--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So I was surprised at the notion that I…" description: "\"So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought anthrax to my home, and would have been even amused if it was not for the fact that this mat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png" --- # So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought… ![“So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought anthrax to my home, and would have been even amused if it was not for the fact that this matter is so grave and serious.” quote by Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png) > “So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought anthrax to my home, and would have been even amused if it was not for the fact that this matter is so grave and serious.” [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He expresses shock at being linked to anthrax, noting the seriousness of the situation despite any personal amusement. **In simple terms:** Shock at being blamed for a serious crime. Key Takeaway Take accusations seriously and verify facts. Themes responsibility credibility crisis management Mood anxious serious Type statement reflective When to use this quote - legal defense - public statements - risk assessment Key Concepts public health legal risk media scrutiny Questions to Reflect On - How should one respond to false accusations? - What safeguards protect against wrongful blame? A Different Perspective The claim may be based on incomplete evidence and could harm reputations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) ## Related quotes > [I want to look my fellow Americans directly in the eye and declare to them, 'I am not the anthrax killer.' I know nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-want-to-look-my-fellow-americans-directly-in-the-eye-and-declare-to/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [As a scientist in the field of biological warfare defense, I have never had any reservations whatsoever about helping the anthrax investigation in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/as-a-scientist-in-the-field-of-biological-warfare-defense-i-have/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [I have had nothing to do in any way, shape or form with the mailing of these anthrax letters, and it is extremely wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-have-had-nothing-to-do-in-any-way-shape-or-form-with-the-mailing-of/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [It's true that my research expertise is in biology: for example, the Ebola virus, the Marburg virus, and monkey pox, and not bacteriology as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/it-s-true-that-my-research-expertise-is-in-biology-for-example-the/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Anthrax is a deadly inhalational disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/anthrax-is-a-deadly-inhalational-disease/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [But I am just as appalled that my experience, knowledge, dedication and service relative to defending the United States against biological warfare has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/but-i-am-just-as-appalled-that-my-experience-knowledge-dedication-and/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [After eight months of one of the most intensive public and private investigations in American history, no one - no one - has come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/after-eight-months-of-one-of-the-most-intensive-public-and-private/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Later, I went down to the Washington field office and an onsite polygraph was administered. After reviewing the polygraph charts in private, the polygraph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/later-i-went-down-to-the-washington-field-office-and-an-onsite-2/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [I acknowledge the right of the authorities and the press to satisfy themselves as to whether I am the anthrax mailer. This does not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-acknowledge-the-right-of-the-authorities-and-the-press-to-satisfy/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [I went in for a checkup, and when my doctor had me stand on the scale, even he was surprised. Seeing that number (which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-richman/i-went-in-for-a-checkup-and-when-my-doctor-had-me-stand-on-the-scale/) [Adam Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-richman/) > [The biological agents we believe Iraq can produce include anthrax, botulinum, toxin, aflatoxin and ricin. All eventually result in excruciatingly painful death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-biological-agents-we-believe-iraq-can-produce-include-anthrax/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [When World War II came along, which was when I was a teenager, we all expected we would have anthrax bombs and this kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/when-world-war-ii-came-along-which-was-when-i-was-a-teenager-we-all/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [If you take the biological weapons in the United States we still will have perhaps a single individual who was able to make anthrax,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/if-you-take-the-biological-weapons-in-the-united-states-we-still-will/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [Liberals compare Jerry Falwell to the Taliban, but then are furious with George Bush for not being Jesus Christ. Evidently, what a president is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/liberals-compare-jerry-falwell-to-the-taliban-but-then-are-furious/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [To mess around with Ebola is an easy way to die. Better to work with something safer, such as anthrax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-preston/to-mess-around-with-ebola-is-an-easy-way-to-die-better-to-work-with/) [Richard Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-preston/) ## More by Steven Hatfill > [The next day I was put on paid leave from my new job at Louisiana State University. This is very painful to me, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/the-next-day-i-was-put-on-paid-leave-from-my-new-job-at-louisiana/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Whether we're at war or have been attacked, the foundation of society is that you hold to the laws in place. I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/whether-we-re-at-war-or-have-been-attacked-the-foundation-of-society/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [I acknowledge the right of the authorities and the press to satisfy themselves as to whether I am the anthrax mailer. This does not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-acknowledge-the-right-of-the-authorities-and-the-press-to-satisfy/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [All Americans value the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, and I believe this is essential for our continued way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/all-americans-value-the-freedom-of-speech-and-the-freedom-of-the/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [I especially object to having my character assassinated by reference to events from my past which bear absolutely no relationship to the question of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-especially-object-to-having-my-character-assassinated-by-reference/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Later, I went down to the Washington field office and an onsite polygraph was administered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/later-i-went-down-to-the-washington-field-office-and-an-onsite/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [After reviewing the polygraph charts in private, the polygraph examiner told me that I had passed and that he believed I had nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/after-reviewing-the-polygraph-charts-in-private-the-polygraph/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Later, I went down to the Washington field office and an onsite polygraph was administered. After reviewing the polygraph charts in private, the polygraph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/later-i-went-down-to-the-washington-field-office-and-an-onsite-2/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [And indeed, last week, the FBI executed a search warrant on my residence. This happened one day after my attorneys had left a message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/and-indeed-last-week-the-fbi-executed-a-search-warrant-on-my/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Every human being has to feel a part of a tribe. It's programmed into us. And you have to feel that you're contributing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/every-human-being-has-to-feel-a-part-of-a-tribe-it-s-programmed-into/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [I'm a medical doctor and a biomedical scientist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-m-a-medical-doctor-and-a-biomedical-scientist/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [All Americans value the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, and I believe this is essential for our continued way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/all-americans-value-the-freedom-of-speech-and-the-freedom-of-the-2/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [In fact, I had previously helped train one of the FBI agents who searched my apartment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/in-fact-i-had-previously-helped-train-one-of-the-fbi-agents-who/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [After eight months of one of the most intensive public and private investigations in American history, no one - no one - has come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/after-eight-months-of-one-of-the-most-intensive-public-and-private/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [In due course, following an additional debriefing, the FBI confirmed to me and to my former counsel, Tom Carter, that I was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/in-due-course-following-an-additional-debriefing-the-fbi-confirmed-to/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) [Explore all 30 Steven Hatfill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) ## More Anthrax quotes > [To mess around with Ebola is an easy way to die. Better to work with something safer, such as anthrax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-preston/to-mess-around-with-ebola-is-an-easy-way-to-die-better-to-work-with/) [Richard Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-preston/) > [Liberals compare Jerry Falwell to the Taliban, but then are furious with George Bush for not being Jesus Christ. Evidently, what a president is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/liberals-compare-jerry-falwell-to-the-taliban-but-then-are-furious/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [If you take the biological weapons in the United States we still will have perhaps a single individual who was able to make anthrax,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/if-you-take-the-biological-weapons-in-the-united-states-we-still-will/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [When World War II came along, which was when I was a teenager, we all expected we would have anthrax bombs and this kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/when-world-war-ii-came-along-which-was-when-i-was-a-teenager-we-all/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [The biological agents we believe Iraq can produce include anthrax, botulinum, toxin, aflatoxin and ricin. All eventually result in excruciatingly painful death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-biological-agents-we-believe-iraq-can-produce-include-anthrax/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Well germ warfare of course exists. There have been on a small scale... There have been, of course, a few people who got killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/well-germ-warfare-of-course-exists-there-have-been-on-a-small-scale/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [It's not anthrax or terrorism or AIDS that is the worst ill in our world: The most horrible disease in the world is hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/it-s-not-anthrax-or-terrorism-or-aids-that-is-the-worst-ill-in-our/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I acknowledge the right of the authorities and the press to satisfy themselves as to whether I am the anthrax mailer. This does not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/i-acknowledge-the-right-of-the-authorities-and-the-press-to-satisfy/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Metal is easily my favorite thing - Exodus and Anthrax and Megadeth - so it just kind of organically came through in the standup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-posehn/metal-is-easily-my-favorite-thing-exodus-and-anthrax-and-megadeth-so/) [Brian Posehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-posehn/) > [Later, I went down to the Washington field office and an onsite polygraph was administered. After reviewing the polygraph charts in private, the polygraph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/later-i-went-down-to-the-washington-field-office-and-an-onsite-2/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [“I thought we stopped using grunts as guinea pigs decades ago. Even the Nazis didn't run medical experiments on their own troops in combat.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-matsumoto/i-thought-we-stopped-using-grunts-as-guinea-pigs-decades-ago-even-the/) Gary Matsumoto > [“What's the point of truth or beauty or knowledge when the anthrax bombs are popping all around you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/what-s-the-point-of-truth-or-beauty-or-knowledge-when-the-anthrax/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [You never get quite down to the bottom of the barrel, but we are much higher than that at the present time. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/you-never-get-quite-down-to-the-bottom-of-the-barrel-but-we-are-much/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom. The Iraqi regime has plotted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/iran-aggressively-pursues-these-weapons-and-exports-terror-while-an/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [After eight months of one of the most intensive public and private investigations in American history, no one - no one - has come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/after-eight-months-of-one-of-the-most-intensive-public-and-private/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) Browse all 47 Anthrax quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought anthrax to my home, and would have been even amused if it was not for the fact that this matter is so grave and serious.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Hatfill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i-might-have-brought-anthrax-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anthrax" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i-might-have-brought-anthrax-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a89/steven-hatfill-20930_anthrax_so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i_1542752.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So I was surprised at the notion that I might have brought anthrax to my home, and would have been even…” — Steven Hatfill", "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": "Steven Hatfill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "So I was surprised at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i-might-have-brought-anthrax-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/so-i-was-surprised-at-the-notion-that-i-might-have-brought-anthrax-to/#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 } } ] } ```