--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is quite enough sorrow and shame…" description: "\"“There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and baseness in real life and there is no need for meeting it unnecessarily in fiction. As Police..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg" --- # There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and… ![“There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and baseness in real life and there is no need for meeting it unnecessarily in fiction. As Police Commissioner it was my duty to deal with all kinds of squalid misery and hideous and unspeakable infamy, and I should have been worse than a coward…” quote by Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg) > ““There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and baseness in real life and there is no need for meeting it unnecessarily in fiction. As Police Commissioner it was my duty to deal with all kinds of squalid misery and hideous and unspeakable infamy, and I should have been worse than a coward if I had shrunk from doing what was necessary; but there would have been no use whatever in my reading novels detailing all this misery and squalor and crime, or at least in reading them as a steady thing. Now and then there is a powerful but sad story which really is interesting and which really does good; but normally the books which do good and the books which healthy people find interesting are those which are not in the least of the sugar-candy variety, but which, while portraying foulness and suffering when they must be portrayed, yet have a joyous as well as a noble side.”” [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fiction should reflect reality's harshness without gratuitous sensationalism, balancing truth with moral uplift. **In simple terms:** Stories should show truth and hope, not just misery. Key Takeaway Seek literature that portrays reality responsibly. Themes literature ethics truth morality balance Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - reading choices - educational curricula - writing - book clubs Key Concepts Philosophy of art moral realism literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - How can writers balance realism with hope? - What role does literature play in moral development? A Different Perspective Risk of censoring necessary harsh truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Crime Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-reading-4289478/) [Detailing Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detailing-misery-4289480/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-police-4289477/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels/) [Reading novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-novels/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Shame Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-suffering-2271134/) [Suffering Portrayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-portrayed-4289479/) ## Related quotes > [There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and baseness in real life, and there is no need for meeting it unnecessarily in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-and-suffering-and-baseness-in-2/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [You have to remember that it is impossible to commit a crime while reading a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/you-have-to-remember-that-it-is-impossible-to-commit-a-crime-while/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [People have a lot of shame and suffering around it and I felt that the best thing I could do was to share my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/people-have-a-lot-of-shame-and-suffering-around-it-and-i-felt-that/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [“I had no one to point at. Certainly not my parents, because I had nothing to accuse them of. The zeal for letting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-schlink/i-had-no-one-to-point-at-certainly-not-my-parents-because-i-had/) [Bernhard Schlink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-schlink/) > [“People listening to songs are like people reading novels: for a few minutes, for a few hours, someone else gets to come in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/people-listening-to-songs-are-like-people-reading-novels-for-a-few/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“What am I to give the housemaids here? and do you object to my reading novels, if Lady Eskdale says there is no harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-eden/what-am-i-to-give-the-housemaids-here-and-do-you-object-to-my-reading/) [Emily Eden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-eden/) > [Radio is the medium that most closely approximates the experience of reading. As a novelist, I find it very exciting to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/radio-is-the-medium-that-most-closely-approximates-the-experience-of/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I think reading the novels definitely was a good source for me to study from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-vandervoort/i-think-reading-the-novels-definitely-was-a-good-source-for-me-to/) [Laura Vandervoort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-vandervoort/) > [People are so used to reading novels now, they just read a poem straight through to get the meaning. And that's something totally different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-oswald/people-are-so-used-to-reading-novels-now-they-just-read-a-poem/) [Alice Oswald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-oswald/) > [People lose it when I say this, but I'm a novelist who doesn't read novels. There are lots of good reasons for not reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-traviss/people-lose-it-when-i-say-this-but-i-m-a-novelist-who-doesn-t-read/) [Karen Traviss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-traviss/) > [“It's because of the way you are. It's why you're happy reading novels. You're only comfortable with a piece of the world that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lan-samantha-chang/it-s-because-of-the-way-you-are-it-s-why-you-re-happy-reading-novels/) [Lan Samantha Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lan-samantha-chang/) > [I used to go with my parents and loved it, I was in school plays, and I started reading plays before I started reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/i-used-to-go-with-my-parents-and-loved-it-i-was-in-school-plays-and-i/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [ “I often feel happier, after putting down some of my own experiences \[in my journal\], than I do in reading much. Novels, even if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-may-alcott/i-often-feel-happier-after-putting-down-some-of-my-own-experiences-in/) [Abigail May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-may-alcott/) > [If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-green/if-your-heart-takes-more-pleasure-in-reading-novels-or-watching-tv-or/) [Keith Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-green/) > [As a kid, I dreamt of becoming a writer. My most exciting pastime was reading novels; in fact, I would read anything I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam-mirzakhani/as-a-kid-i-dreamt-of-becoming-a-writer-my-most-exciting-pastime-was/) [Maryam Mirzakhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam-mirzakhani/) ## More by Theodore Roosevelt > [No people is wholly civilized where a distinction is drawn between stealing an office and stealing a purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/no-people-is-wholly-civilized-where-a-distinction-is-drawn-between/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/get-action-seize-the-moment-man-was-never-intended-to-become-an-oyster/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Argument weak; speak loudly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/argument-weak-speak-loudly/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The forces that tend for evil are great and terrible, but the forces of truth and love and courage and honesty and generosity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-forces-that-tend-for-evil-are-great-and-terrible-but-the-forces/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Every reform movement has a lunatic fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/every-reform-movement-has-a-lunatic-fringe/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Conservation and rural-life policies are really two sides of the same policy; and down at the bottom this policy rests upon the fundamental law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/conservation-and-rural-life-policies-are-really-two-sides-of-the-same/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [It is a great mistake to think that the extremist is a better man than the moderate. Usually the difference is not that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-a-great-mistake-to-think-that-the-extremist-is-a-better-man/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I am a strong individualist by personal habit, inheritance, and conviction; but it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-am-a-strong-individualist-by-personal-habit-inheritance-and/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Alone of human beings the good and wise mother stands on a plane of equal honor with the bravest soldier; for she has gladly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/alone-of-human-beings-the-good-and-wise-mother-stands-on-a-plane-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The greatest privilege and greatest duty for any man is to be happily married, and no other form of success or service, for either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-greatest-privilege-and-greatest-duty-for-any-man-is-to-be-happily/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [For unflagging interest and enjoyment, a household of children, if things go reasonably well, certainly all other forms of success and achievement lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/for-unflagging-interest-and-enjoyment-a-household-of-children-if/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains. To put an end to it will be neither a short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their-2/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [If elected, I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no less and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-elected-i-shall-see-to-it-that-every-man-has-a-square-deal-no-less/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) [Explore all 876 Theodore Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. 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As Police Commissioner it was my duty to deal with all kinds of squalid misery and hideous and unspeakable infamy, and I should have been worse than a coward if I had shrunk from doing what was necessary; but there would have been no use whatever in my reading novels detailing all this misery and squalor and crime, or at least in reading them as a steady thing. Now and then there is a powerful but sad story which really is interesting and which really does good; but normally the books which do good and the books which healthy people find interesting are those which are not in the least of the sugar-candy variety, but which, while portraying foulness and suffering when they must be portrayed, yet have a joyous as well as a noble side.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Theodore Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-and-suffering-and-baseness-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-and-suffering-and-baseness-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69a/theodore-roosevelt-218_book_there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-a_504596.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is quite enough sorrow and shame and suffering and baseness in real life and there is no need for…” — Theodore Roosevelt", "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": "Theodore Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is quite enough sorrow and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-and-suffering-and-baseness-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-is-quite-enough-sorrow-and-shame-and-suffering-and-baseness-in/#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 } } ] } ```