--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My searing desire to atone for having…" description: "\"My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me resist the temptations to join the world of lies.\" — Liu Xiaobo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg" --- # My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me… ![“My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me resist the temptations to join the world of lies.” quote by Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg) > “My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me resist the temptations to join the world of lies.” [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survivor's guilt drives a commitment to truth, resisting deceit and fostering moral responsibility. **In simple terms:** Survivor guilt fuels moral action. Key Takeaway Channel guilt into ethical work. Themes ethics survivor guilt truth Mood reflective determined Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - activism - writing - public speaking Key Concepts philosophy human rights integrity Questions to Reflect On - How does guilt motivate you? - What practices sustain integrity? A Different Perspective Guilt can be paralyzing; balance needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Those that are in the state of widowhood must resist the temptations of their youth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-b-brewer/those-that-are-in-the-state-of-widowhood-must-resist-the-temptations/) [Nancy B. Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-b-brewer/) > [The answer is the same for everyone: we must, and we can, resist temptations of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/the-answer-is-the-same-for-everyone-we-must-and-we-can-resist/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [I resist my temptations in order to feel i am free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-gayle/i-resist-my-temptations-in-order-to-feel-i-am-free/) [Mike Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-gayle/) > [What I learned with Cecil Taylor was strategy and survival and how to resist temptations and resist getting discouraged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lacy/what-i-learned-with-cecil-taylor-was-strategy-and-survival-and-how-to/) [Steve Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lacy/) > [Everyone is tested. One might think it is unfair to be singled out and subjected to a particular temptation, but this is the purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/everyone-is-tested-one-might-think-it-is-unfair-to-be-singled-out-and/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) > [Every Christian is endued with a power whereby he is enabled to resist temptations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tillotson/every-christian-is-endued-with-a-power-whereby-he-is-enabled-to/) [John Tillotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tillotson/) > [Without prayer it is impossible to resist temptations and to keep the commandments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/without-prayer-it-is-impossible-to-resist-temptations-and-to-keep-the/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) > [What you resist will persist; what you befriend, you will transcend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/what-you-resist-will-persist-what-you-befriend-you-will-transcend/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“People tend to resist a change into something new and different. But after it's succeded, they easily say that the change is a must.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/people-tend-to-resist-a-change-into-something-new-and-different-but/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Lebanon was under Israeli occupation, up to its capital, but we did not consider that a disaster. Why? Because it was very clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/lebanon-was-under-israeli-occupation-up-to-its-capital-but-we-did-not/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [...when you resist what happens, your mind begins to race; the same thoughts that impinge upon you are actually created by you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/when-you-resist-what-happens-your-mind-begins-to-race-the-same/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [“Life is a flow which we can either resist or go with it gracefully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonmoy-acharjee/life-is-a-flow-which-we-can-either-resist-or-go-with-it-gracefully/) Tonmoy Acharjee > [We must resist the temptation of once again turning America into the traditional bogeyman of the left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-napolitano/we-must-resist-the-temptation-of-once-again-turning-america-into-the/) [Giorgio Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-napolitano/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [When you are what we call a 'minority writer,' a writer of color, a writer of any kind of difference, there is some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/when-you-are-what-we-call-a-minority-writer-a-writer-of-color-a/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) ## More by Liu Xiaobo > [It took Hong Kong 100 years to become what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/it-took-hong-kong-100-years-to-become-what-it-is/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [Ultimately, change will happen when problems persist and enough people are concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/ultimately-change-will-happen-when-problems-persist-and-enough-people/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [“The ease with which money forgives bayonets and lies to justify the massacre with reasoned arguments”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/the-ease-with-which-money-forgives-bayonets-and-lies-to-justify-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [My dear, with your love I can calmly face my impending trial, having no regrets about the choices I've made and optimistically awaiting tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-dear-with-your-love-i-can-calmly-face-my-impending-trial-having-no/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I always think that reforms and turning China into a free country is a long and tortuous process. Despite this, in a totalitarian state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-always-think-that-reforms-and-turning-china-into-a-free-country-is/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [China, as a major nation of the world, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and as a member…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/china-as-a-major-nation-of-the-world-as-one-of-five-permanent-members/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I can't imagine here would be a Chinese Gorbachev. But the party will gradually open up. For instance, it has already set a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-can-t-imagine-here-would-be-a-chinese-gorbachev-but-the-party-will/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I do my best to make every word from my pen a cry from the heart for the souls of the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-do-my-best-to-make-every-word-from-my-pen-a-cry-from-the-heart-for/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [Our political system continues to produce human rights disasters and social crises, thereby not only constricting China's own development but also limiting the progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/our-political-system-continues-to-produce-human-rights-disasters-and/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [I have viewed the West as if it were not only the salvation of China but also the natural and ultimate destination of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/i-have-viewed-the-west-as-if-it-were-not-only-the-salvation-of-china/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [There is no force that can put an end to the human quest for freedom, and China will, in the end, become a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/there-is-no-force-that-can-put-an-end-to-the-human-quest-for-freedom/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [In order to exercise the right to freedom of speech conferred by the Constitution, one should fulfill the social responsibility of a Chinese citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/in-order-to-exercise-the-right-to-freedom-of-speech-conferred-by-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [In my view, Reform and Opening Up began with the abandonment of the 'using class struggle as guiding principle' government policy of the Mao…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/in-my-view-reform-and-opening-up-began-with-the-abandonment-of-the/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [If there has been any progress in the Chinese society and politics over the last 20 years, it is all because the citizens have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-there-has-been-any-progress-in-the-chinese-society-and-politics/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) > [“If you want to go to hell, don't complain of the dark'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/if-you-want-to-go-to-hell-don-t-complain-of-the-dark/) [Liu Xiaobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) [Explore all 48 Liu Xiaobo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me resist the temptations to join the world of lies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Liu Xiaobo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-survived-helps-me-resist-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-survived-helps-me-resist-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fd/liu-xiaobo-13994_desire_my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-su_503775.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My searing desire to atone for having survived helps me resist the temptations to join the world of lies.” — Liu Xiaobo", "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": "Liu Xiaobo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-xiaobo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My searing desire to atone for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-survived-helps-me-resist-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-xiaobo/my-searing-desire-to-atone-for-having-survived-helps-me-resist-the/#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 } } ] } ```