--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I condemn mankind too much it is…" description: "\"If I condemn mankind too much it is because I know myself too well.\" — William Saroyan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg" --- # If I condemn mankind too much it is because I know myself… ![“If I condemn mankind too much it is because I know myself too well.” quote by William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg) > “If I condemn mankind too much it is because I know myself too well.” [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admits that harsh judgment of humanity stems from deep self-awareness. **In simple terms:** Self‑knowledge can lead to harsh views of humanity. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy alongside self‑reflection. Themes human nature self‑awareness judgment Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - creative writing - mental health counseling Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑knowledge affect our view of others? - Can empathy soften harsh judgments? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism may hinder connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) ## Related quotes > [An old man concludeth from his knowing mankind that they know him too, and that maketh him very wary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-old-man-concludeth-from-his-knowing-mankind-that-they-know-him-too/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We do not have to wait for future discoveries in connection with the powers of the human mind for evidence that the mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/we-do-not-have-to-wait-for-future-discoveries-in-connection-with-the/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [What science cannot tell us, mankind cannot know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/what-science-cannot-tell-us-mankind-cannot-know/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [They say: 'If a man knew himself, he would know all mankind.' I say: 'If a man loved mankind, he would know something of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/they-say-if-a-man-knew-himself-he-would-know-all-mankind-i-say-if-a/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [What science cannot discover, mankind cannot know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/what-science-cannot-discover-mankind-cannot-know/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/sooner-or-later-we-will-have-to-recognise-that-the-earth-has-rights/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) > [Time cannot children,poets,lovers tell- measure imagine,mystery,a kiss -not though mankind would rather know than feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-cannot-children-poets-lovers-tell-measure-imagine-mystery-a-kiss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We pray that henceforth not only Japan but all mankind may know the blessings of harmony and progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-yoshida/we-pray-that-henceforth-not-only-japan-but-all-mankind-may-know-the/) [Shigeru Yoshida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-yoshida/) > [What's the future of mankind? How do I know, I got left behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/what-s-the-future-of-mankind-how-do-i-know-i-got-left-behind/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [It is rash to condemn where you are ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-rash-to-condemn-where-you-are-ignorant/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [...The people love him. So how can we condemn him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zuma/the-people-love-him-so-how-can-we-condemn-him/) [Jacob Zuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zuma/) > [“Fix, commit, condemn yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/fix-commit-condemn-yourself/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-there-is-injustice-dare-to-be-the-first-to-condemn-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Going to the extreme of inviting and welcoming people into your church in order to hear you condemn them or to know from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/going-to-the-extreme-of-inviting-and-welcoming-people-into-your/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [If you condemn someone who has committed a crime to be tortured, that would be unconstitutional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-you-condemn-someone-who-has-committed-a-crime-to-be-tortured-that/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) ## More by William Saroyan > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly-as-we-may-ever-dream-of/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“This is a hell of a night. I don't want to leave it just to go to sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-is-a-hell-of-a-night-i-don-t-want-to-leave-it-just-to-go-to-sleep/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Americans still believe they are cut out to be successful-in everything: love, love-making, luck, luck-giving, money-making, sense-making, cancer-avoiding, clothes-wearing, car-driving, and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/americans-still-believe-they-are-cut-out-to-be-successful-in/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I can't decide for you whether or not you have got to write, but if anything in the world, war, or pestilence, or famine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-can-t-decide-for-you-whether-or-not-you-have-got-to-write-but-if/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [He paints for the blind, and we are the blind, and he lets us see for sure what we saw long ago but weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/he-paints-for-the-blind-and-we-are-the-blind-and-he-lets-us-see-for/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [I am interested in madness. I believe it is the biggest thing in the human race, and the most constant. How do you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-am-interested-in-madness-i-believe-it-is-the-biggest-thing-in-the/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Two years ago your father died, Ulysses. But as long as we are alive, as long as we are together, as long as two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/two-years-ago-your-father-died-ulysses-but-as-long-as-we-are-alive-as/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Cowards are nice, they're interesting, they're gentle, they wouldn't think of shooting down people in a parade from a tower. They want to live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/cowards-are-nice-they-re-interesting-they-re-gentle-they-wouldn-t/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/in-the-time-of-your-life-live-so-that-in-that-good-time-there-shall/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [San Francisco is a world to explore. It is a place where the heart can go on a delightful adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/san-francisco-is-a-world-to-explore-it-is-a-place-where-the-heart-can/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [Even after you've won fame and fortune, every time you write you've got to write, there's no shortcut, you have to start your career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/even-after-you-ve-won-fame-and-fortune-every-time-you-write-you-ve/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose history is ended, whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-should-like-to-see-any-power-of-the-world-destroy-this-race-this/) [WILLIAM SAROYAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [There could be no extreme vanity in my recognition of myself, if in fact there could be any at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/there-could-be-no-extreme-vanity-in-my-recognition-of-myself-if-in/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [“This sense of being out of time has driven thousands of people from their homes into moving-picture theaters where new universes appear before them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-sense-of-being-out-of-time-has-driven-thousands-of-people-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) [Explore all 207 William Saroyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) ## More Condemn quotes > [If you condemn someone who has committed a crime to be tortured, that would be unconstitutional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-you-condemn-someone-who-has-committed-a-crime-to-be-tortured-that/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [“Going to the extreme of inviting and welcoming people into your church in order to hear you condemn them or to know from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/going-to-the-extreme-of-inviting-and-welcoming-people-into-your/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-there-is-injustice-dare-to-be-the-first-to-condemn-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Fix, commit, condemn yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/fix-commit-condemn-yourself/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [...The people love him. So how can we condemn him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-zuma/the-people-love-him-so-how-can-we-condemn-him/) [Jacob Zuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-zuma/) > [It is rash to condemn where you are ignorant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-rash-to-condemn-where-you-are-ignorant/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [You'll hunt me. You'll condemn me. Set the dogs on me. Because that's what needs to happen. Because sometimes truth isn't good enough. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/you-ll-hunt-me-you-ll-condemn-me-set-the-dogs-on-me-because-that-s/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [Many governments are quick to condemn Assad, but a dwindling number of them would celebrate a rebel victory in Damascus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/many-governments-are-quick-to-condemn-assad-but-a-dwindling-number-of/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [I condemn all statements - made in sincerity or jest - that threaten or suggest the use of violence against the president of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-broun/i-condemn-all-statements-made-in-sincerity-or-jest-that-threaten-or/) [Paul Broun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-broun/) > [The wretch condemn'd with life to part, Still, still on hope relies; And every pang that rends the heart Bids expectation rise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-wretch-condemn-d-with-life-to-part-still-still-on-hope-relies-and/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [We like to think the best of ourselves. We like to believe we always say and do the right things. We like to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/we-like-to-think-the-best-of-ourselves-we-like-to-believe-we-always/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [Condemn me, it does not matter: history will absolve me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fidel-castro/condemn-me-it-does-not-matter-history-will-absolve-me/) [Fidel Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fidel-castro/) > [“Lewis Richardson wrote that his quest to analyze peace with numbers sprang from two prejudices. As a Quaker, he believed that "the moral evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/lewis-richardson-wrote-that-his-quest-to-analyze-peace-with-numbers/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“this other man within us, has got to be handled. Do not listen to him; turn on him; speak to him; condemn him; upbraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-martyn-lloyd-jones/this-other-man-within-us-has-got-to-be-handled-do-not-listen-to-him/) [D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-martyn-lloyd-jones/) > [The U.N. Security Council did not to condemn the Qana massacre, due to the U.S. veto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-nasrallah/the-u-n-security-council-did-not-to-condemn-the-qana-massacre-due-to/) [Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-nasrallah/) Browse all 185 Condemn quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I condemn mankind too much it is because I know myself too well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Saroyan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-because-i-know-myself-too-well/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Condemn" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-because-i-know-myself-too-well/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37f/william-saroyan-1743_mankind_if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-beca_2008093.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I condemn mankind too much it is because I know myself too well.” — William Saroyan", "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": "William Saroyan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I condemn mankind too much...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-because-i-know-myself-too-well/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/if-i-condemn-mankind-too-much-it-is-because-i-know-myself-too-well/#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 } } ] } ```