--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learned something in the years I spent…" description: "\"“I learned something in the years I spent among suicide bombers. . . The boys and girls who are willing to blow up their lives are not the true believe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/sheri-holman-26835_believers_i-learned-something-in-the-years-i-spent_2582669.jpg" --- # I learned something in the years I spent among suicide… ![“I learned something in the years I spent among suicide bombers. . . The boys and girls who are willing to blow up their lives are not the true believers. They are the ones in agonies of doubt. There is always someone with nothing to prove who buckles the belt around them.” quote by Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/sheri-holman-26835_believers_i-learned-something-in-the-years-i-spent_2582669.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/sheri-holman-26835_believers_i-learned-something-in-the-years-i-spent_2582669.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/sheri-holman-26835_believers_i-learned-something-in-the-years-i-spent_2582669.jpg) > ““I learned something in the years I spent among suicide bombers. . . The boys and girls who are willing to blow up their lives are not the true believers. They are the ones in agonies of doubt. There is always someone with nothing to prove who buckles the belt around them.”” [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True belief is separate from willingness to die; those who doubt lack conviction, while the truly committed act without doubt. **In simple terms:** Doubt separates true believers from those who act. Key Takeaway Cultivate conviction before taking extreme actions. Themes belief commitment psychology of extremism Mood somber insightful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - radicalization - ideological recruitment - personal crises Key Concepts cognitive dissonance identity crisis Questions to Reflect On - What drives individuals to embrace dangerous causes? - How can societies address underlying doubts? A Different Perspective Extremist actions often stem from complex motives beyond simple belief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believers/) [Suicide bombers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide-bombers/) ## Related quotes > [“Take it from the former pastor: The true believers are the ones who'll burn you the worst.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-meltzer/take-it-from-the-former-pastor-the-true-believers-are-the-ones-who-ll/) [Brad Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-meltzer/) > [I don't just denounce suicide bombers. I denounce those governments which use indiscriminate slaughter to advance their foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-don-t-just-denounce-suicide-bombers-i-denounce-those-governments/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [Israel has a people's army and a draft and therefore they should be considered legitimate targets. They are part of the occupying power, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elmasry/israel-has-a-people-s-army-and-a-draft-and-therefore-they-should-be/) Mohamed Elmasry > [The terrorism of the suicide bomber and the terrorism of aerial bombardment are indeed morally equivalent. To say otherwise (as either side might) is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-terrorism-of-the-suicide-bomber-and-the-terrorism-of-aerial/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [What the fundamentalists are doing is a total negation of their own faith - encouraging and lionizing suicide bombers and killing women and children,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-haig/what-the-fundamentalists-are-doing-is-a-total-negation-of-their-own/) [Alexander Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-haig/) > [As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/as-long-as-we-accept-the-principle-that-religious-faith-must-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Iran can recruit hundreds of suicide bombers a day. Suicide is an invincible weapon. Suicide bombers in this land showed us the way, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/iran-can-recruit-hundreds-of-suicide-bombers-a-day-suicide-is-an/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [Saddam Hussein had a lengthy history of reckless and sudden aggression. He cultivated ties to terror -- hosting the Abu Nidal organization, supporting terrorists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/saddam-hussein-had-a-lengthy-history-of-reckless-and-sudden/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Traditional Muslims stand at the foot of the ladder, living in guilt for not really practicing Islam. At the top are fundamentalists, the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mosab-hassan-yousef/traditional-muslims-stand-at-the-foot-of-the-ladder-living-in-guilt/) [Mosab Hassan Yousef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mosab-hassan-yousef/) > [John Walker, while he was in Afghanistan, told people his goal was to have four wives. ... Do we need any further proof that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/john-walker-while-he-was-in-afghanistan-told-people-his-goal-was-to/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Officials believe that one of the terrorists was a woman. And there are female suicide bombers. It's just that their reward in paradise is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/officials-believe-that-one-of-the-terrorists-was-a-woman-and-there/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Many of Islam's apologists insist that suicide bombing is not Islamic because the Koran forbids suicide. Mmm-hmm. So where are all the Muslims gathering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-glazov/many-of-islam-s-apologists-insist-that-suicide-bombing-is-not-islamic/) [Jamie Glazov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-glazov/) > [I did a study of soldiers returning from Iraq, and their levels of PTSD were much higher if they had had to shoot a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-bloom/i-did-a-study-of-soldiers-returning-from-iraq-and-their-levels-of/) [Mia Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-bloom/) > [The suicide bombers who struck London on 7 July 2005 killed 52 innocent people and wounded hundreds more. All of them must live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-suicide-bombers-who-struck-london-on-7-july-2005-killed-52/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Saddam Hussein has raised the amount going to suicide bombers from $10 thousand dollars to $25 thousand. What's next, a health care plan?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/saddam-hussein-has-raised-the-amount-going-to-suicide-bombers-from-10/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by Sheri Holman > [“...the women are drinking and laughing inside somewhere, Wallis guesses, as manless as these men are without women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/the-women-are-drinking-and-laughing-inside-somewhere-wallis-guesses/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [It's the greatest of Southern honors . . . to have one's name incorporated into a family tree. It's an honor not lightly given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/it-s-the-greatest-of-southern-honors-to-have-one-s-name-incorporated/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“This is what making love must be like, she thinks. At twelve years old, she understands little more than that it will begin with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/this-is-what-making-love-must-be-like-she-thinks-at-twelve-years-old/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [ “\[N\]ames were what you wore forever, and she felt that she'd sent her daughters out in tacky rabbit fur coats when they should have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/n-ames-were-what-you-wore-forever-and-she-felt-that-she-d-sent-her/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [ “\[H\]e went ahead and named them without her, pulling from the spiral notebook of names they'd been collecting, putting together first and middle names… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/h-e-went-ahead-and-named-them-without-her-pulling-from-the-spiral/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“He loved that she eschewed cursive for print, as he did. Cursive, more than anything, betrayed a person's age.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/he-loved-that-she-eschewed-cursive-for-print-as-he-did-cursive-more/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [Greater good is just halfway back to Bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/greater-good-is-just-halfway-back-to-bad/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [Every four years we go through the same cycle of hope and disillusionment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/every-four-years-we-go-through-the-same-cycle-of-hope-and/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [Good and Evil are opposite points on a circle, Dr. Chiver. Greater good is just halfway back to Bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/good-and-evil-are-opposite-points-on-a-circle-dr-chiver-greater-good/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“All the Baptist churches she's ever visited smelled of the same sweat and boredom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/all-the-baptist-churches-she-s-ever-visited-smelled-of-the-same-sweat/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“God must feel the same at the end of a long day. Stop trying to make Me happy with all that ritual up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/god-must-feel-the-same-at-the-end-of-a-long-day-stop-trying-to-make/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“He makes her feel halfway normal by being so much further beyond her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/he-makes-her-feel-halfway-normal-by-being-so-much-further-beyond-her/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“Life must have sucked growing up without TV." "Back then people could wait a few days to learn about all the things they couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/life-must-have-sucked-growing-up-without-tv-back-then-people-could/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [If she'd spaced her children out and had eleven babies in eleven years, she would have been no better than her own mother and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/if-she-d-spaced-her-children-out-and-had-eleven-babies-in-eleven/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [Horror hostess, bondage goddess, Charles Addams cartoon comes to life, Vampire was every first-generation fanboy's wet dream. Scott Poole takes us on an unforgettable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/horror-hostess-bondage-goddess-charles-addams-cartoon-comes-to-life/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) [Explore all 21 Sheri Holman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) ## More Believers quotes > [“the believers in China exhibited a constant joyfulness in the midst of harsh circumstances. I never heard them deny or down-play the danger. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nik-ripken/the-believers-in-china-exhibited-a-constant-joyfulness-in-the-midst/) [Nik Ripken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nik-ripken/) > [“If our leaders are not passionately driven by the right beliefs, we are headed for disaster. At the same time, if believers cannot lead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-mohler/if-our-leaders-are-not-passionately-driven-by-the-right-beliefs-we/) [Albert Mohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-mohler/) > [There are believers who by God's grace, have climbed the mountains of full assurance and near communion, their place is with the eagle in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/there-are-believers-who-by-god-s-grace-have-climbed-the-mountains-of/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“Those who have abandoned belief must still believe in us. They are sure that they are right not to believe but they know belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/those-who-have-abandoned-belief-must-still-believe-in-us-they-are/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Believers in political faith-healing enjoy a supreme immunity from doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/believers-in-political-faith-healing-enjoy-a-supreme-immunity-from/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [“Worship of God is not restricted to believers alone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/worship-of-god-is-not-restricted-to-believers-alone/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I don't think the problem that we have today is overzealous believers. I think the problem we have is underzealous believers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-laurie/i-don-t-think-the-problem-that-we-have-today-is-overzealous-believers/) [Greg Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-laurie/) > [Scripture is not inerrant; believers are called to interpret biblical texts in light of tradition and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/scripture-is-not-inerrant-believers-are-called-to-interpret-biblical/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [“The evangelical wing of the Church spends a lot of energy on being "born again" but little time on "growing up" again. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stockman/the-evangelical-wing-of-the-church-spends-a-lot-of-energy-on-being/) [Steve Stockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stockman/) > [“We as believers cannot be effective in offering others hope and forgiveness when we're not living in the light of that hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-courtney/we-as-believers-cannot-be-effective-in-offering-others-hope-and/) [Vicki Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-courtney/) > [It takes practice to use one's eyes, even when God has opened them. And there are some believers who never get beyond confounding a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-clay-trumbull/it-takes-practice-to-use-one-s-eyes-even-when-god-has-opened-them-and/) [Henry Clay Trumbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-clay-trumbull/) > [... if we are ashamed to imitate our Lord's sufferings, which He endured for us, and to suffer as He suffered, it is obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/symeon-the-new-theologian/if-we-are-ashamed-to-imitate-our-lord-s-sufferings-which-he-endured/) [Symeon the New Theologian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/symeon-the-new-theologian/) > [A dominant misconception among believers is that their atheist brethren are a slavering pack of hell-bound debauchees, gleefully wining and wenching their way through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/a-dominant-misconception-among-believers-is-that-their-atheist/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [God expects believers to improve their attitude in giving as well as their giving itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-expects-believers-to-improve-their-attitude-in-giving-as-well-as/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [We have become dangerously comfortable- believers ooze with wealth and let their addictions to comfort and security numb the radical urgency of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/we-have-become-dangerously-comfortable-believers-ooze-with-wealth-and/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) [Browse all 470 Believers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I learned something in the years I spent among suicide bombers. . . 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