--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before you know kindness as the deepest…" description: "\"Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.\" — Naomi Shihab Nye" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png" --- # Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you… ![“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.” quote by Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png) > “Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.” [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To understand deep kindness, one must also experience deep sorrow, as they are complementary aspects of the human condition. **In simple terms:** Kindness and sorrow are two sides of the same coin. Key Takeaway Accept sorrow to appreciate kindness fully. Themes empathy kindness sorrow humanity balance Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - counseling - personal growth - artistic expression - null Key Concepts Philosophy psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does sorrow deepen compassion? - Can kindness exist without sorrow? A Different Perspective Focusing on sorrow may lead to pessimism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) ## Related quotes > [“Kindness Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/kindness-before-you-know-what-kindness-really-is-you-must-lose-things/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [Tears are often to be found where there is little sorrow, and the deepest sorrow without any tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/tears-are-often-to-be-found-where-there-is-little-sorrow-and-the/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/before-you-know-what-kindness-really-is-you-must-lose-things-feel-the/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [We know kindness alone won't solve the world's problems, but we do know it can impact a person's ability to get through their day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-germanotta/we-know-kindness-alone-won-t-solve-the-world-s-problems-but-we-do/) [Cynthia Germanotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-germanotta/) > [Many of the worlds kindest people, do not know kindness themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshycrazyness/many-of-the-worlds-kindest-people-do-not-know-kindness-themselves/) [EwshyCrazyness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewshycrazyness/) > [“Imagine the greatness this world would know if kindness were as contagious and enduring as the common cold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/imagine-the-greatness-this-world-would-know-if-kindness-were-as/) [Richelle E. 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People who stuck only to their own kind were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/what-did-exclusivity-ever-have-to-offer-but-a-distorted-unrealistic/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [The thousands small birds of January in their smooth soaring cloud finding the trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/the-thousands-small-birds-of-january-in-their-smooth-soaring-cloud/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [When allowed to return to the class, your feelings of humility and lonesomeness will render you a much finer student and person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/when-allowed-to-return-to-the-class-your-feelings-of-humility-and/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [You know, those of us who leave our homes in the morning and expect to find them there when we go back - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/you-know-those-of-us-who-leave-our-homes-in-the-morning-and-expect-to/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) [Explore all 115 Naomi Shihab Nye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) ## More Grief quotes > [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. 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Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“You've been my beacon of light in my storm of grief, and I don't know if I could live without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/you-ve-been-my-beacon-of-light-in-my-storm-of-grief-and-i-don-t-know/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. 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The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Shihab Nye" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest-thing-inside-you-must-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest-thing-inside-you-must-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54b/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_grief_before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest_2688651.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.” — Naomi Shihab Nye", "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": "Naomi Shihab Nye", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Before you know kindness as the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest-thing-inside-you-must-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest-thing-inside-you-must-know/#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 } } ] } ```