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Daily Inspiration Quote by Emma Thompson

"Its unfortunate and I really wish I wouldn't have to say this, but I really like human beings who have suffered. They're kinder"

About this Quote

There’s a faint wince built into Emma Thompson’s phrasing: “It’s unfortunate and I really wish I wouldn’t have to say this.” She’s signaling that what follows risks sounding morally suspicious, like she’s glamorizing pain. As an actress with decades of public-facing empathy work, Thompson knows how quickly “suffering makes you better” can curdle into a TED Talk cliché or, worse, a permission slip for cruelty. The disclaimer isn’t politeness; it’s damage control.

Then she swerves into a taboo preference: “I really like human beings who have suffered.” Not admire, not respect - like. The intimacy of the verb matters. She’s talking about felt proximity, the kind of trust you extend to someone who’s been cornered by life and didn’t turn predatory. The subtext is experiential: suffering can sand down entitlement. It can teach people the social skill of noticing, because they’ve needed to be noticed.

The last two words - “They’re kinder” - land like a verdict, and also a quiet indictment of comfort. Kindness here isn’t niceness; it’s the practiced ability to treat other people as real when you’re exhausted, scared, or disappointed. Thompson is pointing to an ethics born from bruises, not from branding.

Contextually, it reads as both personal and cultural: a public figure pushing back on celebrity culture’s glossy invulnerability. She’s not praising trauma; she’s praising the rare, hard-won perspective that sometimes survives it.

Quote Details

TopicKindness
SourceHelp us find the source
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Thompson, Emma. (2026, January 17). Its unfortunate and I really wish I wouldn't have to say this, but I really like human beings who have suffered. They're kinder. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-unfortunate-and-i-really-wish-i-wouldnt-have-50880/

Chicago Style
Thompson, Emma. "Its unfortunate and I really wish I wouldn't have to say this, but I really like human beings who have suffered. They're kinder." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-unfortunate-and-i-really-wish-i-wouldnt-have-50880/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Its unfortunate and I really wish I wouldn't have to say this, but I really like human beings who have suffered. They're kinder." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/its-unfortunate-and-i-really-wish-i-wouldnt-have-50880/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson (born April 15, 1959) is a Actress from England.

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