--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But never, ever mistake kindness for…" description: "\"“But never, ever mistake kindness for weakness.”\" — Louise Penny" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png" --- # But never, ever mistake kindness for weakness. ![“But never, ever mistake kindness for weakness.” quote by Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png) > ““But never, ever mistake kindness for weakness.”” [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kindness should not be confused with being easily manipulated; true strength includes compassion. **In simple terms:** Kindness isn’t weakness. Key Takeaway Treat others kindly while maintaining boundaries. Themes kindness strength boundaries Mood thoughtful confident Type advice motivational When to use this quote - workplace - personal relationships - leadership Key Concepts assertiveness emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - When does kindness become a liability? - How can you assert without losing compassion? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Kindness for weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-for-weakness/) [Kindness Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-weakness/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Mistake Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake-kindness-406709/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a very nice guy, but don't mistake my kindness for weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herjavec/i-m-a-very-nice-guy-but-don-t-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness/) [Robert Herjavec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herjavec/) > [Dont mistake my kindness for weakness.Ill choke you with the same hands I fed you off with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-ill-choke-you-with-the-same/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Please dont mistake my kindness for weakness, my tolerance of BS for insecurity nor my silence for stupidity...Im not confronting you because I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/please-dont-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-my-tolerance-of-bs-for/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [Dont mistake my kindness for weakness cause I'm twice the tiger inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-cause-i-m-twice-the-tiger-inside/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone. but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-i-am-kind-to-everyone-but-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My dad worked for Nestle for 26 years and ended up being the mayor of our hometown. One of the lessons I learned from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-smith/my-dad-worked-for-nestle-for-26-years-and-ended-up-being-the-mayor-of/) [Brad D. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-smith/) > [Please dont mistake my kindness for weakness cause youll be surely mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/please-dont-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-cause-youll-be-surely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dont mistake my kindness for weakness nor my silence for stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-nor-my-silence-for-stupidity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Never mistake my kindness for weakness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghandi/never-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness/) [Ghandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghandi/) > [“Do not mistake my kindness for weakness, I am kid to everyone, but if you are unkind to my it will not be weakness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-copone/do-not-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-i-am-kid-to-everyone-but-if/) [Al Copone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-copone/) > [Never pretend to be something you do not intend to be, and never drop a bomb if you can not handle the blast, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/never-pretend-to-be-something-you-do-not-intend-to-be-and-never-drop/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Don't mistake my silence for ignorance;don't mistake my calmness for acceptance.And most of all,don't mistake my kindness for WEAKNESS..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-mistake-my-silence-for-ignorance-don-t-mistake-my-calmness-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. Im nice to everyone but if you keep knocking on the devils door he's bound to answer someday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness-im-nice-to-everyone-but-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't mistake kindness for weakness, inside some kind souls may lay a sleeping tiger who is much bigger than you are. - Gideon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gideon-smith/don-t-mistake-kindness-for-weakness-inside-some-kind-souls-may-lay-a/) [Gideon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gideon-smith/) > [Don't mistake my kindness for weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-redman/don-t-mistake-my-kindness-for-weakness/) [Scott Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-redman/) ## More by Louise Penny > [“Whale oil beef hooked,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/whale-oil-beef-hooked/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“I am tired,” Gamache murmured as he walked into the gentle little village. “But I am at peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/i-am-tired-gamache-murmured-as-he-walked-into-the-gentle-little/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“The reason “belonging” was so potent, so attractive, so much a part of the human yearning, was that it also meant safety, and loyalty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-reason-belonging-was-so-potent-so-attractive-so-much-a-part-of/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“She picked up her book and tried to read but it was heavy in her hands. She struggled to hold it, wanting to finish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/she-picked-up-her-book-and-tried-to-read-but-it-was-heavy-in-her/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“We’re used to the film versions of psychopaths. The clearly crazies. But most psychopaths are clever. They have to be. They know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/we-re-used-to-the-film-versions-of-psychopaths-the-clearly-crazies/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Instead he stood erect, the snow insinuating itself down his collar and up his sleeves, plastering against his face and into his unblinking eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/instead-he-stood-erect-the-snow-insinuating-itself-down-his-collar/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“He was an emotional communist. Everyone counted equally, but none too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/he-was-an-emotional-communist-everyone-counted-equally-but-none-too/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [I turned down all the requests for the rights to the books, for years, mostly because they wanted the rights to the characters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/i-turned-down-all-the-requests-for-the-rights-to-the-books-for-years/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Chief Superintendent Arnot might hold power, but Armand Gamache was the more powerful man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/chief-superintendent-arnot-might-hold-power-but-armand-gamache-was/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Henri kept everything important in his heart. He mostly kept cookies in his head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/henri-kept-everything-important-in-his-heart-he-mostly-kept-cookies/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [A good journalist, as you know, is a great listener. And so's a good writer. And I got to listen to people for almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/a-good-journalist-as-you-know-is-a-great-listener-and-so-s-a-good/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [The question that haunted every investigation was 'why'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-question-that-haunted-every-investigation-was-why/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [But, like peace, comfort didn't come from hiding away or running away. Comfort first demanded courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/but-like-peace-comfort-didn-t-come-from-hiding-away-or-running-away/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“He did not suggest that she sit quietly and get to know herself so she could be all the company she needed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/he-did-not-suggest-that-she-sit-quietly-and-get-to-know-herself-so/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Come hither, all ye empty things,/Ye bubbles raised by breath of kings;/Who float upon the tide of state,/Come hither, and behold your fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/come-hither-all-ye-empty-things-ye-bubbles-raised-by-breath-of-kings/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) [Explore all 295 Louise Penny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But never, ever mistake kindness for weakness.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louise Penny" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weakness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weakness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/louise-penny-1059_failure_but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weak_3088701.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But never, ever mistake kindness for weakness.” — Louise Penny", "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": "Louise Penny", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But never, ever mistake kindness for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weakness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/but-never-ever-mistake-kindness-for-weakness/#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 } } ] } ```