Alias Grace Quote

“If we were all on trial for our thoughts, we would all be hanged.” I love this quote because there is so much truth to it. Think about this for a second. We all have “improper” thoughts. If a professor you do not like found out you secretly despised them, they would probably treat you differently. If your spouse/partner found out that you have had second thoughts about them in the past, they would become more insecure and jealous, damaging your relationship with them. If your parents found out that at one point you lied to them or hid something from them, that would destroy any trust you had between you. There is the reason the quote “silence is golden” exists. You cannot let everyone know everything you are thinking. Sometimes it simply is not the right time or place to share those thoughts. The individual may not be mentally strong enough to handle those revelations or they may know exactly what you are thinking but do not want to dwell on it. You cannot always help someone who refuses to listen. Additionally, by not speaking your thoughts aloud, it causes you to listen better so you can know more about the individual before passing judgment.

One thought on “Alias Grace Quote

  1. Alisha Sanghani – Response Post – 3/26

    I agree with your thoughts on this quote, but I took this quote in another way. It’s one of the reasons I like it. There’s not only one way to interpret the quote (as is the case with many quotes). Yes, we’ve all had bad thoughts, dark thoughts. It’s not just about speaking our thoughts and ruining our relationship with others. In those thoughts, sometimes we think about doing things that we would never actually do. Sometimes we think about killing someone for frustrating or annoying us, sometimes we think up scenarios of relationships or doing crimes, which we have no intention of doing. So, if we were to be put on trial for our thoughts and not our actions, we really could be condemned. Someone could think up a way to take revenge on someone and have no intention of taking action. This quote brought to mind, “Actions speak louder than words,” for me, and that we shouldn’t judge someone on their thoughts, of what they thought of doing, but on the actions they have taken.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *