--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is difficult to feel sympathy for…" description: "\"It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless. It is difficult to su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/russell-brand-1242_addict_it-is-difficult-to-feel-sympathy-for-the_458188.jpg" --- # It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is… ![“It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless. It is difficult to suffer the selfishness of a drug addict who will lie to you and steal from you and forgive them and offer them help. Can there be any other disease…” quote by Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/russell-brand-1242_addict_it-is-difficult-to-feel-sympathy-for-the_458188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/russell-brand-1242_addict_it-is-difficult-to-feel-sympathy-for-the_458188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/russell-brand-1242_addict_it-is-difficult-to-feel-sympathy-for-the_458188.jpg) > “It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless. It is difficult to suffer the selfishness of a drug addict who will lie to you and steal from you and forgive them and offer them help. Can there be any other disease that renders its victims so unappealing? Would Great Ormond Street be so attractive a cause if its beds were riddled with obnoxious little criminals that had “brought it on themselves?” [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how society struggles to empathize with people suffering from addiction, viewing them as morally flawed rather than ill. **In simple terms:** People with addiction are often seen as unappealing and undeserving of help. Key Takeaway Recognize addiction as illness, not moral failure. Themes empathy addiction social stigma compassion responsibility Mood sad reflective critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - healthcare policy - community support groups - rehabilitation programs - public education campaigns Key Concepts psychology public health ethics social perception Questions to Reflect On - How can we shift perception of addicts from blame to care? - What role does media play in shaping these views? A Different Perspective Stigma can prevent effective treatment and support for addicts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-addiction/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Obnoxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obnoxious/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Powerless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerless/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Sympathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sympathy/) [Victim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victim/) [Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-is-difficult-to-feel-sympathy-for-these-people-it-is-difficult-to-2/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [The mentality and behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics is wholly irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their addiction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/the-mentality-and-behavior-of-drug-addicts-and-alcoholics-is-wholly/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [“The next time you drive into a Walmart parking lot, pause for a second to note that this Walmart—like the more than five thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-next-time-you-drive-into-a-walmart-parking-lot-pause-for-a-second/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. 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A friend of mine said, "you have a generation of people that have been accidentally marketed to."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/our-basic-fundamental-desires-are-overly-stimulated-a-friend-of-mine/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [Heres one for Russell; angels are seen unaware,, but people all around me see evil everyday clearly,, what does this say about what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/heres-one-for-russell-angels-are-seen-unaware-but-people-all-around/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [If people have some sort of yearning, dissatisfaction or some itching irritability, then it might because they aren't looking in the right direction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/if-people-have-some-sort-of-yearning-dissatisfaction-or-some-itching/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [It would have been convenient to be gay. 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Once they have it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/addiction-is-a-decision-an-individual-wants-something-whatever-that/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) Browse all 634 Addict quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is difficult to feel sympathy for these people. It is difficult to regard some bawdy drunk and see them as sick and powerless. It is difficult to suffer the selfishness of a drug addict who will lie to you and steal from you and forgive them and offer them help. Can there be any other disease that renders its victims so unappealing? 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