Acceptable Quote by Bill Johnson
“Beware 'good' main characters who have a limited repertory of culturally acceptable feelings, while your evil bastards have a full range of vivid, passionate feelings.”
About This Quote
Protagonists often lack emotional depth, while villains display richer, more vivid feelings, creating imbalance.
In simple terms: Heroes can be emotionally shallow; villains complex.
Key Takeaway
Develop nuanced emotions for all characters.
Themes
character
emotion
storytelling
Mood
analytical
creative
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- novels
- films
- games
Key Concepts
complexity
villainy
heroic archetype
Questions to Reflect On
- How can heroes be made more authentic?
- What impact does villain depth have?
A Different Perspective
One-dimensional heroes reduce relatability.
![“In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing about this election - is that once there's an incumbent running for reelection, most of the debate is about, "Has he [Barack Obama] done a…” quote by William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/william-kristol-9091_acceptable_in-any-case-open-seat-presidential-elect_36353.jpg)