Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.

Dumbledore speaks the line in the Harry Potter novels; the official Wizarding World page that prints it names neither the book nor the chapter, and no fetched page ties it to a scene, so the situation and the addressee are not given here.

Ignoring another being’s feelings and needs can cause greater harm than openly disliking them.

It can read like advice about an unspecified relationship; without the scene it is a general remark by a character, not a statement of the author’s own view.

Suffering, Kindness, Morality, Emotions, Wisdom

• If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
• Sometimes people use thought to not participate in life. Stephen Chbosky
• We accept the love we think we deserve. Stephen Chbosky
• It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.
• It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

J. K. Rowling, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter novels (book and chapter not confirmed); sentence as republished by the official Harry Potter website in 16 pearls of wisdom from Professor Dumbledore (22 September 2015). Spoken by Albus Dumbledore. Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/indifference-and-neglect/ (27 October 2026).

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