--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: things, our society is not divided into…" description: "\"“things, our society is not divided into “good” and “bad.” Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.”..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png" --- # things, our society is not divided into “good” and “bad.”… ![“things, our society is not divided into “good” and “bad.” Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png) > ““things, our society is not divided into “good” and “bad.” Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.”” [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good and bad are not absolute; moral character is complex, and actions like cruelty or bravery do not define honesty or kindness. **In simple terms:** People are more than simple labels of good or bad. Key Takeaway Judge actions, not labels. Themes morality character ethics complexity human nature Mood thoughtful critical Type literary ethical When to use this quote - leadership training - conflict resolution - personal growth - literary analysis Key Concepts moral relativism character development ethical nuance Questions to Reflect On - Can cruelty ever be justified? - How do we balance bravery with humility? A Different Perspective The statement may oversimplify that some actions have harmful consequences regardless of intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-cruelty-1194861/) [Bravery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bravery/) [Cruel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel/) [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Cruelty Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty-does-862478/) [Person Dishonest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-dishonest-1194862/) ## Related quotes > [Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/cruelty-does-not-make-a-person-dishonest-the-same-way-bravery-does/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Old me? There is no way to know. All I can do is decide if i trust Marcus or not. And while he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/old-me-there-is-no-way-to-know-all-i-can-do-is-decide-if-i-trust/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind. Marcus is not good or bad, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/cruelty-does-not-make-a-person-dishonest-the-same-way-bravery-does-2/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“From the very beginning she had felt clear-eyed, aware that in a matter of weeks it would end. In another two weeks everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/from-the-very-beginning-she-had-felt-clear-eyed-aware-that-in-a/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [He who sees cruelty and does nothing about it is himself cruel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/he-who-sees-cruelty-and-does-nothing-about-it-is-himself-cruel/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Whoever possesses the will to suffering within himself has a different attitude towards cruelty: he does not regard it as inherently harmful and bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/whoever-possesses-the-will-to-suffering-within-himself-has-a/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“When Lear cries, ‘Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts?’, we could reply, on one level, yes – a defect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-mcgilchrist/when-lear-cries-is-there-any-cause-in-nature-that-makes-these-hard/) [Iain McGilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-mcgilchrist/) > [She supposed that all those years of loving a person who was dishonest had taught her a few things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/she-supposed-that-all-those-years-of-loving-a-person-who-was/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [The civilised cultures are the most cruel. It's the same with education - often it breeds sadistic forms of cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-mckay/the-civilised-cultures-are-the-most-cruel-it-s-the-same-with/) [Nellie McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-mckay/) > [“Cruelty is easy, and it breeds only misery. Kindness is harder, and you have to be brave to give it. To be cruel, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-cosway/cruelty-is-easy-and-it-breeds-only-misery-kindness-is-harder-and-you/) [L.H. Cosway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-cosway/) > [Cruelty depends on an understanding of cruelty, and the ability to choose against it. Or to choose to ignore it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/cruelty-depends-on-an-understanding-of-cruelty-and-the-ability-to/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Cruelty was the devil, and most people were, in one way or another, cruel. Tyranny, suppression, persecution, torture, slavery, war, neglect - all were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/cruelty-was-the-devil-and-most-people-were-in-one-way-or-another/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [Cruelty is all out of ignorance. If you knew what was in store for you, you wouldn't hurt anybody, because whatever you do comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/cruelty-is-all-out-of-ignorance-if-you-knew-what-was-in-store-for-you/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I must be cruel only to be kind; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-must-be-cruel-only-to-be-kind-thus-bad-begins-and-worse-remains/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [You must learn that to endure cruelty is to become cruel yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bleach/you-must-learn-that-to-endure-cruelty-is-to-become-cruel-yourself/) [Bleach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bleach/) ## More by Veronica Roth > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He acts so tough that he’s probably afraid of marshmallows and really bright sunrises or something. Overcompensating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-acts-so-tough-that-he-s-probably-afraid-of-marshmallows-and-really/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You always look like someone's sucked the life right out of you when something fascinates you. -Tris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/you-always-look-like-someone-s-sucked-the-life-right-out-of-you-when/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We can be mended. We mend each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-can-be-mended-we-mend-each-other/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Don’t worry about me handling the pain," I say. "I’ve had a lot of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/don-t-worry-about-me-handling-the-pain-i-say-i-ve-had-a-lot-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Soon I will honor my parents by dying as they died. and if all they believed about death was true, soon I will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/soon-i-will-honor-my-parents-by-dying-as-they-died-and-if-all-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Mas lembre-se, já agora, que por vezes as pessoas que oprimimos tornam-se mais poderosas do que nós gostaríamos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mas-lembre-se-j-agora-que-por-vezes-as-pessoas-que-oprimimos-tornam/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“am aware of how little space there is between us—six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/am-aware-of-how-little-space-there-is-between-us-six-inches-at-most/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Oh, good,” I say, a sour taste in my mouth. “Heroism is what I was focused on. Not, you know, trying not to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/oh-good-i-say-a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth-heroism-is-what-i-was-focused/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Caleb frowns at him. "How old are you, anyway?" "Eighteen." "And you don't think you're too old to be with my little sister?" Tobias…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/caleb-frowns-at-him-how-old-are-you-anyway-eighteen-and-you-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [What do you think they're going to do to us when they find us guilty?" she says after a few minutes of silence have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-you-think-they-re-going-to-do-to-us-when-they-find-us-guilty/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“La paz está restringida, eso es libertad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/la-paz-est-restringida-eso-es-libertad/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Explore all 1,589 Veronica Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More Bravery quotes > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [“How could we explain that standing on a stage and speaking someone else's words as if they are your own is less an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-rio/how-could-we-explain-that-standing-on-a-stage-and-speaking-someone/) [M.L. Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-rio/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Courage is the skill of being the only one who knows your scared to death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-is-the-skill-of-being-the-only-one-who-knows-your-scared-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Fearing our confrontations is one thing... facing them unarmed is a completely different matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-boyer-2/fearing-our-confrontations-is-one-thing-facing-them-unarmed-is-a/) [Mark W. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-boyer-2/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be able to live and train in Iraq under these circumstances you need to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-able-to-live-and-train-in-iraq-under-these-circumstances-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-garber/every-person-has-the-power-to-change-their-fate-if-they-are-brave/) [Stephanie Garber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-garber/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/all-the-world-s-bravery-that-delights-our-eyes-is-but-thy-several/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [“We were taught to be good, and we were taught to be careful. But in this world, sometimes, I do not think we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-bennett/we-were-taught-to-be-good-and-we-were-taught-to-be-careful-but-in/) [Marguerite Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-bennett/) > [Fortune helps the brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence/fortune-helps-the-brave/) [Terence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence/) > [“A ‘good’ father will tenderly cultivate his children. But a ‘good’ father who is also a ‘brave’ father will let the children without cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/a-good-father-will-tenderly-cultivate-his-children-but-a-good-father/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Now I have the bravery to do fine things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriela-sabatini/now-i-have-the-bravery-to-do-fine-things/) [Gabriela Sabatini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriela-sabatini/) [Browse all 1,663 Bravery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bravery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“things, our society is not divided into “good” and “bad.” Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Veronica Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-good-and-bad-cruelty-does-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bravery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-good-and-bad-cruelty-does-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/veronica-roth-66_bravery_things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-g_2515192.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“things, our society is not divided into “good” and “bad.” Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same…” — Veronica Roth", "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 Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“things, our society is not divided...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-good-and-bad-cruelty-does-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/things-our-society-is-not-divided-into-good-and-bad-cruelty-does-not/#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 } } ] } ```