---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cruelty is a language that the blind can…"
description: "\"Cruelty is a language that the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the heart feels forever.\" — Shannon L. Alder"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg"
---

#  Cruelty is a language that the blind can see, the deaf can…

![“Cruelty is a language that the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the heart feels forever.” quote by Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg)

> “Cruelty is a language that the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the heart feels forever.”

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The poem states that cruelty communicates universally: the blind can see it, the deaf can hear it, and the heart feels its lasting impact.

**In simple terms:** Cruelty is a universal language felt by all senses.

Key Takeaway

Recognize cruelty’s impact and choose compassion.

Themes

compassion empathy violence human experience

Mood

somber hopeful reflective

Type

poetry philosophical

When to use this quote

- counseling
- conflict resolution
- community building
- education programs

Key Concepts

psychology communication ethical behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- How does cruelty affect societal bonds?
- What actions foster empathy over cruelty?

A Different Perspective

Some may argue cruelty can be justified in certain contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) [Broken hearts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-hearts/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [Unrequited love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unrequited-love/)

## Related quotes

> [“People that don't know what they are worth will always see their capture's wings, but never their tail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/people-that-don-t-know-what-they-are-worth-will-always-see-their/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Every broken heart has screamed at one time or another: Why can't you see who I truly am?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/every-broken-heart-has-screamed-at-one-time-or-another-why-can-t-you/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“And my biggest fear would be forever missing a piece. You see our story was never complete, and it's supposed to be finished but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/and-my-biggest-fear-would-be-forever-missing-a-piece-you-see-our/)

Mennah al refaey

> [There is no downside to winning. It feels forever fabulous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/there-is-no-downside-to-winning-it-feels-forever-fabulous/)

[Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/)

> [“The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Often, love is a tangled web of lies that only a broken heart would weave. Seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-truth-is-rarely-pure-and-never-simple-often-love-is-a-tangled-web/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Never fall in love with someone that won't fight for you because when the real battles begin they won't pull your heart to safety,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/never-fall-in-love-with-someone-that-won-t-fight-for-you-because-when/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“I love you. I hate you. I like you. I hate you. I love you. I think you’re stupid. I think you’re a loser.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-love-you-i-hate-you-i-like-you-i-hate-you-i-love-you-i-think-you-re/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Unrequited love is the only emotion that allows sane people to taste the “life sentence” of someone with bipolar disorder. The longer they hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/unrequited-love-is-the-only-emotion-that-allows-sane-people-to-taste/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“You may marry Miss Grey for her fifteen pounds but you will always be my Willoughby. My nightmare. My sorrow. My past. My mistake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-may-marry-miss-grey-for-her-fifteen-pounds-but-you-will-always-be/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“My heart feels like a piece of glass that’s been slammed against a ceramic floor. It’s completely and utterly shattered. I’ve hurt the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-de-jong/my-heart-feels-like-a-piece-of-glass-that-s-been-slammed-against-a/)

[Lisa De Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-de-jong/)

> [The great heart is one who feels the pain for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-great-heart-is-one-who-feels-the-pain-for-others/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In times of sorrow'go only where your heart feels loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesteric-de-vour/in-times-of-sorrow-go-only-where-your-heart-feels-loved/)

Lesteric De Vour

> [“Journal Entry – April 17, 2013/May 10, 2013 Hollow. Numb. Empty. Nothingness. Are these feelings? Or are they just words in the English language?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-schleifer/journal-entry-april-17-2013-may-10-2013-hollow-numb-empty-nothingness/)

Justin Schleifer

> [“Even now, talking about those days, tears well up in my eyes, my indefatigable heart pounds rebelliously and still suffers, and my former, stormy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeniya-tur/even-now-talking-about-those-days-tears-well-up-in-my-eyes-my/)

Evgeniya Tur

> [“The moment a child leaves us, a parent’s heart feels different. Medically, this condition is called “broken heart syndrome,” but grieving parents knew this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-k-mccarty/the-moment-a-child-leaves-us-a-parent-s-heart-feels-different/)

[Pam K. McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-k-mccarty/)

## More by Shannon L. Alder

> [“Don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to people that are committed to misunderstanding you. Instead, commit your time to explaining who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-waste-your-time-trying-to-explain-yourself-to-people-that-are/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“God is going to send you someone that will rescue you. Then one day you will rescue them in return and together your story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-is-going-to-send-you-someone-that-will-rescue-you-then-one-day/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“You can be bit in the leg by a rattlesnake and seek help to heal your wound, or you can run after it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-be-bit-in-the-leg-by-a-rattlesnake-and-seek-help-to-heal-your/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“It is not the self respect and pride that you take with you, but the heritage you leave behind to your children that matters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-not-the-self-respect-and-pride-that-you-take-with-you-but-the/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“The art of being wise is the art of knowing that solutions don’t come from individuals, but rather experiences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-art-of-being-wise-is-the-art-of-knowing-that-solutions-don-t-come/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“If you have feelings for someone, let them know. It doesn’t matter if they can be in your life or not. Maybe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-feelings-for-someone-let-them-know-it-doesn-t-matter-if/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/after-every-storm-there-is-a-rainbow-if-you-have-eyes-you-will-find/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Don’t ever feel bad that someone couldn’t give you all of their heart. Be grateful that you can take the least complicated part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/don-t-ever-feel-bad-that-someone-couldn-t-give-you-all-of-their-heart/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“I don't know why anyone would be scared of a homeless person. The truly scary people are all the murder mystery writers. They spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-know-why-anyone-would-be-scared-of-a-homeless-person-the/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Until you have stood in another woman’s stilettos, you will never begin to know the year of pain she felt breaking them in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/until-you-have-stood-in-another-woman-s-stilettos-you-will-never/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“I don't understand women that call themselves a "bitch". It doesn't empower a woman. Rather, it reveals to everyone that you were deeply hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-don-t-understand-women-that-call-themselves-a-bitch-it-doesn-t/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“ The Prodigal Son They gave the deep end of their heart--a hue of crimson red, They whispered their desire and offered up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-prodigal-son-they-gave-the-deep-end-of-their-heart-a-hue-of/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

[Explore all 639 Shannon L. Alder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

## More Blind quotes

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [Love is so blind, it feels right when it's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/love-is-so-blind-it-feels-right-when-it-s-wrong/)

[Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/)

> [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/)

[Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/)

> [“What I shall feel to-morrow I cannot tell. Maybe I shall go blind again, for women are never two days alike in their minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/what-i-shall-feel-to-morrow-i-cannot-tell-maybe-i-shall-go-blind/)

[Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/)

> [Now the stage today is to know that Self Realization gives you experiences and then your faith is established. Not blind but open enlightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/now-the-stage-today-is-to-know-that-self-realization-gives-you/)

[Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/)

> [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“The heart’s blind. It’s the head that causes all the trouble. Sometimes both are stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/the-heart-s-blind-it-s-the-head-that-causes-all-the-trouble-sometimes/)

[K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/)

> [“In the story of the blind men and the elephant, what’s usually ignored is the fact that each man’s description was correct. What Faye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/in-the-story-of-the-blind-men-and-the-elephant-what-s-usually-ignored/)

[Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/)

> [My favorite performance would definitely be "Toxic," which was my blind audition song. It was the start of it all and it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/my-favorite-performance-would-definitely-be-toxic-which-was-my-blind/)

[Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/)

> [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/)

[Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/)

> [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/)

[R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/)

> [I'm glad I'm blind and can't see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/i-m-glad-i-m-blind-and-can-t-see-it/)

[Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/)

> [Shut your eyes and you will know what I mean by thought entombed in darkness. Light comes through the senses, and not only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/shut-your-eyes-and-you-will-know-what-i-mean-by-thought-entombed-in/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [Blind with love, my daughter has cried nightly for horses, those long-necked marchers and churners that she has mastered, any and all, reigning them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/blind-with-love-my-daughter-has-cried-nightly-for-horses-those-long/)

[Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/)

[Browse all 3,877 Blind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Cruelty is a language that the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the heart feels forever.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shannon L. Alder"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can-see-the-deaf-can-hear-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Blind"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can-see-the-deaf-can-hear-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/shannon-l-alder-363_broken-hearts_cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can_2073458.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Cruelty is a language that the blind can see, the deaf can hear, and the heart feels forever.” — Shannon L. Alder",
                "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": "Shannon L. Alder",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Cruelty is a language that the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can-see-the-deaf-can-hear-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/cruelty-is-a-language-that-the-blind-can-see-the-deaf-can-hear-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
