--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A knife can be used both to heal and…" description: "\"“A knife can be used both to heal and hurt. Wether in the hands of a surgeon or the hands of a criminal it's the same instrument. Tools are seldom good..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/olivia-fox-cabane-61550_quote_a-knife-can-be-used-both-to-heal-and-hur_396443.jpg" --- # A knife can be used both to heal and hurt. Wether in the… ![“A knife can be used both to heal and hurt. Wether in the hands of a surgeon or the hands of a criminal it's the same instrument. Tools are seldom good or bad per se - You get to decide how to use them and that's what matters.” quote by Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/olivia-fox-cabane-61550_quote_a-knife-can-be-used-both-to-heal-and-hur_396443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/olivia-fox-cabane-61550_quote_a-knife-can-be-used-both-to-heal-and-hur_396443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/177/olivia-fox-cabane-61550_quote_a-knife-can-be-used-both-to-heal-and-hur_396443.jpg) > ““A knife can be used both to heal and hurt. Wether in the hands of a surgeon or the hands of a criminal it's the same instrument. Tools are seldom good or bad per se - You get to decide how to use them and that's what matters.”” [Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tools themselves are neutral; their impact depends on the user's intent and skill. **In simple terms:** Tools are neutral; use decides value. Key Takeaway Choose purposeful use of tools. Themes responsibility choice ethics Mood thoughtful reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - medical surgery - crime - creative work - everyday tasks Key Concepts instrumentality human agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your tools serve positive goals? - What safeguards can prevent harmful misuse? A Different Perspective Tools can be misused despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to-cut-bread-to-share-with-your/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“The word is “like a knife” because it can be used as a tool or weapon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/the-word-is-like-a-knife-because-it-can-be-used-as-a-tool-or-weapon/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [“What can be used to heal, can also be used to hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brownell-landrum/what-can-be-used-to-heal-can-also-be-used-to-hurt/) Brownell Landrum > [My pen shall heal, not hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-pen-shall-heal-not-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sharing his memories felt like handing over a sharp knife. A knife that others might handle carelessly. A knife that could be used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-j-kirby/sharing-his-memories-felt-like-handing-over-a-sharp-knife-a-knife/) [Matthew J. Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-j-kirby/) > [Sometimes to heal, you must first get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-allston/sometimes-to-heal-you-must-first-get-hurt/) [Aaron Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-allston/) > [Words can help, words can heal...they can also hurt, and can also kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-walters/words-can-help-words-can-heal-they-can-also-hurt-and-can-also-kill/) [Tim Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-walters/) > [To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal, if you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel - on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-touch-is-to-heal-to-hurt-is-to-steal-if-you-want-to-kiss-the-sky/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The solid truth of the matter is, when you find - if you want to help heal the hurt, if you want to hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-solid-truth-of-the-matter-is-when-you-find-if-you-want-to-help/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Always choose to heal, not to hurt. To forgive, not to despise. To persevere, not to quit. To smile, not to frown and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/always-choose-to-heal-not-to-hurt-to-forgive-not-to-despise-to-2/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Always choose to heal, not to hurt, to forgive not to despise, to persevere not to quit, to smile not to frown, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/always-choose-to-heal-not-to-hurt-to-forgive-not-to-despise-to/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [From afar, I have cried watching my nation, sore with prejudice, slowly heal itself. I hurt along with America, my phantom pains only alleviated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-domingo/from-afar-i-have-cried-watching-my-nation-sore-with-prejudice-slowly/) [Colman Domingo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-domingo/) > [If I am content to heal a hurt slightly, saying "Peace, peace," where is no peace; if I forget the poignant word "Let love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-i-am-content-to-heal-a-hurt-slightly-saying-peace-peace-where-is/) [Amy Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-carmichael/) > [“I am sorry that the only way we have been taught to heal is to hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alok-vaid-menon/i-am-sorry-that-the-only-way-we-have-been-taught-to-heal-is-to-hurt/) [Alok Vaid-Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alok-vaid-menon/) > [“We do not need to succumb to the temptation to meet such a violation with retaliation. The only way to heal this hurt is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-do-not-need-to-succumb-to-the-temptation-to-meet-such-a-violation/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## More by Olivia Fox Cabane > [“Presence, power and warmth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-fox-cabane/presence-power-and-warmth/) [Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) > [“IN THE TORRID London summer of 1886, William Gladstone was up against Benjamin Disraeli for the post of prime minister of the United Kingdom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-fox-cabane/in-the-torrid-london-summer-of-1886-william-gladstone-was-up-against/) [Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) > [“You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. Within a few seconds, with just a glance, people have judged your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-fox-cabane/you-never-get-a-second-chance-to-make-a-great-first-impression-within/) [Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) > [“Human beings remember "firsts"- the first time something happens, or the begining of an experience- and we tend to remember "lasts" as well. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-fox-cabane/human-beings-remember-firsts-the-first-time-something-happens-or-the/) [Olivia Fox Cabane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) [Explore all 5 Olivia Fox Cabane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fox-cabane/) ## More Heal quotes > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [ I guarantee you \[Hillary Clinton\] is smoking in humiliation over the idea that she needs to heal and that \[Donald\] Trump's the guy to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-guarantee-you-hillary-clinton-is-smoking-in-humiliation-over-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [“Our irises are galaxies; our pupils are black holes if we allow ourselves to bottle up everything inside us instead of allowing ourselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-johnston/our-irises-are-galaxies-our-pupils-are-black-holes-if-we-allow/) Jaclyn Johnston > [Spirituality does not have to be serious. You are spirituality. Fun laughter heal you faster than anything. Introduce fun back into your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/spirituality-does-not-have-to-be-serious-you-are-spirituality-fun/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [There's nothing that the road cannot heal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-nothing-that-the-road-cannot-heal/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [If you don't feel free and be yourself, you can't connect. Find people who accept your quirks. They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Time does not heal anything, it just teaches us how to live with THE PAIN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/time-does-not-heal-anything-it-just-teaches-us-how-to-live-with-the/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [“Sleep deeply, the sleep of our people, chosen one of my sister,that you will heal completely and wake refreshed and in full strength.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/sleep-deeply-the-sleep-of-our-people-chosen-one-of-my-sister-that-you/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [Time doesn't heal, time helps heal and learning helps heal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-izzo/time-doesn-t-heal-time-helps-heal-and-learning-helps-heal/) [Tom Izzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-izzo/) > [“A heart that bleeds instead of beats in thousands of broken bits - pick one up and the sharp shard scrapes your hand; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-kowalski/a-heart-that-bleeds-instead-of-beats-in-thousands-of-broken-bits-pick/) Martha Kowalski > [We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/we-come-unbidden-into-this-life-and-if-we-are-lucky-we-find-a-purpose/) [Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/) > [There are some - called 'death fatigue' - people who just grow so tired of death, so they don't want to keep perpetuating death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-are-some-called-death-fatigue-people-who-just-grow-so-tired-of/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Art is love creating the new world and justice is love rolling up its sleeves to heal the old one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/art-is-love-creating-the-new-world-and-justice-is-love-rolling-up-its/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) Browse all 2,227 Heal quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A knife can be used both to heal and hurt. Wether in the hands of a surgeon or the hands of a criminal it's the same instrument. 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