--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face…" description: "\"Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals. She'd lectured me for days after I'd instigat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg" --- # Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't… ![“Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals. She'd lectured me for days after I'd instigated the infamous hamster-and-hermit-crab fight. I'd viewed the fight as a testing of worthy opponents. She'd seen it as animal cruelty.” quote by Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg) > “Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals. She'd lectured me for days after I'd instigated the infamous hamster-and-hermit-crab fight. I'd viewed the fight as a testing of worthy opponents. She'd seen it as animal cruelty.” [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion for animals contrasts with human conflict, highlighting moral priorities. **In simple terms:** Compassion vs cruelty. Key Takeaway Choose empathy over conflict. Themes compassion animal rights conflict morality Mood thoughtful reflective Type narrative ethical When to use this quote - volunteering at shelters - advocating for animal rights - resolving disputes peacefully - teaching compassion - reflecting on personal values Key Concepts ethical choice empathy animal welfare Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance care for animals with human responsibilities? - When does compassion become bias? A Different Perspective May overlook human needs in favor of animals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-cruelty/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Hermits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hermits/) ## Related quotes > [Righteous is the one who was able to demonstrate compassion in face of human suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksander-kwasniewski/righteous-is-the-one-who-was-able-to-demonstrate-compassion-in-face/) [Aleksander Kwasniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksander-kwasniewski/) > [Ridicule has always been the enemy of enthusiasm, and the only worthy opponent to ridicule is success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/ridicule-has-always-been-the-enemy-of-enthusiasm-and-the-only-worthy/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [For self-realization, a rebel demands a strong authority, a worthy opponent, God to his Lucifer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/for-self-realization-a-rebel-demands-a-strong-authority-a-worthy/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [In America, snobs who wouldn't be seen dead with a lottery ticket play the stock market. We like to gamble. Winning, we have closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-holland/in-america-snobs-who-wouldn-t-be-seen-dead-with-a-lottery-ticket-play/) [Barbara Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-holland/) > [If you face a worthy opponent acknowledge their skills and show them yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-warren/if-you-face-a-worthy-opponent-acknowledge-their-skills-and-show-them/) Kiersten Warren > [Even capitalists must surely admit, that intellectually at least, socialism is a worthy opponent. It imparts intelligence even to its adversaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/even-capitalists-must-surely-admit-that-intellectually-at-least/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The whole universe or the structure that perceives it is a worthy opponent, but try as I may I can not escape the sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/the-whole-universe-or-the-structure-that-perceives-it-is-a-worthy/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I can't shut my brain off. It's like a hamster wheel." ~ Justin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-can-t-shut-my-brain-off-it-s-like-a-hamster-wheel-justin/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“The hamster-powered hat is the same as any other hat. It keeps your head warm and looks smart,” the inventor said. “The hamster generates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-jackman/the-hamster-powered-hat-is-the-same-as-any-other-hat-it-keeps-your/) [Mark Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-jackman/) > [At school, our classroom had a small rodent zoo consisting of two rabbits, three hamsters, a litter of baby gerbils and a guinea pig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/at-school-our-classroom-had-a-small-rodent-zoo-consisting-of-two/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [“hamsters being notorious draggers and rearrangers of stuff they can’t eat but feel compelled to fuck with anyway, somehow—and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/hamsters-being-notorious-draggers-and-rearrangers-of-stuff-they-can-t/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [We sometimes feel like hamsters on a wheel, covering the same musical ground we did 20 or more years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bent-saether/we-sometimes-feel-like-hamsters-on-a-wheel-covering-the-same-musical/) [Bent Saether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bent-saether/) > [The hamster called. He wants his home back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/the-hamster-called-he-wants-his-home-back/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [If anybody felt worse than I did, it was Amos. I had just enough magic to turn myself into a falcon and him into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/if-anybody-felt-worse-than-i-did-it-was-amos-i-had-just-enough-magic/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) Raymond Briggs ## More by Richelle Mead > [“Jerome shrugged. “We’re back to the part where I don’t give a fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/jerome-shrugged-we-re-back-to-the-part-where-i-don-t-give-a-fuck/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“A piece of heaven?" I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. "No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/a-piece-of-heaven-i-managed-to-ask-he-slowly-shook-his-head-no-the/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [It was a nephilim.” “A nephi-what?” asked Hugh, startled. “Isn’t that a character on Sesame Street?” Peter spoke up for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-was-a-nephilim-a-nephi-what-asked-hugh-startled-isn-t-that-a/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. We existed moment to moment, never knowing who would be the next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-and-death-were-so-unpredictable-so-close-to-each-other-we/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“I watched, enthralled, as he painted a large silver heart with flames edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-watched-enthralled-as-he-painted-a-large-silver-heart-with-flames/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“I loved Aeson. You have no idea what love is.” “Oh, I do. I know that it’s the best high and the worst hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-loved-aeson-you-have-no-idea-what-love-is-oh-i-do-i-know-that-it-s/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Why would you do that? Why would you act like you didn't know how to drive?" "Isn't it obvious, Sage? No, of course it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/why-would-you-do-that-why-would-you-act-like-you-didn-t-know-how-to/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Everything I’d fought for, every challenge, every victory … all of it was empty if anything happened to him. Without him, I wouldn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/everything-i-d-fought-for-every-challenge-every-victory-all-of-it-was/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Life’s like that. As we grow and change, some things we’ve experienced before take on new meaning. It’ll happen for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-s-like-that-as-we-grow-and-change-some-things-we-ve-experienced/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Sydney Katherine Sage,” he said, his green eyes full of love and earnestness. “Would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/sydney-katherine-sage-he-said-his-green-eyes-full-of-love-and/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) [Explore all 2,001 Richelle Mead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals. She'd lectured me for days after I'd instigated the infamous hamster-and-hermit-crab fight. I'd viewed the fight as a testing of worthy opponents. She'd seen it as animal cruelty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richelle Mead" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face-i-wasn-t-surprised-since-she/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face-i-wasn-t-surprised-since-she/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a1/richelle-mead-46_animal_lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face_2718599.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Lissa knelt down, compassion on her face. I wasn't surprised, since she'd always had a thing for animals…” — Richelle Mead", "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": "Richelle Mead", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Lissa knelt down, compassion on her...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face-i-wasn-t-surprised-since-she/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/lissa-knelt-down-compassion-on-her-face-i-wasn-t-surprised-since-she/#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 } } ] } ```