--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why do bad things happen to good people?'…" description: "\"“Why do bad things happen to good people?' 'Because it makes a good story.”\" — Andrew Kaufman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/andrew-kaufman-23239_bad-thing_why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people_1162472.png" --- # Why do bad things happen to good people?' 'Because it… ![“Why do bad things happen to good people?' 'Because it makes a good story.” quote by Andrew Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/andrew-kaufman-23239_bad-thing_why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people_1162472.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/andrew-kaufman-23239_bad-thing_why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people_1162472.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/andrew-kaufman-23239_bad-thing_why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people_1162472.png) > ““Why do bad things happen to good people?' 'Because it makes a good story.”” [Andrew Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-kaufman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good people suffer because stories need conflict, highlighting narrative bias. **In simple terms:** Bad things happen to good people for story drama. Key Takeaway Recognize narrative bias in life events. Themes suffering storytelling justice irony Mood thoughtful critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - media consumption - personal setbacks - moral reasoning Key Concepts narrative theory ethics human experience Questions to Reflect On - Why do we gravitate toward dramatic narratives? - How can we find meaning beyond story tropes? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies complex causes of suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Good story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-story/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Things Happen To Good People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen-to-good-people/) ## Related quotes > [Bad things happen to good people all the time. It sucks. It's not fair but then much of life isn't fair. It's how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/bad-things-happen-to-good-people-all-the-time-it-sucks-it-s-not-fair/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [Sometimes bad things happen to good people. We don't know the meaning of all things, but we know God loves His children! And because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/sometimes-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-we-don-t-know-the-meaning/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [Why bad things happen to good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/why-bad-things-happen-to-good-people/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [“When Bad Things Happen to Good People,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-bad-things-happen-to-good-people/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once and He volunteered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-that-only-happened-once-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people, because if it was the other way around good people would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-hamilton/bad-things-happen-to-good-people-and-good-things-happen-to-bad-people-2/) Brittany Hamilton > [This may sound trite, but bad things happen to good people, and when you're facing terrorism, natural disaster, you can have every wonderful plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-rudman/this-may-sound-trite-but-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-and-when/) [Warren Rudman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-rudman/) > [If you ever wonder why bad things happen to good people, it's because God knows they're capable of handling it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-ever-wonder-why-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-it-s-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bad things happen to good people, that's why I'm going evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/bad-things-happen-to-good-people-that-s-why-i-m-going-evil/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [“Bad things happen to good people and Good things happen to bad people..that's just how life is”. 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To balance out the good things that happen to bad people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-to-balance-out-the-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bad things happen to good people, expect the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bad-things-happen-to-good-people-expect-the-unexpected/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In business as in life, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good things happen to bad people. But over time, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/in-business-as-in-life-sometimes-bad-things-happen-to-good-people-and/) [Jeffrey R. 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You have to relinquish control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-kaufman/no-one-gets-found-in-love-everyone-gets-lost-in-it-because-love-is/) [Andrew Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-kaufman/) > [“the code of a world he'd never been invited to join.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-kaufman/the-code-of-a-world-he-d-never-been-invited-to-join/) [Andrew Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-kaufman/) > [“We are now, all of us, cinematographers for the movie of our own lives. Not the star. Not the director. 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No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-kaufman/we-re-here-the-clock-says-the-perfectionist-opens-her-eyes-she-sees/) [Andrew Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-kaufman/) > [“When Aquatics are overwhelmed, they seek out the tallest object in view, lie on their backs, put their heads against it and look up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-kaufman/when-aquatics-are-overwhelmed-they-seek-out-the-tallest-object-in/) [Andrew Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-kaufman/) [Explore all 25 Andrew Kaufman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-kaufman/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. 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I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. 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Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why do bad things happen to good people?' 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