Compassion Quote by Steven Erikson
““You were so quick to judge, weren’t you? Ah, you revealed so much with that contemptuous utterance. And I admit to being amused at my own instinctive response to your words. Naive. Errant take me, I wanted to rip your head from your body, like decapitating a swamp-fly. I wanted to show you true contempt. Mine. For you and your kind. I wanted to take that dismissive expression on your face and push it through an offal grinder. You think you have all the answers? You must, given the ease of your voiced judgement. Well, you pathetic little creature, one day uncertainty will come to your door, will clamber down your throat, and it will be a race to see which arrives first, humility or death. Either way, I will spare you a moment’s compassion, which is what sets you and me apart, isn’t it?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Malazan Book of the Fallen, 2000
The speaker mocks a judge’s arrogance, exposing contempt and the inevitability of humility confronting death, while offering brief compassion as a distinguishing trait.
In simple terms: Mocking arrogance, highlighting humility and death, offering brief compassion.
Key Takeaway
Recognize arrogance, seek humility, extend compassion.
Themes
arrogance
humility
death
compassion
contempt
Mood
cynical
reflective
dark
Type
literary
philosophical
dialogue
When to use this quote
- Debates
- personal conflict
- ethical dilemmas
- power dynamics
Key Concepts
Moral philosophy
psychology
literary criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true humility look like in the face of contempt?
- Can brief compassion alter a hostile mindset?
A Different Perspective
Compassion may be fleeting and insufficient to change entrenched attitudes.
