Life Quote by Tahereh Mafi
““What I really want to say is who the hell are you and who are you to decide who gets to die. Who are you to decide who should be killed. Who are you tell me which father I should destroy and which child I should orphan and which mother should be left without her son, which brother should be left without a sister, which grandmother should spend the rest of her life crying in the early hours of the morning because they body of her grandchild was buried in the ground before her own.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas, 2015
The speaker challenges the moral authority of those who decide life and death, exposing the cruelty of imposing such power over individuals and families.
In simple terms: Questioning who can decide who lives or dies.
Key Takeaway
Beware giving others power over life and death.
Themes
morality
power
justice
violence
family
empathy
Mood
angry
defiant
somber
Type
political
philosophical
emotional
When to use this quote
- war tribunals
- judicial sentencing
- family disputes
- political oppression
- authoritarian regimes
Key Concepts
ethical authority
human rights
moral relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- Who truly has the right to make life‑and‑death decisions?
- How can societies protect vulnerable families from such authority?
A Different Perspective
The quote assumes a universal moral perspective, which may not hold across cultures.
