If I said I was madly in love with you, I'd be lying and what's more, you'd know it.
Margaret MitchellRead
You're like the thief who isn't the least bit sorry he stole, but is terribly, terribly sorry he's going to jail. - Rhett Butler
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the difference between feeling remorse for one's actions versus feeling regret for the consequences.
In this quote, Rhett Butler illustrates a common human tendency where individuals may not feel guilty for their wrongdoing but instead feel sorry for the repercussions they face. It speaks to a lack of genuine moral accountability, suggesting that true remorse should involve reflection on the harm caused to others rather than just concern for personal punishment.
Themes
RemorseConsequencesGuiltActionsAccountability
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about ethical behavior in business.
More from Margaret Mitchell
All quotes βIt's a curse - this not wanting to look on naked realities. Until the war, life was never more real to me than a shadow show on a curtain. And I preferred it so. I do not like the outlines of things to be too sharp. I like them gently blurred, a little hazy.
Margaret MitchellRead
Well, my dear, take heart. Some day, I will kiss you and you will like it. But not now, so I beg you not to be too impatient.
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men are so conceited theyβll believe anything that flatters them
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Oh, why was he so handsomely blond, so courteously aloof, so maddeningly boring with his talk about Europe and books and music and poetry and things that interested her not at all - and yet so desirable?
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All really nice girls wonder when men don't try to kiss them. They know they shouldn't want them to and they know they must act insulted if they do, but just the same, they wish the men would try.
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