--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You would rouse to anger a heart of stone." description: "\"You would rouse to anger a heart of stone.\" — Sophocles" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png" --- # You would rouse to anger a heart of stone. ![“You would rouse to anger a heart of stone.” quote by Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png) > “You would rouse to anger a heart of stone.” [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Provoking anger in a hardened heart is futile; some hearts cannot be moved. **In simple terms:** You can’t anger a heart of stone. Key Takeaway Accept some people won’t change. Themes human nature empathy resistance Mood reflective cautionary Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - conflict resolution - relationship counseling - leadership - negotiation Key Concepts stoicism emotional rigidity Questions to Reflect On - When have you tried to change an unmoved person? - What alternatives exist when anger fails? A Different Perspective Even stone hearts may crack under sustained effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart of stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-of-stone/) ## Related quotes > [“Heart of stone will be shattered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/heart-of-stone-will-be-shattered/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“A heart of stone could never break. But it could feel fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-jordan/a-heart-of-stone-could-never-break-but-it-could-feel-fear/) [Sophie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-jordan/) > [God takes out your heart of flesh, and gives you a heart of stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/god-takes-out-your-heart-of-flesh-and-gives-you-a-heart-of-stone/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Body burdened by my heavy heart of stone now, and I don't really give a damn about falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/body-burdened-by-my-heavy-heart-of-stone-now-and-i-don-t-really-give/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Cause she'll never break this heart of stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cause-she-ll-never-break-this-heart-of-stone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You've got a heart of glass or a heart of stone. Just you wait 'til I get you home. We've got no future, we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pet-shop-boys/you-ve-got-a-heart-of-glass-or-a-heart-of-stone-just-you-wait-til-i/) [Pet Shop Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pet-shop-boys/) > [“A heart of stone doesn't know any better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/a-heart-of-stone-doesn-t-know-any-better/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“The river had no qualms about the colour of his skin. She would embrace anyone who came to her and keep them in her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand-neelakantan/the-river-had-no-qualms-about-the-colour-of-his-skin-she-would/) [Anand Neelakantan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand-neelakantan/) > [A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, - a mere heart of stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/a-scientific-man-ought-to-have-no-wishes-no-affections-a-mere-heart/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“Seriousness is too boring to the playful human condition. A heart of stone that has a long face can never express love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/seriousness-is-too-boring-to-the-playful-human-condition-a-heart-of/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“If the whole world should have a heart of stone, dare to be the only remnant left with a heart of gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-the-whole-world-should-have-a-heart-of-stone-dare-to-be-the-only/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“At least, I have not made my heart a heart of stone, Nor starved my boyhood of is goodly feast, Nor walked where beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/at-least-i-have-not-made-my-heart-a-heart-of-stone-nor-starved-my/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [She might have melted a heart of stone, but nothing can melt a heart of wood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/she-might-have-melted-a-heart-of-stone-but-nothing-can-melt-a-heart/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [God's eternal laws are kind-and break the heart of stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/god-s-eternal-laws-are-kind-and-break-the-heart-of-stone/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“I seek words of such surpassing beauty that they might melt the hardest heart of stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-carey/i-seek-words-of-such-surpassing-beauty-that-they-might-melt-the/) [Jacqueline Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-carey/) ## More by Sophocles > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [God's dice always have a lucky roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/god-s-dice-always-have-a-lucky-roll/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [A fool cannot be an actor, though an actor may act a fool's part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-fool-cannot-be-an-actor-though-an-actor-may-act-a-fool-s-part/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/go-then-if-you-must-but-remember-no-matter-how-foolish-your-deeds/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Man's worst ill is stubbornness of heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/man-s-worst-ill-is-stubbornness-of-heart/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [A lie never lives to be old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-lie-never-lives-to-be-old/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [How dangerous can false reasoning prove!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/how-dangerous-can-false-reasoning-prove/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Why should man fear since chance is all in all for him, and he can clearly foreknow nothing? Best to live lightly, as one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/why-should-man-fear-since-chance-is-all-in-all-for-him-and-he-can/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“But life takes sudden twists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/but-life-takes-sudden-twists/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [When ice appears out of doors, and boys seize it up while it is solid, at first they experience new pleasures. But in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/when-ice-appears-out-of-doors-and-boys-seize-it-up-while-it-is-solid/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [For God hates utterly the bray of bragging tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/for-god-hates-utterly-the-bray-of-bragging-tongues/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I have nothing but contempt for the kind of governor who is afraid, for whatever reason, to follow the course that he knows is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/i-have-nothing-but-contempt-for-the-kind-of-governor-who-is-afraid/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“Not from Hades' black and universal lake can you lift him. Not by groaning, not by prayers. Yet you run yourself out in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/not-from-hades-black-and-universal-lake-can-you-lift-him-not-by/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [A fearful man is always hearing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-fearful-man-is-always-hearing-things/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [There is a point at which even justice does injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/there-is-a-point-at-which-even-justice-does-injury/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) [Explore all 621 Sophocles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You would rouse to anger a heart of stone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sophocles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-stone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-stone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86c/sophocles-370_anger_you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-ston_2101914.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You would rouse to anger a heart of stone.” — Sophocles", "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": "Sophocles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You would rouse to anger a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-stone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/you-would-rouse-to-anger-a-heart-of-stone/#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 } } ] } ```