Crime Quote by Terry Pratchett
““These were dangerous thoughts, he knew. They were the kind that crept up on a Watchman when the chase was over and it was just you and him, facing one another in that breathless little pinch between the crime and the punishment. And maybe a Watchman had seen civilization with the skin ripped off one time too many and stopped acting like a Watchman and started acting like a normal human being and realized that the click of the crossbow or the sweep of the sword would make all the world so clean. And you couldn’t think like that, even about vampires. Even though they’d take the lives of other people because little lives don’t matter and what the hell can we take away from them? And, too, you couldn’t think like that because they gave you a sword and a badge and that turned you into something else and that had to mean there were some thoughts you couldn’t think. Only crimes could take place in darkness. Punishment had to be done in the light. That was the job of a good Watchman, Carrot always said. To light a candle in the dark.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Discworld series, “The Light Fantastic” by Terry Pratchett, 1986
A Watchman reflects on the moral conflict between duty and humanity, recognizing that violence and authority can corrupt noble intentions.
In simple terms: Duty can clash with personal conscience.
Key Takeaway
Balance duty with empathy.
Themes
ethics
authority
humanity
conflict
morality
power
Mood
reflective
tense
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- law enforcement
- military service
- personal decision making
- ethical leadership
Key Concepts
Moral dilemma
watchman archetype
civilization
violence
responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- Can authority be exercised without losing humanity?
- How do we reconcile duty with personal morals?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on duty may suppress critical thinking.
![“[P]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes.” quote by Avis Bohlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/05d/avis-bohlen-84451_affording_p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-i_6893.jpg)