--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After all, we are not responsible. We are…" description: "\"“After all, we are not responsible. We are not judges. We are not called upon to torture our fellows with thumb-screws and irons; we are not called upo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/virginia-woolf-49_sunday-afternoon_after-all-we-are-not-responsible-we-are_1866319.jpg" --- # After all, we are not responsible. We are not judges. We… ![“After all, we are not responsible. We are not judges. We are not called upon to torture our fellows with thumb-screws and irons; we are not called upon to mount pulpits and lecture them on pale Sunday afternoons. It is better to look at a rose, or to read Shakespeare as I read him here in…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/virginia-woolf-49_sunday-afternoon_after-all-we-are-not-responsible-we-are_1866319.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/virginia-woolf-49_sunday-afternoon_after-all-we-are-not-responsible-we-are_1866319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/virginia-woolf-49_sunday-afternoon_after-all-we-are-not-responsible-we-are_1866319.jpg) > ““After all, we are not responsible. We are not judges. We are not called upon to torture our fellows with thumb-screws and irons; we are not called upon to mount pulpits and lecture them on pale Sunday afternoons. It is better to look at a rose, or to read Shakespeare as I read him here in Shaftesbury Avenue.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author dismisses moral authority and judgment, preferring simple pleasures like nature and literature over preaching. **In simple terms:** Reject judgment, enjoy simple joys like roses and Shakespeare. Key Takeaway Seek simple pleasures over moralizing. Themes individualism literature freedom Mood contemplative defiant Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading - walking in nature - creative writing - mindful observation Key Concepts existentialism aestheticism Questions to Reflect On - What simple pleasure grounds you? - When do you feel the need to judge others? 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