No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency.
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Explorer
Where there is no imagination there is no horror.
—Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) Scottish Writer
Every evil to which we do not succumb is a benefactor. — As the Sandwich Islander believes that the strength and valor of the enemy he kills passes into himself, so we gain the strength of the temptation we resist.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
All evils are equal when they are extreme.
—Pierre Corneille (1606–84) French Poet, Dramatist
No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.
—Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–97) English Writer, Feminist
On the choice of friends, Our good or evil name depends.
—John Gay (1685–1732) English Poet, Dramatist
The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn’t angry enough.
—Bede Jarrett (1881–1934) English Dominican Friar
The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
The devil doesn’t know how to sing, only how to howl.
—Francis Thompson (1859–1907) English Poet, Ascetic
Let guilty men remember, their black deeds
Do lean on crutches made of slender reeds.
—John Webster (1580–1634) English Dramatist, Poet
The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.
—Joseph Conrad (1857–1924) Polish-born British Novelist
The “evil imagination “takes advantage only of visible objects.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
The man who does evil to another does evil to himself, and the evil counsel is most evil for him who counsels it.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
The urge to gamble is so universal and its practice so pleasurable that I assume it must be evil.
—Heywood Broun (1888–1939) American Journalist, Editor
The contagion of crime is like that of the plague. — Criminals collected together corrupt each other. — They are worse than ever when, at the termination of their punishment, they return to society.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
We believe at once in evil, we only believe in good upon reflection. — Is not this sad?
—Dorothee Luzy Dotinville (1747–1830) French Dancer, Actress
You must have the devil in you to succeed in the arts.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.
—Max Lerner (1902–92) Russian-born American Journalist
An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.
—Buddhist Teaching
Between two evils, choose neither; between two goods, choose both.
—Tryon Edwards American Theologian
The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Man has always been dexterous at confusing evil with good. That was Adam’s and Eve’s problem, and it is our problem today. If evil were not made to appear attractive, there would be no such thing as temptation.
—Billy Graham (1918–91) American Baptist Religious Leader
The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.
—A. W. Tozer (1897–1963) American Christian Pastor, Preacher, Author, Editor
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight; Prayer keeps the Christian’s armor bright; And Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
Only among people who think no evil can Evil monstrously flourish.
—Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946) American-British Essayist, Bibliophile
It is safest to be moderately base — to be flexible in shame, and to be always ready for what is generous, good and just, when anything is to be gained by virtue.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. If it were not for the laws of the land, we should soon see a massacre of the righteous. Jesus was watched by his enemies, who were thirsting for his blood: his disciples must not look for favour where their Master found hatred and death.
—Charles Spurgeon (1834–92) English Baptist Preacher
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist.
—Charles Baudelaire (1821–67) French Poet, Art Critic, Essayist, Translator
Tell the truth and shame the devil.
—Common Proverb
The devil’s most devilish when respectable.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
It is a cursed evil to any man to become as absorbed in any subject as I am in mine.
—Charles Darwin (1809–82) English Naturalist
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined, is that of the difference between good and evil; and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility, and evil with activity.
—Maria Montessori (1870–1952) Italian Physician, Educator
The “Spirit of Evil “entices a man in this world, and testifies against him in the next.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Our greatest evils flow from ourselves.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
Combinations of wickedness would overwhelm the world, by the advantage which licentious principles afford, did not those who have long practised perfidy grow faithless to each other.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
The devil tempts all men, but idle men tempt the devil.
—Arabic Proverb
There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil.
—Benjamin Haydon (1786–1846) English Painter, Writer
As long as people believe in absurdities they will continue to commit atrocities.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Evil is not something superhuman, it’s something less than human.
—Agatha Christie (1890–1976) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright
Evil acts of the past are never rectified by evil acts of the present.
—Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–73) American Head of State, Political leader
Non-cooperation with evil is a sacred duty.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
The pious pretence that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing.
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) English Occultist, Mystic, Magician
Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.
—Aesop (620–564 BCE) Greek Fabulist
A wicked mortal is not the idea of God. He is little else than the expression of error. To suppose that sin, lust, hatred, envy, hypocrisy, revenge, have life abiding in them, is a terrible mistake. Life and Life’s idea, Truth and Truth’s idea, never make men sick, sinful, or mortal.
—Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910) American Christian Science Religious Leader, Humanitarian, Writer
An evil eye, an “evil imagination,” and misanthropy banish a man from the world.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
Maybe, he said hesitantly, maybe there is a beast.
The assembly cried out savagely and Ralph stood up in amazement.
You, Simon? You believe in this?
I don’t know, said Simon. His heartbeats were choking him.
But … The storm broke.
Sit down!
Shut up!
Take the conch!
Sod you!
Shut up!
Ralph shouted. Hear him! He’s got the conch!
What I mean is . . . maybe it’s only us.
Nuts! That was from Piggy, shocked out of decorum. Simon went on.
We could be sort of. . . . Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness. Inspiration came to him.
What’s the dirtiest thing there is?
As an answer Jack dropped into the uncomprehending silence that followed it the one crude expressive syllable. Release was immense. Those littluns who had climbed back on the twister fell off again and did not mind. The hunters were screaming with delight.
—William Golding (1911–93) English Novelist
Let me give you the definition of ethics: it is good to maintain life and to further life. It is bad to damage and destroy life. And this ethic, profound and universal, has the significance of a religion. It is religion.
—Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965) French Theologian, Musician, Philosopher, Physician
Of two evils, choose neither.
—Charles Spurgeon (1834–92) English Baptist Preacher
It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good.
—Margaret Mead (1901–78) American Anthropologist, Social Psychologist
For good and evil in our actions meet; wicked is not much worse than indiscreet.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious attractiveness of others.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
There is no explanation for evil. It must be looked upon as a necessary part of the order of the universe. To ignore it is childish, to bewail it senseless.
—W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) British Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Playwright