--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: so long as you believe that man is…" description: "\"so long as you believe that man is essentially evil in nature, and a more vicious doctrine was never promulgated, it follows that he is often going to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg" --- # so long as you believe that man is essentially evil in… ![“so long as you believe that man is essentially evil in nature, and a more vicious doctrine was never promulgated, it follows that he is often going to need to have his ears slapped back, and who should do this but the clergy?” quote by Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg) > “so long as you believe that man is essentially evil in nature, and a more vicious doctrine was never promulgated, it follows that he is often going to need to have his ears slapped back, and who should do this but the clergy?” [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If humanity is fundamentally evil, the clergy may feel justified in harsh correction, but this view oversimplifies moral complexity. **In simple terms:** Assuming evil nature leads to punitive religious control. Key Takeaway Question moral assumptions, seek nuance. Themes morality religion human nature Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - education - policy making - community leadership - personal ethics Key Concepts ethical theory social control Questions to Reflect On - Do you think evil is innate or shaped? - What role should religion play in moral guidance? A Different Perspective Oversimplification ignores capacity for good and reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Clergy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clergy/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears/) [Essentially Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentially-evil-1745842/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-nature-232013/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Slapped Clergy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slapped-clergy-1745840/) [Vicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vicious/) [Vicious Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vicious-doctrine-1745841/) ## Related quotes > [“Some people believe that people are essentially evil. Others believe people are essentially good. I believe they are somewhere in the middle, like Denver.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/some-people-believe-that-people-are-essentially-evil-others-believe/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The divinization of Man, when one abhors the order of the world as essentially evil, is a risky and self-contradictory venture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/the-divinization-of-man-when-one-abhors-the-order-of-the-world-as/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“The social order, though necessary, is essentially evil, whatever it may be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-social-order-though-necessary-is-essentially-evil-whatever-it-may/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [It is a very rare church indeed that encourages its members to think for themselves in religious matters, or even tolerates this, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/it-is-a-very-rare-church-indeed-that-encourages-its-members-to-think/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [Genius by birth evil by nature human by chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/genius-by-birth-evil-by-nature-human-by-chance/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [“We are all innocent to begin with, and this merely means that neither we nor others know the evil of our own nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/we-are-all-innocent-to-begin-with-and-this-merely-means-that-neither/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Evil by its very nature opposes the purposes of God, but God, in his sovereignty, can make even this evil serve his purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-wells/evil-by-its-very-nature-opposes-the-purposes-of-god-but-god-in-his/) [David F. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-wells/) > [She believed, and was entitled to believe, I must say, that all human beings were evil by nature, whether tormentors or victims, or idle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/she-believed-and-was-entitled-to-believe-i-must-say-that-all-human/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The greatest error of a man is to think that he is weak by nature, evil by nature. Every man is divine and strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/the-greatest-error-of-a-man-is-to-think-that-he-is-weak-by-nature/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [Only humans think death is evil. But it is nature. Evil exist's only in life. There is much good and evil alloted to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isobelle-carmody/only-humans-think-death-is-evil-but-it-is-nature-evil-exist-s-only-in/) [Isobelle Carmody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isobelle-carmody/) > [From lower to the higher next, Not to the top, is Nature's text; And embryo Good, to reach full stature, Absorbs the Evil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/from-lower-to-the-higher-next-not-to-the-top-is-nature-s-text-and/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Man is evil, by nature man is a beast. People have to be educated from childhood, from kindergarten, that there should be no hatred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marek-edelman/man-is-evil-by-nature-man-is-a-beast-people-have-to-be-educated-from/) [Marek Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marek-edelman/) > [“Say to yourself first thing in the morning: today I shall meet people who are meddling, ungrateful, aggressive, treacherous, malicious, unsocial. All this has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/say-to-yourself-first-thing-in-the-morning-today-i-shall-meet-people/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [It is also important to understand that a hidden nature is not always an evil nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-goodman/it-is-also-important-to-understand-that-a-hidden-nature-is-not-always/) [Alison Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-goodman/) > [“The evil heart which still remaineth in the Christian, doth always, when it is not attacking or obstructing, still reign and dwell within him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/the-evil-heart-which-still-remaineth-in-the-christian-doth-always/) [Charles h. spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) ## More by Anne Roe > [Freedom breeds freedom. Nothing else does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/freedom-breeds-freedom-nothing-else-does/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [a good part of the trick to being a first-rate scientist is in asking the right questions or asking them in ways that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/a-good-part-of-the-trick-to-being-a-first-rate-scientist-is-in-asking/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [Freedom, like charity, begins at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/freedom-like-charity-begins-at-home/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [All children are curious, I think, but not all adults are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/all-children-are-curious-i-think-but-not-all-adults-are/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [The creative process is probably closest to problem solving, but it differs from it in a number of ways. In problem solving the immediate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/the-creative-process-is-probably-closest-to-problem-solving-but-it/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [Nothing in science has any value to society if it is not communicated, and scientists are beginning to learn their social obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/nothing-in-science-has-any-value-to-society-if-it-is-not-communicated/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [Nothing in science has any value if it is not communicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/nothing-in-science-has-any-value-if-it-is-not-communicated/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [There were a number of particularly delightful incidents. There is, for example, the physicist who introduced me to one of my favorite laws, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/there-were-a-number-of-particularly-delightful-incidents-there-is-for/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) > [It is a very rare church indeed that encourages its members to think for themselves in religious matters, or even tolerates this, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/it-is-a-very-rare-church-indeed-that-encourages-its-members-to-think/) [Anne Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) [Explore all 10 Anne Roe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "so long as you believe that man is essentially evil in nature, and a more vicious doctrine was never promulgated, it follows that he is often going to need to have his ears slapped back, and who should do this but the clergy?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Roe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essentially-evil-in-nature-and-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essentially-evil-in-nature-and-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f5/anne-roe-40621_believe_so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essen_158562.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“so long as you believe that man is essentially evil in nature, and a more vicious doctrine was never…” — Anne Roe", "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": "Anne Roe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "so long as you believe that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essentially-evil-in-nature-and-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roe/so-long-as-you-believe-that-man-is-essentially-evil-in-nature-and-a/#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 } } ] } ```