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The wicked know that if the ill they do be of sufficient…

“The wicked know that if the ill they do be of sufficient horror that men will not speak against it. That men have just enough stomach for small evils and only these will they oppose. He said that true evil has power to sober the smalldoer against his own deeds and in the contemplation of that evil…” quote by Cormac McCarthy
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““The wicked know that if the ill they do be of sufficient horror that men will not speak against it. That men have just enough stomach for small evils and only these will they oppose. He said that true evil has power to sober the smalldoer against his own deeds and in the contemplation of that evil he may even find the path of righteousness which has been foreign to his feet and may have no power but to go upon it. Even this man may be appalled at what is revealed to him and seek some order to stand against it. Yet in all of this there are two things which perhaps he will not know. He will not know that while the order which the righteous seek is never righteousness itself but is only order, the disorder of evil is in fact the thing itself. Nor will he know that while the righteous are hampered at every turn by their ignorance of evil to the evil all is plain, light and dark alike. This man of which we speak will seek to impose order and lineage upon things which rightly have none. He will call upon the world itself to testify as to the truth of what are in fact but his desires. In his final incarnation he may seek to indemnify his words with blood for by now he will have discovered that words pale and lose their savor while pain is always new.””

Cormac McCarthy

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The passage argues that true evil is so overwhelming that it forces people to confront their own morality, while righteous attempts at order often miss the deeper chaos of evil.

In simple terms: Evil reveals itself, order may miss the chaos.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that confronting evil can reveal hidden truths.

Themes

morality power order evil truth

Mood

intense thoughtful somber

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

  • personal reflection
  • political analysis
  • literary criticism
  • psychological insight

Key Concepts

philosophical existential ethical

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does confronting darkness change one's sense of righteousness?
  • Can order arise without acknowledging underlying evil?
A Different Perspective

The view may overgeneralize evil and ignore nuanced human motivations.

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