"People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned"

This quote by James A. Baldwin is a cautioning to those that mistreat others. It recommends that if a person is terrible or rude to one more individual, they should not be surprised when the exact same therapy is gone back to them. The metaphor of "bread cast on the waters" suggests that what we give out into the globe will at some point return to us, and if we have been unkind, it will come back to us in an unfavorable method. This quote is a pointer that we need to treat others with regard and also kindness, as we will eventually obtain the very same in return. It is a tip that our actions have consequences, and that we must be mindful of just how we treat others.