--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People can be cruelest to those they love." description: "\"People can be cruelest to those they love.\" — Veronica Rossi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png" --- # People can be cruelest to those they love. ![“People can be cruelest to those they love.” quote by Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png) > “People can be cruelest to those they love.” [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love can mask cruelty, as close relationships sometimes reveal harsh truths. **In simple terms:** People may hurt those they love most. Key Takeaway Recognize and address harmful patterns in relationships. Themes love psychology conflict Mood reflective somber Type advice psychological When to use this quote - family gatherings - intimate partnerships - friendships Key Concepts emotional abuse relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate love turned harmful? - How can one set healthy boundaries? A Different Perspective Not all cruelty is intentional; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Ah, cruel 'tis to love, And cruel not to love, But cruelest of all To love and love in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anacreon/ah-cruel-tis-to-love-and-cruel-not-to-love-but-cruelest-of-all-to/) [Anacreon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anacreon/) > [Failing to differentiate among employees — and holding on to bottom-tier performers — is actually the cruelest form of management there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/failing-to-differentiate-among-employees-and-holding-on-to-bottom/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [“She always made sure the bad was outweighed by so much good. I...well, I didn't do that for her. I made it fifty-fifty. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/she-always-made-sure-the-bad-was-outweighed-by-so-much-good-i-well-i/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [“The cruelest thing you can do to someone is force them to hurt alone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/the-cruelest-thing-you-can-do-to-someone-is-force-them-to-hurt-alone/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [The cruelest thing a guy can do to a girl is to let her fall when he doesnt have an intention of catching her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-cruelest-thing-a-guy-can-do-to-a-girl-is-to-let-her-fall-when-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I like to hurt people too. I can make the cruelest choice. The difference is, sometimes I don't, and you always do, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-like-to-hurt-people-too-i-can-make-the-cruelest-choice-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“February is the cruelest month in western Oregon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-nedry/february-is-the-cruelest-month-in-western-oregon/) Judy Nedry > [“Fate is the cruelest of masters, taking Life when it pleases or at random, handing Rigged decks to whom it pleases, cheating All alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/fate-is-the-cruelest-of-masters-taking-life-when-it-pleases-or-at/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [The grossest, the cruelest, the most selfish, the most easily pervertible and perverted thing in this world, is government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-grossest-the-cruelest-the-most-selfish-the-most-easily/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [One of the cruelest things you can do to another person is pretend you care about them more than you really do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/one-of-the-cruelest-things-you-can-do-to-another-person-is-pretend/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [Tricking someone into grief is one of the cruelest tricks a person can play, and its been played on me twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/tricking-someone-into-grief-is-one-of-the-cruelest-tricks-a-person/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“That can be the cruelest part of happiness--its tendency to disguise itself as boredom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-helene-bertino/that-can-be-the-cruelest-part-of-happiness-its-tendency-to-disguise/) [Marie-Helene Bertino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-helene-bertino/) > [“So many mistakes. So many errors. So much tragedy as a result. In that moment I understood that the cruelest words in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/so-many-mistakes-so-many-errors-so-much-tragedy-as-a-result-in-that/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [It is a fact of big cities that one girl's darkest how is always another's moment of shining triumph, and New York is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/it-is-a-fact-of-big-cities-that-one-girl-s-darkest-how-is-always/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [“The weakest are always the cruelest, in the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-derr/the-weakest-are-always-the-cruelest-in-the-end/) [Megan Derr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-derr/) ## More by Veronica Rossi > [“At nearly six feet, she's only a few inches shorter than him and every bit as stubborn. At times like this I wonder if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/at-nearly-six-feet-she-s-only-a-few-inches-shorter-than-him-and-every/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“The real food in Ag 6 looked like old people before aging-reversal treatments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/the-real-food-in-ag-6-looked-like-old-people-before-aging-reversal/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“It ruffles me a bit, not being able to tell apart my best friend from my girlfriend from this distance. But then one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/it-ruffles-me-a-bit-not-being-able-to-tell-apart-my-best-friend-from/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“But when a cut is deep, it’s still just flesh beneath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/but-when-a-cut-is-deep-it-s-still-just-flesh-beneath/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“You don't hate it, then?" he asked after a while. "Knowing you're half... Savage?" "How could I hate what's kept me alive?" He had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/you-don-t-hate-it-then-he-asked-after-a-while-knowing-you-re-half/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“To the return of old friends and to an unexpected but most welcome new one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/to-the-return-of-old-friends-and-to-an-unexpected-but-most-welcome/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“She had no illusions of becoming a master knife fighter. This wasn’t the Realms, where a thought delivered a result. But she also knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/she-had-no-illusions-of-becoming-a-master-knife-fighter-this-wasn-t/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“She knew she could answer it. She knew how to put one foot in front of the other even when every step hurt. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/she-knew-she-could-answer-it-she-knew-how-to-put-one-foot-in-front-of/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“Perry. I want to see your back." Another surprise, but he nodded and turned away. Dropped his head forward and took the moment to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/perry-i-want-to-see-your-back-another-surprise-but-he-nodded-and/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“His eyes were heavy with desire, but she saw something else. A gleam that made her suspicious. "What?" she asked. His hand slid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/his-eyes-were-heavy-with-desire-but-she-saw-something-else-a-gleam/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“Trust, especially when it's difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/trust-especially-when-it-s-difficult/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“Yes. Of Course… I’ll always…Like you, Aria." He grinned, because he sounded like fool. He loved her-down to his soul-and he was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/yes-of-course-i-ll-always-like-you-aria-he-grinned-because-he-sounded/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“What if this was a sign? Maybe I’m not supposed to be an Outsider. He surprised her by taking her hand and threading his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/what-if-this-was-a-sign-maybe-i-m-not-supposed-to-be-an-outsider-he/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“There was a time for risk and a time for caution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/there-was-a-time-for-risk-and-a-time-for-caution/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“We all have the potential to do terrible things, Soren. But we also have the potential to overcome our mistakes. I don’t know… I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/we-all-have-the-potential-to-do-terrible-things-soren-but-we-also/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) [Explore all 219 Veronica Rossi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) ## More Cruelest quotes > [Failing to differentiate among employees — and holding on to bottom-tier performers — is actually the cruelest form of management there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/failing-to-differentiate-among-employees-and-holding-on-to-bottom/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [It is a fact of big cities that one girl's darkest how is always another's moment of shining triumph, and New York is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-godbersen/it-is-a-fact-of-big-cities-that-one-girl-s-darkest-how-is-always/) [Anna Godbersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-godbersen/) > [“So many mistakes. So many errors. So much tragedy as a result. In that moment I understood that the cruelest words in the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/so-many-mistakes-so-many-errors-so-much-tragedy-as-a-result-in-that/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“That can be the cruelest part of happiness--its tendency to disguise itself as boredom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-helene-bertino/that-can-be-the-cruelest-part-of-happiness-its-tendency-to-disguise/) [Marie-Helene Bertino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-helene-bertino/) > [Tricking someone into grief is one of the cruelest tricks a person can play, and its been played on me twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/tricking-someone-into-grief-is-one-of-the-cruelest-tricks-a-person/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [One of the cruelest things you can do to another person is pretend you care about them more than you really do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/one-of-the-cruelest-things-you-can-do-to-another-person-is-pretend/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [The grossest, the cruelest, the most selfish, the most easily pervertible and perverted thing in this world, is government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-grossest-the-cruelest-the-most-selfish-the-most-easily/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“Fate is the cruelest of masters, taking Life when it pleases or at random, handing Rigged decks to whom it pleases, cheating All alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/fate-is-the-cruelest-of-masters-taking-life-when-it-pleases-or-at/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“February is the cruelest month in western Oregon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-nedry/february-is-the-cruelest-month-in-western-oregon/) Judy Nedry > [“I like to hurt people too. I can make the cruelest choice. The difference is, sometimes I don't, and you always do, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-like-to-hurt-people-too-i-can-make-the-cruelest-choice-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [The cruelest thing a guy can do to a girl is to let her fall when he doesnt have an intention of catching her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-cruelest-thing-a-guy-can-do-to-a-girl-is-to-let-her-fall-when-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The cruelest thing you can do to someone is force them to hurt alone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/the-cruelest-thing-you-can-do-to-someone-is-force-them-to-hurt-alone/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [“She always made sure the bad was outweighed by so much good. I...well, I didn't do that for her. I made it fifty-fifty. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/she-always-made-sure-the-bad-was-outweighed-by-so-much-good-i-well-i/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [“The weakest are always the cruelest, in the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-derr/the-weakest-are-always-the-cruelest-in-the-end/) [Megan Derr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-derr/) > [“Dauntless is the cruelest of the five They tear each other to pieces . . . . Erudite is the coldest of the five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/dauntless-is-the-cruelest-of-the-five-they-tear-each-other-to-pieces/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) Browse all 71 Cruelest quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People can be cruelest to those they love.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Veronica Rossi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cruelest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/veronica-rossi-1545_cruelest_people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-lov_1906500.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People can be cruelest to those they love.” — Veronica Rossi", "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": "Veronica Rossi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People can be cruelest to those...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/people-can-be-cruelest-to-those-they-love/#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 } } ] } ```