--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all do stupid, cruel things as…" description: "\"“We all do stupid, cruel things as children. I remember I once took a neighbor's dog and shut it in my house, then told the little girl her dog had bee..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png" --- # We all do stupid, cruel things as children. I remember I… ![“We all do stupid, cruel things as children. I remember I once took a neighbor's dog and shut it in my house, then told the little girl her dog had been picked up by the dog catcher and destroyed. I still wake up at three in the morning seeing her face. I tracked her down about ten years ago to say…” quote by Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png) > ““We all do stupid, cruel things as children. I remember I once took a neighbor's dog and shut it in my house, then told the little girl her dog had been picked up by the dog catcher and destroyed. I still wake up at three in the morning seeing her face. I tracked her down about ten years ago to say I was sorry but she'd been killed in a car accident." "You have to forgive yourself", said Gamache, holding up Being. "You're right, of course. But maybe I don't want to. Maybe that's something I don't want to lose. My own private hell. Horrible, but mine.”” [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. Highlights the struggle of self‑forgiveness after harming others, especially in childhood **In simple terms:** We often cling to guilt as a private torment Key Takeaway Acknowledge guilt but seek healing Themes psychology guilt redemption Mood reflective somber Type literary psychological When to use this quote - therapy sessions - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts moral development self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - Can you ever fully forgive yourself? - What does letting go of guilt change? A Different Perspective Guilt can become a self‑imposed prison ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Forgive yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive-yourself/) [Little girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-girl/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you know, Armand, I can’t remember the last time I felt safe.” “I know what you mean,” said Gamache. “It feels as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/do-you-know-armand-i-can-t-remember-the-last-time-i-felt-safe-i-know/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Don't be so sure," said Gamache. "It's a little humbling to realize the pedestal isn't quite so high after all." Brebeuf chuckled. "Welcome to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/don-t-be-so-sure-said-gamache-it-s-a-little-humbling-to-realize-the/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Could someone have hated him enough to kill?” asked Gamache. “There are a lot of reasons for murder, Chief Inspector, as you know.” “Actually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/could-someone-have-hated-him-enough-to-kill-asked-gamache-there-are-a/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“When senior officers start shooting each other, it’s time to leave,” said Gamache. “I’m sure it’s somewhere in the regulations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/when-senior-officers-start-shooting-each-other-it-s-time-to-leave/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [Let every man shovel out his own snow, and the whole city will be passable," said Gamache. Seeing Beauvoir's puzzled expression he added, "Emerson."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/let-every-man-shovel-out-his-own-snow-and-the-whole-city-will-be-2/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Old sins have long shadows," said Gamache. "And this is an old sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/old-sins-have-long-shadows-said-gamache-and-this-is-an-old-sin/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [I've certainly faced some raw, real pain in my life. I lost my father to a car accident when I was young. My mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/i-ve-certainly-faced-some-raw-real-pain-in-my-life-i-lost-my-father/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [Why must we be so cruel to the things we don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-must-we-be-so-cruel-to-the-things-we-don-t-understand/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I look at history, it seems that most wars and most cruel things have been done by men and not by women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-zumthor/if-i-look-at-history-it-seems-that-most-wars-and-most-cruel-things/) [Peter Zumthor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-zumthor/) > [“Thus it was, that when the little hairy man arrived back from the village of Revelry (although why it was so called no man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/thus-it-was-that-when-the-little-hairy-man-arrived-back-from-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I like laughing about cruel things because life is cruel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaspar-noe/i-like-laughing-about-cruel-things-because-life-is-cruel/) [Gaspar Noe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaspar-noe/) > [He told them tales of bees and flowers, the ways of trees, and the strange creatures of the Forest, about the evil things and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-told-them-tales-of-bees-and-flowers-the-ways-of-trees-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What mean and cruel things men can do for the love of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/what-mean-and-cruel-things-men-can-do-for-the-love-of-god/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“Ah, yes, this is the way of it, eh? A heathen and his woman?” His face twisted in a sneer as he rolled her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/ah-yes-this-is-the-way-of-it-eh-a-heathen-and-his-woman-his-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [Your kids can say some cruel things to you at times. For example, Nicole, Miles and Sofie are standing there in the room and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-richie/your-kids-can-say-some-cruel-things-to-you-at-times-for-example/) [Lionel Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-richie/) ## 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 Car accident quotes > [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/) [Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/) > [A tragic car accident put me in a wheelchair and dashed my hopes and dreams for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/a-tragic-car-accident-put-me-in-a-wheelchair-and-dashed-my-hopes-and/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. The fifteen-year-old boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-think-a-hero-is-an-ordinary-individual-who-finds-the-strength-to/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [My mother's sister was killed in a trolley car accident, so I was raised as one of eight with my sister and six male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-king/my-mother-s-sister-was-killed-in-a-trolley-car-accident-so-i-was/) [Alan King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-king/) > [Her: I make heads turn when I walk in a room. Me: People always stare at car accidents. -Just Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ephrem-hardin/her-i-make-heads-turn-when-i-walk-in-a-room-me-people-always-stare-at/) [Ephrem Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ephrem-hardin/) > [My husband and I had recently been in a car accident, and I came out of that experience with more clarity about my career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-liebman/my-husband-and-i-had-recently-been-in-a-car-accident-and-i-came-out/) [Wendy Liebman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-liebman/) > [If you recognize that self-driving cars are going to prevent car accidents, AI will be responsible for reducing one of the leading causes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/if-you-recognize-that-self-driving-cars-are-going-to-prevent-car/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [I never really knew what they said when they told me to Forgive and Forget. They tell me it's easy. Maybe for them. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-cavalinni/i-never-really-knew-what-they-said-when-they-told-me-to-forgive-and/) Brie Cavalinni > [“This is really disturbing. I think I'm being scarred as we speak. It's like paranormal porn." Alexis did look a little pale. "Do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mccarthy/this-is-really-disturbing-i-think-i-m-being-scarred-as-we-speak-it-s/) [Erin McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mccarthy/) > [Pain is strange. A cat killing a bird, a car accident, a fire… Pain arrives, BANG, and there it is, it sits on you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/pain-is-strange-a-cat-killing-a-bird-a-car-accident-a-fire-pain/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I was in a car accident in years ago, before they were careful with blood, and had to have a blood transfusion. The blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-lynn-sletten/i-was-in-a-car-accident-in-years-ago-before-they-were-careful-with/) [Deanna Lynn Sletten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-lynn-sletten/) > [I lost my mother and my brother when I was 15 in two separate car accidents. I was doing well at school. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-bennett/i-lost-my-mother-and-my-brother-when-i-was-15-in-two-separate-car/) [Manu Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-bennett/) > [When someone is in a car accident and they're driving at 100 mph, drunk, who's tape do you think his listening to at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/when-someone-is-in-a-car-accident-and-they-re-driving-at-100-mph/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) > [“Humans were so ridiculously fragile. They could die tripping over a damn chair leg. Car accidents could kill them. Colds turned into pneumonia and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/humans-were-so-ridiculously-fragile-they-could-die-tripping-over-a/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [If you're one car accident away from poverty, you're on a high wire without a safety net. And that's a challenging proposition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/if-you-re-one-car-accident-away-from-poverty-you-re-on-a-high-wire/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) Browse all 215 Car accident quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We all do stupid, cruel things as children. I remember I once took a neighbor's dog and shut it in my house, then told the little girl her dog had been picked up by the dog catcher and destroyed. I still wake up at three in the morning seeing her face. I tracked her down about ten years ago to say I was sorry but she'd been killed in a car accident.\" \"You have to forgive yourself\", said Gamache, holding up Being. \"You're right, of course. But maybe I don't want to. Maybe that's something I don't want to lose. My own private hell. Horrible, but mine.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louise Penny" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-children-i-remember-i-once-took-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Car accident" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-children-i-remember-i-once-took-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/louise-penny-1059_car-accident_we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-childre_2416062.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We all do stupid, cruel things as children. I remember I once took a neighbor's dog and shut it in my house…” — 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": "“We all do stupid, cruel things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-children-i-remember-i-once-took-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/we-all-do-stupid-cruel-things-as-children-i-remember-i-once-took-a/#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 } } ] } ```