--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You lose a certain type of innocence when…" description: "\"“You lose a certain type of innocence when you experience this type of kindness. You lose your right to be a jaded cynic. You can no longer go back thr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rob-sheffield-1368_cynic_you-lose-a-certain-type-of-innocence-whe_1211784.png" --- # You lose a certain type of innocence when you experience… ![“You lose a certain type of innocence when you experience this type of kindness. You lose your right to be a jaded cynic. You can no longer go back through the looking glass and pretend not to know what you know about kindness.” quote by Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rob-sheffield-1368_cynic_you-lose-a-certain-type-of-innocence-whe_1211784.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rob-sheffield-1368_cynic_you-lose-a-certain-type-of-innocence-whe_1211784.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rob-sheffield-1368_cynic_you-lose-a-certain-type-of-innocence-whe_1211784.png) > ““You lose a certain type of innocence when you experience this type of kindness. You lose your right to be a jaded cynic. You can no longer go back through the looking glass and pretend not to know what you know about kindness.”” [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experiencing genuine kindness erodes naive cynicism, making it impossible to ignore the reality of compassion. **In simple terms:** Kindness destroys naive cynicism. Key Takeaway Recognize and value true kindness. Themes compassion innocence realism Mood thoughtful reflective Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - workplace culture - community building - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology human behavior empathy Questions to Reflect On - How does kindness change your worldview? - Can you balance kindness with healthy skepticism? A Different Perspective Kindness may be exploited or misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cynic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynic/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) ## Related quotes > [“You lose a certain kind of innocence when you experience this type of kindness. You lose your right to be a jaded cynic. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/you-lose-a-certain-kind-of-innocence-when-you-experience-this-type-of/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [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/) > [Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/before-you-know-kindness-as-the-deepest-thing-inside-you-must-know/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“Kindness is the only love I know. Kindness is the only love there is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/kindness-is-the-only-love-i-know-kindness-is-the-only-love-there-is/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [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. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Be careful with ur observation of me...so that u may know My kindness shouldn't be mistaken for a sign of weakness...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-kee/be-careful-with-ur-observation-of-me-so-that-u-may-know-my-kindness/) [Ms Kee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ms-kee/) > [“and very carefully to them the truth of what you know, but with kindness in your heart. Have compassion for them, because not everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/and-very-carefully-to-them-the-truth-of-what-you-know-but-with/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“Kindness is a source of relief to the soul of the giver, creating a sense of fortitude that is incomprehensible to those who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janvier-chouteu-chando/kindness-is-a-source-of-relief-to-the-soul-of-the-giver-creating-a/) [Janvier Chouteu-Chando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janvier-chouteu-chando/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [Why should we strive, with cynic frown, to knock their fairy castles down?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-cook/why-should-we-strive-with-cynic-frown-to-knock-their-fairy-castles/) [Eliza Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-cook/) > [“That's what I've never been able to get about religion: that charmless combination of altruism and insanity. Give me a cynical, self-interested bastard any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-carey/that-s-what-i-ve-never-been-able-to-get-about-religion-that-charmless/) [Mike Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-carey/) > [Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/cynicism-masquerades-as-wisdom-but-it-is-the-farthest-thing-from-it/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More by Rob Sheffield > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“I suck at fighting. I have never really learned how to talk and be mad at the same time. If I have angry words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-suck-at-fighting-i-have-never-really-learned-how-to-talk-and-be-mad/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Morrissey was my Mrs. Garrett, the house mother from the Facts of Life, a soothing adult figure giving me words of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/morrissey-was-my-mrs-garrett-the-house-mother-from-the-facts-of-life/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“I had never gotten the hang of dating — I was always going to be somebody who either had a girlfriend or didn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-had-never-gotten-the-hang-of-dating-i-was-always-going-to-be/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [The hottest trash-disco star in the world: Ke$ha! She has a lot in common with Kiss, actually, even spelling her name with a dollar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/the-hottest-trash-disco-star-in-the-world-ke-ha-she-has-a-lot-in/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“on the 11th of every month my friend elizabeth would say, "well we made it through another month. so do we get her back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/on-the-11th-of-every-month-my-friend-elizabeth-would-say-well-we-made/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“What doesn't kill you maims you, cripples you, leaves you weak, makes you whiny and full of yourself at the same time. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/what-doesn-t-kill-you-maims-you-cripples-you-leaves-you-weak-makes/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“But when you're a teenage boy, you can be narrow-minded about things that are girlie, things that are frivolous, things that are pop. Boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/but-when-you-re-a-teenage-boy-you-can-be-narrow-minded-about-things/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“I've never heard of anybody getting rid of their prized Exile postcards, much less actually writing on them and sending them through the mail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-ve-never-heard-of-anybody-getting-rid-of-their-prized-exile/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's always that one song that gets to you. You can hide, but the song comes to find you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/it-s-always-that-one-song-that-gets-to-you-you-can-hide-but-the-song/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [There are all kinds of mix tapes. there is always a reason to make one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/there-are-all-kinds-of-mix-tapes-there-is-always-a-reason-to-make-one/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“By the time you're an adult, you're used to seeing your friends disappear into their five-year plans. They drop out to get married, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/by-the-time-you-re-an-adult-you-re-used-to-seeing-your-friends/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“Last fall, I was sitting at the kitchen table of two friends who have been together since 1972. They tell me a story about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/last-fall-i-was-sitting-at-the-kitchen-table-of-two-friends-who-have/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Tonight, I feel like my whole body is made out of memories. I'm a mix-tape, a cassette that's been rewound so many times you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/tonight-i-feel-like-my-whole-body-is-made-out-of-memories-i-m-a-mix/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [“You're in a physical landscape you share with this bizarre and fundamentally alien creature, not alien because she's female but alien because you're a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/you-re-in-a-physical-landscape-you-share-with-this-bizarre-and/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) [Explore all 249 Rob Sheffield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) ## More Cynic quotes > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/cynicism-masquerades-as-wisdom-but-it-is-the-farthest-thing-from-it/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“That's what I've never been able to get about religion: that charmless combination of altruism and insanity. Give me a cynical, self-interested bastard any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-carey/that-s-what-i-ve-never-been-able-to-get-about-religion-that-charmless/) [Mike Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-carey/) > [Why should we strive, with cynic frown, to knock their fairy castles down?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-cook/why-should-we-strive-with-cynic-frown-to-knock-their-fairy-castles/) [Eliza Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-cook/) > [Only the broken-hearted idealist can become a cynic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-clifton/only-the-broken-hearted-idealist-can-become-a-cynic/) Mark Clifton > [I get the cynicism thing all the time, although I don't really know where that comes from, because I think I'm actually the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/i-get-the-cynicism-thing-all-the-time-although-i-don-t-really-know/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [“Skeptics are always marked by their total lack of skepticism towards whatever position they are defending.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-madison/skeptics-are-always-marked-by-their-total-lack-of-skepticism-towards/) Steve Madison > [“Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers, things standing shall fall, but the moving ever shall stay.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basava/listen-o-lord-of-the-meeting-rivers-things-standing-shall-fall-but/) Basava > [An executive should be a realist; and no one is less realistic than the cynic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/an-executive-should-be-a-realist-and-no-one-is-less-realistic-than/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [Remember that all is opinion. For what was said by the Cynic Monimus is manifest: and manifest too is the use of what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/remember-that-all-is-opinion-for-what-was-said-by-the-cynic-monimus/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The idea of The Boy Vs. The Cynic is the tension between the wide-eyed optimism in youthfulness where you think nothing can go wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-reuben-zappin/the-idea-of-the-boy-vs-the-cynic-is-the-tension-between-the-wide-eyed/) [John Reuben Zappin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-reuben-zappin/) > [The cynic makes fun of all earnestness; he makes fun of everything and everyone who feels that something can be done. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-edgar-vincent/the-cynic-makes-fun-of-all-earnestness-he-makes-fun-of-everything-and/) George Edgar Vincent > [To me it seems to be important to believe people to be good even if they tend to be bad, because your own joy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/to-me-it-seems-to-be-important-to-believe-people-to-be-good-even-if/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [ \[in the\]..curious way that my idealism has been mixed with my fatalism, so that I can possess the soul of a dreamer and that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/in-the-curious-way-that-my-idealism-has-been-mixed-with-my-fatalism/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [The only way to do my job without optimism would be as a cynic, and that's not my nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-snow/the-only-way-to-do-my-job-without-optimism-would-be-as-a-cynic-and/) [Jon Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-snow/) [Browse all 217 Cynic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You lose a certain type of innocence when you experience this type of kindness. 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