has caused me so much pain But you don't see it, you never see it So why apologize I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-braxton/here-we-again-loving-you-has-caused-me-so-much-pain-but-you-don-t-see/) [Toni Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-braxton/) > [The message of Good Friday is that the dictum of an eye for an eye cannot work. The way to conquer evil is through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-message-of-good-friday-is-that-the-dictum-of-an-eye-for-an-eye/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am always nice to people who are cold and mean to me because deep down I feel that I do not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-peris/i-am-always-nice-to-people-who-are-cold-and-mean-to-me-because-deep/) [Judy Peris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-peris/) > [If you carry on, You won't win that fight, If you take me on, You'll find my breaking point Please don't test my (Patience)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentines/if-you-carry-on-you-won-t-win-that-fight-if-you-take-me-on-you-ll/) Bullet For My Valentines > [“They smiling in his face quietly plotting his erase...but I'm smiling in his face because they became erased”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-smiling-in-his-face-quietly-plotting-his-erase-but-i-m-smiling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. That old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-build-dikes-of-courage-to-hold-back-the-flood-of-fear-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“You've got to do what you've got to do, and in my case, I had to kill him. Nobody was going to get on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparkling-amethyst/you-ve-got-to-do-what-you-ve-got-to-do-and-in-my-case-i-had-to-kill/) Sparkling Amethyst > [An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/an-eye-for-an-eye-and-a-tooth-for-a-tooth/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“An eye for an eye makes the whole world look funny because nobody has eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lajoie/an-eye-for-an-eye-makes-the-whole-world-look-funny-because-nobody-has/) [Jon Lajoie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lajoie/) [Browse all 123 Eye for an eye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-for-an-eye/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone, this all I have lived for, this all I have known.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Les Miserables" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-into-stone-this-all-i-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eye for an eye" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-into-stone-this-all-i-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ee/les-miserables-49364_eye-for-an-eye_take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-i_2508309.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone, this all I have lived for, this all I have known.” — Les Miserables", "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": "Les Miserables", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-miserables/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Take an eye for an eye,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-into-stone-this-all-i-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-miserables/take-an-eye-for-an-eye-turn-your-heart-into-stone-this-all-i-have/#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 } } ] } ```