When asked how he could tell the difference, the saint…
““When asked how he could tell the difference, the saint said that you can only tell which is which by the way you feel after the creature has left your company. If you are appalled, he said, then it was a devil who had visited you. If you feel lightened, it was an angel.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Moral character is judged by the lingering feeling after an encounter: discomfort signals evil, uplift signals good.
In simple terms: You know right from wrong by how you feel afterward.
Trust your emotional response to gauge character.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- decision making
- self‑reflection
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What feeling do you trust most when assessing others?
- Can a good deed ever feel unsettling?
Feelings can be misleading or culturally conditioned.