If I had known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Regret stems from not knowing something was harmless; actions taken in ignorance may later seem unnecessary or cruel.
- In plain terms
- If you knew something was safe, you wouldn't have destroyed it.
- What can you take from it?
- Ignorance can lead to irreversible regret.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What if you could have known the truth?
- Is ignorance an excuse for harm?
Another view
It implies knowledge guarantees moral correctness, which is not always true.
More from Philip Kindred Dick
He could not endure what he found himself going through, and he could not get away. It seemed to him as if he sat behind the tiller of his custom-made unique q…
Permalink to quote #38 Where there's dope, there's hope!
Permalink to quote #40 Fear... can make you do more wrong than hate or jealousy. If you're afraid you don't commit yourself to life completely; fear makes you always, always hold som…
Permalink to quote #37
Related quotes
Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should hav…
Louis E. BooneLouis E. Boone quote #1 Something has to make you run I don't know why I didn't come
Norah JonesNorah Jones quote #5 But evil is wrought by want of thought, As well as want of heart.
Thomas HoodThomas Hood quote #6