The quote by Bryan Stevenson “Each of us is more than the worst thing we have done” is a powerful statement that challenges how we view individuals and their actions. In this essay, we will explore the meaning behind this quote, assess the validity of the idea expressed, and discuss how we can apply it to our own lives. Stevenson draws attention to the complexity of people when he states, “Each of us is more than the worst thing we have ever done”. People frequently make snap judgments about other people based only on their previous offenses or mistakes, failing to see that people are more complex than their mistakes. This quote is a helpful reminder that people have multiple facets and shouldn’t be reduced to a single bad deed or choice. …show more content…
People are constantly evolving and growing, learning from their experiences and striving to be better individuals. To judge someone for the worst thing they have done is to overlook their potential for change and redemption. It is important to acknowledge that individuals have the capacity for transformation and should not be confined to their past actions. Realizing that everyone makes mistakes and encounters difficulties in life is crucial. Understanding this allows us to sympathize with others and provide them with care and encouragement. Rather than concentrating just on an individual’s shortcomings, we have to make an effort to recognize their excellent traits and assist them in making progress toward a better future. Increased empathy and tolerance for other people can result from this change in viewpoint. By putting the quote into practice in our own lives, we can develop greater empathy and forgiveness for ourselves and others. We can allow ourselves the grace to grow and learn from our failures by acknowledging that we are more than just our mistakes. We build a more sympathetic and caring community by sharing this knowledge with others in our immediate
In the book, Stevenson talks about the moment he realized that his life and the work he does, was full of brokenness. IT occurred after he talked with Jimmy Dill, right before Dill was to be executed. Despite the fact that he had intellectual disabilities, and could not afford a decent lawyer, Jimmy Dill was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to die. After fighting to get stay requests, the requests were ultimately denied and Dill was executed. After being denied and talking to Dill, it was then that Stevenson realized how broken the criminal justice system was. In the book he recognizes that “his clients were broken by mental illness, poverty, and racism.” (Stevenson 288) At that moment, he wanted to given up.
I believe this quote means a lot of things. You cannot go on with life if you constantly put yourself down because of something you did in your past. Many people are dealing with depression because they cannot forgive themselves. In order to have a good life, you need to move on from your mistakes. When people hold things back and keep secrets about themselves, they are in constant worry about someone finding out and exploiting it. It is very good to face your demons and then move on from them.
Wilson suggests that in actuality we all are hurt people that have hurt other people...
The everyday world brings harsh conflicts and strong willed people that oppose it. The corruption in society helps bring out the good in some people and the bad in the rest. No matter how many bad people in the world there will always be good-hearted, loving and curious people that will help bring back the light to the world. The bad in the world helps some people realize the true character and goodness inside of them and can help them reflect back onto their character. No matter how big or small a decision might be it will bring you closer to knowing who you really are. These decisions can lead to individuality from others and standing up for what you believe in even if it goes against other people’s views. In All the Light We Cannot See,
Empathy, is a self-conscious characteristic human beings hold that allows them to understand another individual’s situation and feelings (Segal, Cimino, Gerdes &Wagaman, 2013). In regard to ho...
Tragedy strikes at every hour of the day, no matter where in the world a person lives. The true test of a person’s humanity is how they handle the tragedy. All over the country, people are hit with life-changing catastrophes and feel hopeless. Taking their feelings out on others around them who are just trying to help, their pain translates into the bad traits of humanity such as selfishness, conceitedness, and unreliability. Others, though, work through their struggles and show the world how strong they can really be.
I like this quote because it tells us the change in where humans think everything is good but once a modification is made everything can change. When that certain change is made, it can be painful depending on how you and mind handles it.
In conclusion, I believe that if everyone had the mentality of showing more compassion and sympathy towards others rather than themselves, then the world would be a better place.
Stevenson’s principal focus as an attorney is death penalty cases. He aims to get falsely accused inmates off of death row. The case at hand is that of Walter McMillian, a male that was charged for the murder of a woman named Ronda Morrison. As the case unfolds, it is evident that the evidence presented did not help to validate Walter McMillian as guilty. Due to the local police being pressured to convict a murder for the victim, they were hasty in their investigation of the evidence and quickly pinned it on a practical target. There is also an underlying racial aspect of McMillian’s conviction since he is a black male and had been with interracial, adulterous relationship with a married white woman and that had made people suspicious of him.
Unveiling criminal injustice with just mercy, I believe that each person is more than the worst thing they have done. That is a quote from Bryan Stevenson. This is the quote I chose because it really shows the kind of person Bryan is. It shows that he cares about everyone and thinks that everyone should get a second chance. This proves Bryan is a great person and why he would go the lengths I'm about to tell you about to bring justice to this broken criminal and law system.
It is not easy for the author to express his own opinion on this matter because the topic of justice is so broad and mostly depends on reader's encounter with the justice system. But to his best abilities, Stevenson uses ethos, pathos, and logos to get readers to understand his point of view on this issue. To start off introduction, the author tells his readers about his own background story. The author reveals that he became a lawyer because law schools did not require him to know much.
"Evil". When most of us hear this word, we think of negatively influencing people such as Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden. Without a doubt, these people are evil, although, it is a bit extreme to the way I’m here to portray it. Evil is a powerful force that can result in many destructive consequences within societies and around the world. Some people have the ability to perform such cruel and unacceptable things without experiencing a slight feeling of shame and compassion, yet, the majority of people continue to say, “All people are inherently good”. Sure, in our eyes, most people physically behave well and are generally good hearted, but we have all started with an evil state of mind. It is the morals and laws cultured into society that restrict us from doing evil, and lead us into doing good. Although we have many reputable people that have made a positive impact in our world, there is undeniable evidence that humans are naturally evil beings .
Stevenson backdrop is the first-hand story of his client named Walter McMillian who was wrongfully convicted of a murder that he did not commit. McMillian was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death despite the fact that there were at least twenty people with him at his home that could corroborate his whereabouts at the time of the murder. Stevenson leads us through the events surrounding McMillians profoundly unjust incarceration, the fight to vindicate his client, his subsequent exoneration, and his tormented life after exoneration through his eventual death in 2013. Woven between the chapters of Walter McMillians story, we learn the stories of other men, women, and children who have been failed by our justice system. Men, women and children
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around” (Leo Buscaglia). Caring for those in difficult situations can be very beneficial to people in times of struggle. Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird, Friar Lawrence of Romeo and Juliet, and August Boatwright of The Secret Life of Bees show just how much being there for someone can impact that person’s life for the better.
The holes and accidents of living, the unpredictable emotional inconsistency of living isn't explained simply through power and best interest alone, instead let us take accidents and mistakes as the foundation of living. Not all things follow power, nor does power the end needs of human ambition obtain complete happiness, but rather promotes the impossible. Something must be said for pity, for the sight of someone in pain that condemns both concepts. Neither weakness nor passivity, nor the understanding of nature would do in describing our actions when faced with starvation, the holocaust, or dying.