"Because there is something helpless and weak and innocent - something like an infant - deep inside us all that really suffers in ways we would never permit an insect to suffer"
- Jack Henry Abbott
About this Quote
In this quote, Jack Henry Abbott is highlighting the vulnerability and fragility that exists within every human being. He compares this inner vulnerability to that of an infant, emphasizing its innocence and vulnerability. Abbott suggests that this inner part of ourselves is frequently ignored and neglected, in spite of the reality that it experiences suffering in ways that we would never ever permit even the smallest of creatures. This quote functions as a suggestion to reveal compassion and compassion towards others, along with towards ourselves, as we all have this fragile and delicate aspect within us that is worthy of to be acknowledged and safeguarded.
"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act"
"When I first started, it was really an innocent response to the needs of women in rural areas. When we started planting trees to meet their needs, there was nothing beyond that. I did not see all the issues that I have to come to deal with"
"I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman"
"After doing Johnny I wanted to just do something, I wouldn't say innocent, but to not have any care in the world. Lots of setups and horrible happenings but its funny"
