--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time makes things worse. Bad is faster…" description: "\"“Time makes things worse. Bad is faster than good. Wickedness is a weed and does not wither on its own. It grows and spreads.”\" — Ben H. Winters" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/ben-h-winters-14454_evil_time-makes-things-worse-bad-is-faster-th_2996682.png" --- # Time makes things worse. Bad is faster than good… ![“Time makes things worse. Bad is faster than good. Wickedness is a weed and does not wither on its own. It grows and spreads.” quote by Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/ben-h-winters-14454_evil_time-makes-things-worse-bad-is-faster-th_2996682.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/ben-h-winters-14454_evil_time-makes-things-worse-bad-is-faster-th_2996682.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d6a/ben-h-winters-14454_evil_time-makes-things-worse-bad-is-faster-th_2996682.png) > ““Time makes things worse. Bad is faster than good. Wickedness is a weed and does not wither on its own. It grows and spreads.”” [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time accelerates decay; evil spreads unchecked without external pressure. **In simple terms:** Time worsens things; evil spreads on its own. Key Takeaway Act early to curb decay. Themes time decay evil urgency Mood anxious reflective Type cautionary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - environmental policy - organizational culture - public health Key Concepts entropy moral decay self‑propagation Questions to Reflect On - What systems can you strengthen to resist decay? - How do you detect early signs of worsening? A Different Perspective If external forces intervene, decay may be slowed or reversed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness/) ## Related quotes > [The combative instinct is a savage prompting by which one man's good is found in another's evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/the-combative-instinct-is-a-savage-prompting-by-which-one-man-s-good/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“Among wise men there is no place at all left for hatred. For no one except the greatest of fools would hate good men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/among-wise-men-there-is-no-place-at-all-left-for-hatred-for-no-one/) [Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/) > [We desperately need to understand something of the magnitude of sin, of evil, and of gross wickedness in this world if we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hunt/we-desperately-need-to-understand-something-of-the-magnitude-of-sin/) [Dave Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hunt/) > [The evils of popular government appear greater than they are; there is compensation for them in spirit and energy it awakens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-evils-of-popular-government-appear-greater-than-they-are-there-is/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“He made a pit and digged it. He was cunning in his plans and industrious in his labors. He stooped to the dirty work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/he-made-a-pit-and-digged-it-he-was-cunning-in-his-plans-and/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [A wicked mortal is not the idea of God. He is little else than the expression of error. To suppose that sin, lust, hatred,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/a-wicked-mortal-is-not-the-idea-of-god-he-is-little-else-than-the/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) > [Sure it's bad when someone is a Jerk to you... But things could be worse... You could be that Jerk...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sure-it-s-bad-when-someone-is-a-jerk-to-you-but-things-could-be-worse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life seems sadly mishandled by humans, as if it's all too much for them - they spend so much time and energy hurting each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/life-seems-sadly-mishandled-by-humans-as-if-it-s-all-too-much-for/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [An optimist in Canada is someone who think things could be worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-manning/an-optimist-in-canada-is-someone-who-think-things-could-be-worse/) [Preston Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-manning/) > [There are a lot of things worse to be than the 'Pharrell girl.' I hope that'll wear off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-rogers/there-are-a-lot-of-things-worse-to-be-than-the-pharrell-girl-i-hope/) [Maggie Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-rogers/) > [Dont sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day we all have so much to be thankful for. Things can be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-sweat-the-small-stuff-at-the-end-of-the-day-we-all-have-so-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Worrying about the things is only waste of time. As it doesn't change anything instead it occupies our mind n make the things worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/worrying-about-the-things-is-only-waste-of-time-as-it-doesn-t-change/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Things can always get worse, but only quitters quit!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ultra-maniac-nina-sakura/things-can-always-get-worse-but-only-quitters-quit/) Ultra Maniac Nina Sakura > [Being negative about everything doesn't change anything & in my opinion it only makes things worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-negative-about-everything-doesn-t-change-anything-in-my-opinion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I go through life with a smile because I know things can be worse than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-manning/i-go-through-life-with-a-smile-because-i-know-things-can-be-worse/) [Eli Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-manning/) ## More by Ben H. Winters > [It is part of what makes America great. That tradition of the free press, and also the tradition of this highly competitive market for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/it-is-part-of-what-makes-america-great-that-tradition-of-the-free/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [“and no more real Dunkin’ Donuts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/and-no-more-real-dunkin-donuts/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [Fiction has this special power. It has a power to clarify, to galvanize, to prophesy, and warn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/fiction-has-this-special-power-it-has-a-power-to-clarify-to-galvanize/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [“every choice forecloses on other choices; each step forward leaves a thousand dead possible universes behind you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/every-choice-forecloses-on-other-choices-each-step-forward-leaves-a/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [I think that one thing fiction can offer, and must offer, is a place where someone's mind and their imagination can come to rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/i-think-that-one-thing-fiction-can-offer-and-must-offer-is-a-place/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [It is really something, the extent to which we allow ourselves to live without thinking of things that we know, in the abstract, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/it-is-really-something-the-extent-to-which-we-allow-ourselves-to-live/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [That one lesson that African American communities have learned over the centuries in America is that you can't just take for granted that things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/that-one-lesson-that-african-american-communities-have-learned-over/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [A pool of melancholy blooms in my chest and rushes into my body like deep-blue blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/a-pool-of-melancholy-blooms-in-my-chest-and-rushes-into-my-body-like/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [“The perseverance in this world, despite it all, of things done right. Carefully”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/the-perseverance-in-this-world-despite-it-all-of-things-done-right/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [In terms of optimism, I am optimistic. I do think that, in the long term, that America will right itself. I have to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/in-terms-of-optimism-i-am-optimistic-i-do-think-that-in-the-long-term/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [“would strap you, hands and feet, to a machine, turn a wheel to make you talk. Or even not to, just to watch you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/would-strap-you-hands-and-feet-to-a-machine-turn-a-wheel-to-make-you/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [ Here in America we have a man \[Donald Trump\] who is a master of a medium that is all about self-aggrandizement and/or cruelty to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/here-in-america-we-have-a-man-donald-trump-who-is-a-master-of-a/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [We spend so much time, these days, on forms of literature that don't rise to be literature, and I'm speaking about Twitter posts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/we-spend-so-much-time-these-days-on-forms-of-literature-that-don-t/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [“He books it into that little playground there. I mean the guy is zooming like the Road Runner, skidding through the gravel and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/he-books-it-into-that-little-playground-there-i-mean-the-guy-is/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) > [“She was reserved and cold, as if having been stolen from her native village in a burlap sack and made to be servant and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-h-winters/she-was-reserved-and-cold-as-if-having-been-stolen-from-her-native/) [Ben H. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) [Explore all 46 Ben H. Winters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-h-winters/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. 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