--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No love or pity, pardon or excuse should…" description: "\"No love or pity, pardon or excuse should soften the sharp pang of reparation for the guilty man.\" — Louisa May Alcott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png" --- # No love or pity, pardon or excuse should soften the sharp… ![“No love or pity, pardon or excuse should soften the sharp pang of reparation for the guilty man.” quote by Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png) > “No love or pity, pardon or excuse should soften the sharp pang of reparation for the guilty man.” [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Justice must be unsoftened by sympathy; the guilty deserve full reparation. **In simple terms:** Do not let pity lessen justice for the guilty. Key Takeaway Uphold justice without compromise. Themes justice morality restitution empathy Mood thoughtful serious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - court decisions - personal forgiveness - social policy Key Concepts ethical philosophy legal theory Questions to Reflect On - When should mercy temper justice? - Can strict reparation aid healing? A Different Perspective Compassion can be essential for rehabilitation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [No love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-love/) [Pang Reparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pang-reparation-2881791/) [Pardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardon/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Pity Pardon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity-pardon-2881790/) [Reparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reparation-782394/) [Reparation Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reparation-guilty-2881789/) [Reparations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reparations/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [REPARATION, n. Satisfaction that is made for a wrong and deducted from the satisfaction felt in committing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/reparation-n-satisfaction-that-is-made-for-a-wrong-and-deducted-from/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [The families of the killed and disappeared are entitled to the right to know what happened to their loved ones, and to adequate reparation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-maurice-de-zayas/the-families-of-the-killed-and-disappeared-are-entitled-to-the-right/) [Alfred-Maurice de Zayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-maurice-de-zayas/) > [To speak evil of any one, unless there is unequivocal proofs of their deserving it, is an injury for which there is no adequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/to-speak-evil-of-any-one-unless-there-is-unequivocal-proofs-of-their/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [There is not, perhaps, to a mind well instructed, a more painful occurrence, than the death of one we have injured without reparation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/there-is-not-perhaps-to-a-mind-well-instructed-a-more-painful/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [And when the relics of humanity left among the Spaniards induced them to forbid their lawyers to set foot in America, what must they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/and-when-the-relics-of-humanity-left-among-the-spaniards-induced-them/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [REDRESS, n. Reparation without satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/redress-n-reparation-without-satisfaction/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Murder is the unique crime, the only one for which we can never make reparation to the victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-james/murder-is-the-unique-crime-the-only-one-for-which-we-can-never-make/) [P. D. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-james/) > [America has made no reparation to the Vietnamese, nothing. We are the richest people in the world and they are among the poorest. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/america-has-made-no-reparation-to-the-vietnamese-nothing-we-are-the/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [I should willingly give every drop of my blood to please Him and to prevent sinners offending Him. I shall be satisfied only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-galgani/i-should-willingly-give-every-drop-of-my-blood-to-please-him-and-to/) [Gemma Galgani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-galgani/) > [In the time just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when Perfidia opens, we were pre-psychologized. There were no concepts of identity, no politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/in-the-time-just-before-the-bombing-of-pearl-harbor-when-perfidia/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [“atonement noun atone·ment \\ə-ˈtōn-mənt\\ Satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.  ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-kennedy/atonement-noun-atone-ment-t-n-m-nt-satisfaction-or-reparation-for-a/) [Sloane Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-kennedy/) > [“They focused on reparation to the victim rather than punishment or fines levied on the perpetrator, and common consent of the people was necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-carson/they-focused-on-reparation-to-the-victim-rather-than-punishment-or/) [Ben Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-carson/) > [In one sense, no act of reparation will be satisfactory for those whose lives were so under-valued both as human beings held in slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilton-daniel-gregory/in-one-sense-no-act-of-reparation-will-be-satisfactory-for-those/) [Wilton Daniel Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilton-daniel-gregory/) > [I am optimistic globally. So many scientists are working frantically on the reparation of our planet. Unfortunately there are countries who are still destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-irwin/i-am-optimistic-globally-so-many-scientists-are-working-frantically/) [Steve Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-irwin/) > [I starred in a Broadway play that was Sidney Poitier's first directing job and the cast was Lou Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ladd and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steinberg/i-starred-in-a-broadway-play-that-was-sidney-poitier-s-first/) [David Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steinberg/) ## More by Louisa May Alcott > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“At three o'clock in the afternoon, all the fashionable world at Nice may be seen on the Promenade des Anglais—a charming place, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/at-three-o-clock-in-the-afternoon-all-the-fashionable-world-at-nice/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Please could I say one word?" was the question three times repeated before a rough head boobed out from the grotto of books in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/please-could-i-say-one-word-was-the-question-three-times-repeated/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Elegance has a bad effect on my constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/elegance-has-a-bad-effect-on-my-constitution/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“…the child's heart bled when it was broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-child-s-heart-bled-when-it-was-broken/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“She would make a man of me. She puts strength and courage into me as no one else can. She is unlike any girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/she-would-make-a-man-of-me-she-puts-strength-and-courage-into-me-as/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I read somewhere that every inch of rope used in the British Navy has a strand of red in it, so that wherever a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-read-somewhere-that-every-inch-of-rope-used-in-the-british-navy-has/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Chance words spoken in kindness often help amazingly; and that's what old people are here for -- else their experience is of little use.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/chance-words-spoken-in-kindness-often-help-amazingly-and-that-s-what/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Tired of my own company, I suppose, now I've seen so much better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/tired-of-my-own-company-i-suppose-now-i-ve-seen-so-much-better/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Oft in the silence of the night, When the lonely moon rides high, When wintry winds are whistling, And we hear the owl's shrill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/oft-in-the-silence-of-the-night-when-the-lonely-moon-rides-high-when/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [But buds will be roses, and kittens, cats - more's the pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/but-buds-will-be-roses-and-kittens-cats-more-s-the-pity/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman' and not be rough and wild, but do my duty here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-ll-try-and-be-what-he-loves-to-call-me-a-little-woman-and-not-be/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all that you really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/if-you-feel-your-value-lies-in-being-merely-decorative-i-fear-that/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“ "I do not ask for any crown But that which all may win; Nor try to conquer any world Except the world within." ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-do-not-ask-for-any-crown-but-that-which-all-may-win-nor-try-to/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Some books are so familiar that reading them is like being home again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/some-books-are-so-familiar-that-reading-them-is-like-being-home-again/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) [Explore all 681 Louisa May Alcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) ## More Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [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/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) [Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No love or pity, pardon or excuse should soften the sharp pang of reparation for the guilty man.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louisa May Alcott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should-soften-the-sharp-pang-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should-soften-the-sharp-pang-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/403/louisa-may-alcott-318_excuse_no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should_301777.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No love or pity, pardon or excuse should soften the sharp pang of reparation for the guilty man.” — Louisa May Alcott", "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": "Louisa May Alcott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No love or pity, pardon or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should-soften-the-sharp-pang-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/no-love-or-pity-pardon-or-excuse-should-soften-the-sharp-pang-of/#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 } } ] } ```