--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Though Farmer Troutham had just hurt him…" description: "\"“Though Farmer Troutham had just hurt him, he was a boy who could not himself bear to hurt anything. He had never brought home a nest of young birds wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/thomas-hardy-410_weakness_though-farmer-troutham-had-just-hurt-him_2400291.jpg" --- # Though Farmer Troutham had just hurt him, he was a boy who… ![“Though Farmer Troutham had just hurt him, he was a boy who could not himself bear to hurt anything. He had never brought home a nest of young birds without lying awake in misery half the night after, and often reinstating them and the nest in their original place the next morning. He could…” quote by Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/thomas-hardy-410_weakness_though-farmer-troutham-had-just-hurt-him_2400291.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/thomas-hardy-410_weakness_though-farmer-troutham-had-just-hurt-him_2400291.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/thomas-hardy-410_weakness_though-farmer-troutham-had-just-hurt-him_2400291.jpg) > ““Though Farmer Troutham had just hurt him, he was a boy who could not himself bear to hurt anything. He had never brought home a nest of young birds without lying awake in misery half the night after, and often reinstating them and the nest in their original place the next morning. He could scarcely bear to see trees cut down or lopped, from a fancy that it hurt them; and late pruning, when the sap was up and the tree bled profusely, had been a positive grief to him in his infancy. This weakness of character, as it may be called, suggested that he was the sort of man who was born to ache a good deal before the fall of the curtain upon his unnecessary life should signify that all was well with him again. He carefully picked his way on tiptoe among the earthworms, without killing a single one.”” [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A compassionate boy feels deep empathy for all living things, avoiding harm even in small acts, reflecting a sensitive nature that may cause personal suffering. **In simple terms:** He cares deeply about all life, avoiding harm. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy without self‑destruction. Themes empathy compassion innocence environmentalism Mood reflective melancholic Type ethical literary When to use this quote - childhood - environmental stewardship - personal growth - ethical choices Key Concepts moral sensitivity ethical dilemma Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance empathy with self‑care? - When does compassion become self‑harm? A Different Perspective His extreme sensitivity may lead to paralysis or burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bear Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bear-hurt-5807930/) [Farmer Troutham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmer-troutham-6009486/) [Hurt Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-boy-963028/) [Weakness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) [Weakness Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness-character-483897/) ## Related quotes > [“I can't bear to hurt you because I love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/i-can-t-bear-to-hurt-you-because-i-love-you/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character; it becomes lack of power to act with courage proportionate to danger. All this must lead to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/weakness-of-attitude-becomes-weakness-of-character-it-becomes-lack-of/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A boy was dating a girl who always hurt his feelings. One day, she broke up with him and stormed out of the house.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-the-best/a-boy-was-dating-a-girl-who-always-hurt-his-feelings-one-day-she/) [SAM (THE BEST](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-the-best/) > [A Girl Can See...That How Much Hurt He Do With The Boy...For Love... But Girl Don't Know How Boy Feeling Inside:(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrittickduttanilavo/a-girl-can-see-that-how-much-hurt-he-do-with-the-boy-for-love-but/) [HrittickDuttaNilavo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrittickduttanilavo/) > [“Tina and Pete stood together. Pete knew he should be grilling the girl, getting the full story before details were lost, but he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-trope/tina-and-pete-stood-together-pete-knew-he-should-be-grilling-the-girl/) [Nicole Trope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-trope/) > [Girl- will you ever hurt me?? Boy- hmm, I'll... Girl- really?? :'( Boy- the only way I could hurt you is by hugging you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newlove/girl-will-you-ever-hurt-me-boy-hmm-i-ll-girl-really-boy-the-only-way/) [Newlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newlove/) > [“I think myself cured of all spite, but when I touch pen to paper, the hurt of a boy bleeds out with sea-spawned ink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-think-myself-cured-of-all-spite-but-when-i-touch-pen-to-paper-the/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [One is apt to think of moral failure as due to weakness of character: more often it is due to an inadequate ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-livingstone/one-is-apt-to-think-of-moral-failure-as-due-to-weakness-of-character/) [Richard Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-livingstone/) > [Weakness of character in a person is reflected as weakness of attitude & lack of confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/weakness-of-character-in-a-person-is-reflected-as-weakness-of/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/weakness-of-character-is-the-only-defect-which-cannot-be-amended/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. —Albert Einstein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-greshes/weakness-of-attitude-becomes-weakness-of-character-albert-einstein/) [Warren Greshes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-greshes/) > [Weakness in self belief becomes weakness of character & of low self esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/weakness-in-self-belief-becomes-weakness-of-character-of-low-self/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [I always thought fainting showed an inherent weakness of character, but I understood it now. It was an act of self-preservation. Confronted by emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-always-thought-fainting-showed-an-inherent-weakness-of-character/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [It is a strength of character to acknowledge our failings and our strong points, and it is a weakness of character not to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/it-is-a-strength-of-character-to-acknowledge-our-failings-and-our/) [Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/) > [Irrespective of what trials lie on your path or what desires or wishes subside unfulfilled; Even numerous dreams that are left delayed, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkululeko-goqo/irrespective-of-what-trials-lie-on-your-path-or-what-desires-or/) [Nkululeko Goqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkululeko-goqo/) ## More by Thomas Hardy > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“She was in a sound sleep, Jude, dying of anxiety lest she should have caught a chill which might permanently injure her, was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/she-was-in-a-sound-sleep-jude-dying-of-anxiety-lest-she-should-have/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You ride well, but you don't kiss nicely at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-ride-well-but-you-don-t-kiss-nicely-at-all/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You could sometimes see her twelfth year in her cheeks, or her ninth sparkling from her eyes; and even her fifth would flit over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-could-sometimes-see-her-twelfth-year-in-her-cheeks-or-her-ninth/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It was mid-May time, bringing with it weather not, perhaps, quite so blooming as that assumed to be natural to the month by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-mid-may-time-bringing-with-it-weather-not-perhaps-quite-so/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-galileo-had-said-in-verse-that-the-world-moved-the-inquisition/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Some folk want their luck buttered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/some-folk-want-their-luck-buttered/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Measurement of life should be proportioned rather to the intensity of the experience than to its actual length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/measurement-of-life-should-be-proportioned-rather-to-the-intensity-of/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-was-court-martialed-in-my-absence-and-sentenced-to-death-in-my/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It being the first time in his life that he had touched female fingers under water, Dick duly registered the sensation as rather a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-being-the-first-time-in-his-life-that-he-had-touched-female/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“As soon as she could discern the outline of the house, it had all its old effect upon Tess's imagination. Part of her body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/as-soon-as-she-could-discern-the-outline-of-the-house-it-had-all-its/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [ The perfect woman, you see \[is\] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who \[uses\] her hands and her head… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-woman-not-an-idler-not-a-fine/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“The Sinister Spirit sneered: 'It had to be!' And again the Spirit of Pity whispered, 'Why?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-sinister-spirit-sneered-it-had-to-be-and-again-the-spirit-of-pity/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“Justice” was done, and the President of the Immortals (in Aeschylean phrase) had ended his sport with Tess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/justice-was-done-and-the-president-of-the-immortals-in-aeschylean/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Explore all 561 Thomas Hardy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## More Weakness quotes > [“Those who know what's wrong with them and take care of themselves accordingly will tend to live a lot longer than those who consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-hoff/those-who-know-what-s-wrong-with-them-and-take-care-of-themselves/) [Benjamin Hoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-hoff/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [I think that as a writer your responsibility is to search for and stir up the things that are in this world. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-think-that-as-a-writer-your-responsibility-is-to-search-for-and/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I don't feel insecure about any of this work anymore. Maybe I don't have what I had when I was younger. I'm not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-feel-insecure-about-any-of-this-work-anymore-maybe-i-don-t/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [Honesty in politics is the result of strength; hypocrisy is the result of weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/honesty-in-politics-is-the-result-of-strength-hypocrisy-is-the-result/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [We often refer to loneliness as something negative. And we look at it as a weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/we-often-refer-to-loneliness-as-something-negative-and-we-look-at-it/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) > [Don't compare yourself to other people. It won't help. You'll only find what you expect to find. If you think you're weak, everyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-skye/don-t-compare-yourself-to-other-people-it-won-t-help-you-ll-only-find/) [Samantha Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-skye/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Our foibles are really what make us lovable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/our-foibles-are-really-what-make-us-lovable/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [What I try to do is find a weakness in my opponent. A way that I can hit you. One good, clean shot. 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If you love Jesus with a pure heart, you will know where He feeds His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wurmbrand/difficulty-is-not-lack-of-knowledge-but-moral-weakness-if-you-love/) [Richard Wurmbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wurmbrand/) [Browse all 4,076 Weakness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weakness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Though Farmer Troutham had just hurt him, he was a boy who could not himself bear to hurt anything. He had never brought home a nest of young birds without lying awake in misery half the night after, and often reinstating them and the nest in their original place the next morning. He could scarcely bear to see trees cut down or lopped, from a fancy that it hurt them; and late pruning, when the sap was up and the tree bled profusely, had been a positive grief to him in his infancy. 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