---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Men owe us what they imagine they will…"
description: "\"Men owe us what they imagine they will give us. We must forgive them this debt.\" — Simone Weil"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg"
---

#  Men owe us what they imagine they will give us. We must…

![“Men owe us what they imagine they will give us. We must forgive them this debt.” quote by Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg)

> “Men owe us what they imagine they will give us. We must forgive them this debt.”

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

## About This Quote

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

We owe others the imagined gifts we expect, and must forgive them for this unearned debt.

**In simple terms:** We expect others to give us what they imagine, and must forgive them.

Key Takeaway

Release expectations and practice forgiveness.

Themes

expectation forgiveness relationships

Mood

thoughtful empathetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- team dynamics
- leadership
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

imagined debt human expectation

Questions to Reflect On

- What expectations burden you?
- Can forgiveness coexist with accountability?

A Different Perspective

Forgiveness may ignore accountability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive/) [Forgive Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgive-debt-3046050/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Imagine Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine-forgive-3751764/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Owe Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owe-imagine-3751763/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/)

## Related quotes

> [Men owe us what we imagine they will give us. We must forgive them this debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/men-owe-us-what-we-imagine-they-will-give-us-we-must-forgive-them/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation. Luke 11:4”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/forgive-us-our-sins-for-we-ourselves-also-forgive-everyone-in-debt-to/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what's bitter and move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/people-can-be-more-forgiving-than-you-can-imagine-but-you-have-to/)

[Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/)

> [God's grace and forgiveness, while free to the recipient, are always costly for the giver. From the earliest parts of the Bible, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-grace-and-forgiveness-while-free-to-the-recipient-are-always/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [“Forgiveness is the process of dropping off your emotional baggage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/forgiveness-is-the-process-of-dropping-off-your-emotional-baggage/)

[Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/)

> [We must not forget; but we must forgive. Suffering often such compassion from the Jewish community. It was Jewish groups in the US who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/we-must-not-forget-but-we-must-forgive-suffering-often-such/)

[George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/)

> [Women will forgive anything. Otherwise, the race would have died out long ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/women-will-forgive-anything-otherwise-the-race-would-have-died-out/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [The Bible says forgive your debtors; the world says "sue them for their dough."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-bible-says-forgive-your-debtors-the-world-says-sue-them-for-their/)

[Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/)

> [He was a lovely man in many ways. But he kept on insisting on forgiving me when there was nothing to forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/he-was-a-lovely-man-in-many-ways-but-he-kept-on-insisting-on/)

[Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/)

> [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [The most important thing about being a father is being able to forgive yourself. If you don't forgive yourself, you're not going to forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/the-most-important-thing-about-being-a-father-is-being-able-to/)

[Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/)

> [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/)

[Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/)

> [If you can't forgive and forget, pick only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brault/if-you-can-t-forgive-and-forget-pick-only-one/)

[Robert Brault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brault/)

> [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

## More by Simone Weil

> [Oppression that is clearly inexorable and invincible does not give rise to revolt but to submission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/oppression-that-is-clearly-inexorable-and-invincible-does-not-give/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [One should identify oneself with the universe itself. Everything that is less than the universe is subjected to suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/one-should-identify-oneself-with-the-universe-itself-everything-that/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [What a country calls its vital economic interests are not the things which enable its citizens to live, but the things which enable it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/what-a-country-calls-its-vital-economic-interests-are-not-the-things/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-intelligent-man-who-is-proud-of-his-intelligence-is-like-the/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [The highest ecstasy is the attention at its fullest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-highest-ecstasy-is-the-attention-at-its-fullest/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [To be innocent is to bear the weight of the entire universe. It is to throw away the counterweight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/to-be-innocent-is-to-bear-the-weight-of-the-entire-universe-it-is-to/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [Equality is the public recognition, effectively expressed in institutions and manners, of the principle that an equal degree of attention is due to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/equality-is-the-public-recognition-effectively-expressed-in/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [The entire universe is nothing but a great metaphor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-entire-universe-is-nothing-but-a-great-metaphor/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [A beautiful woman looking at her image in the mirror may very well believe the image is herself. An ugly woman knows it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/a-beautiful-woman-looking-at-her-image-in-the-mirror-may-very-well/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [Only he who has measured the dominion of force, and knows how not to respect it, is capable of love andjustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/only-he-who-has-measured-the-dominion-of-force-and-knows-how-not-to/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [Every time that I think of the crucifixion of Christ, I commit the sin of envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/every-time-that-i-think-of-the-crucifixion-of-christ-i-commit-the-sin/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [A Pharisee is someone who is virtuous out of obedience to the Great Beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/a-pharisee-is-someone-who-is-virtuous-out-of-obedience-to-the-great/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [Joy is being fully aware of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/joy-is-being-fully-aware-of-reality/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

[Explore all 443 Simone Weil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

## More Debt quotes

> [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/)

[Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/)

> [“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/most-people-given-more-money-only-get-into-more-debt/)

[Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/)

> [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/)

[Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/)

> [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/)

[E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/)

> [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/)

[Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/)

> [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. It is not our tears, but His blood; it is not our sighs, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/our-sins-are-debts-that-none-can-pay-but-christ-it-is-not-our-tears/)

[Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/)

> [Instead of explaining the sober facts of mechanics and electricity, I want to say a few words about the debt which we owe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-bloch/instead-of-explaining-the-sober-facts-of-mechanics-and-electricity-i/)

[Felix Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-bloch/)

> [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

[Browse all 2,345 Debt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Men owe us what they imagine they will give us. We must forgive them this debt.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Simone Weil"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-give-us-we-must-forgive-them/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Debt"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-give-us-we-must-forgive-them/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73b/simone-weil-544_debt_men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-g_3135260.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Men owe us what they imagine they will give us. We must forgive them this debt.” — Simone Weil",
                "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": "Simone Weil",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Men owe us what they imagine...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-give-us-we-must-forgive-them/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/men-owe-us-what-they-imagine-they-will-give-us-we-must-forgive-them/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
