--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow…" description: "\"Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.\" — Aesop" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg" --- # Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin. ![“Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.” quote by Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg) > “Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.” [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you let a harmful idea grow, it will eventually destroy you. **In simple terms:** Bad ideas left unchecked become dangerous. Key Takeaway Nip harmful thoughts early. Themes morality prevention self-destruction wisdom Mood cautionary thoughtful Type moral inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - political movements - social media - organizational culture Key Concepts cause and effect personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What small dangers do you ignore? - How can you prevent small problems from escalating? A Different Perspective Some may argue not all threats become ruinous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) [Destroy Seed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy-seed-2417195/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-grow-1349436/) [Grow Ruin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grow-ruin-2417194/) [Seed Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seed-evil-2417193/) ## Related quotes > [Destroy the seed and the plant will never grow. Man alone, of all creatures of earth, can change his thought pattern and become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/destroy-the-seed-and-the-plant-will-never-grow-man-alone-of-all/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [“We create things to watch them grow, Ruin, she said. To take pleasure in seeing that which we love become more than it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/we-create-things-to-watch-them-grow-ruin-she-said-to-take-pleasure-in/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Be this our wall of brass, to be conscious of having done no evil, and to grow pale at no accusation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/be-this-our-wall-of-brass-to-be-conscious-of-having-done-no-evil-and/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Who knows what madness has beguiled those fools. But history teaches us that when a society grows old enough, and secure enough, some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-g-thater/who-knows-what-madness-has-beguiled-those-fools-but-history-teaches/) [Glenn G. Thater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-g-thater/) > [Good and evil grow up together and are bound in an equilibrium that cannot be sundered. The most we can do is try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/good-and-evil-grow-up-together-and-are-bound-in-an-equilibrium-that/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [You could say that evil is contagious in that we have this mesmerizing mentor in Uncle Charlie who comes into your life. Every person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-chan-wook/you-could-say-that-evil-is-contagious-in-that-we-have-this/) [Park Chan-wook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-chan-wook/) > [Nature, more of a stepmother than a mother in several ways, has sown a seed of evil in the hearts of mortals, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/nature-more-of-a-stepmother-than-a-mother-in-several-ways-has-sown-a/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [I did not know that I would grow to be my mothers evil seed and do these evil deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-did-not-know-that-i-would-grow-to-be-my-mothers-evil-seed-and-do/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [“We all of us carry the seed of evil in our hearts and souls,” she told him. “Even the purest, even the most holy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/we-all-of-us-carry-the-seed-of-evil-in-our-hearts-and-souls-she-told/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [Come and let the healing, cleansing rays of Calvary play upon your hearts until the very seed of evil is sterilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-holden/come-and-let-the-healing-cleansing-rays-of-calvary-play-upon-your/) [Stuart Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-holden/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) ## More by Aesop > [“Lay not the blame on me, O sailor, but on the winds. By nature I am as calm and safe as the land itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/lay-not-the-blame-on-me-o-sailor-but-on-the-winds-by-nature-i-am-as/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/it-is-in-vain-to-expect-our-prayers-to-be-heard-if-we-do-not-strive/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/beware-of-a-wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Better a long life of toil than a short one of ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/better-a-long-life-of-toil-than-a-short-one-of-ease/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/don-t-let-your-special-character-and-values-the-secret-that-you-know/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Every man carries two bags about him, one in front and one behind, and both are full of faults. The bag in front contains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/every-man-carries-two-bags-about-him-one-in-front-and-one-behind-and/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [It pays to be content with your lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/it-pays-to-be-content-with-your-lot/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/be-content-with-your-lot-one-cannot-be-first-in-everything/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Equals make the best friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/equals-make-the-best-friends/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [once upon a time all the rivers combined to protest against the action of the sea in making their waters salt. "When we come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/once-upon-a-time-all-the-rivers-combined-to-protest-against-the/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [In union there is strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/in-union-there-is-strength/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [“Be content with your lot; once cannot be first in everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/be-content-with-your-lot-once-cannot-be-first-in-everything/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [False friends leave you in times of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/false-friends-leave-you-in-times-of-trouble/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/better-beans-and-bacon-in-peace-than-cakes-and-ale-in-fear/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [“The Sun is bad enough even while he is single, drying up our marshes with his heat as he does. But what will become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/the-sun-is-bad-enough-even-while-he-is-single-drying-up-our-marshes/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) [Explore all 297 Aesop quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) ## More Destroy quotes > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [“Put that thing down, girl. Don't you know it steals part of your soul, that little mechanical masterpiece you hold so frivolously? Don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/put-that-thing-down-girl-don-t-you-know-it-steals-part-of-your-soul/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/in-a-democracy-the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-done-is-to-destroy-its/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [We will not waste 30 years of our lives dealing with extremist ideas; we will destroy them today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-bin-salman/we-will-not-waste-30-years-of-our-lives-dealing-with-extremist-ideas/) [Mohammad bin Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-bin-salman/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. If the authorities try to destroy us, we have the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-udaltsov/we-will-defend-ourselves-and-we-have-full-rights-to-do-so-if-the/) [Sergei Udaltsov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-udaltsov/) > [You destroy my life then feed me inspirational philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/you-destroy-my-life-then-feed-me-inspirational-philosophy/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [There are seven things that will destroy us, Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Religion without sacrifice, Politics without principle, Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coldheart/there-are-seven-things-that-will-destroy-us-wealth-without-work/) [Coldheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coldheart/) [Browse all 1,229 Destroy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aesop" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow-up-to-your-ruin/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destroy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow-up-to-your-ruin/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa6/aesop-1073_evil_destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow_1038937.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.” — Aesop", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aesop", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Destroy the seed of evil, or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow-up-to-your-ruin/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/destroy-the-seed-of-evil-or-it-will-grow-up-to-your-ruin/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```