--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Devil is like a strainer that…" description: "\"The Devil is like a strainer that separates the mud from the gold.\" — Carlos Santana" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg" --- # The Devil is like a strainer that separates the mud from… ![“The Devil is like a strainer that separates the mud from the gold.” quote by Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg) > “The Devil is like a strainer that separates the mud from the gold.” [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Devil acts like a filter, separating worthless material (mud) from valuable (gold), implying that challenges reveal true worth. **In simple terms:** Challenges separate the bad from the good. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges to discover value. Themes adversity spiritual growth morality self‑discovery resilience Mood motivational reflective philosophical Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - personal crises - career setbacks - creative blocks - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts metaphor ethical testing inner strength Questions to Reflect On - What “mud” have you filtered out? - How do you recognize your “gold”? A Different Perspective Not all challenges are moral tests; some are random. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Like Strainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-strainer-1638725/) [Mud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mud/) [Mud Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mud-gold-1638721/) [Separates Mud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separates-mud-1638723/) [Strainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strainer-1638724/) [Strainer Separates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strainer-separates-1638722/) ## Related quotes > [“Witnessing is the alchemy of enlightenment. It can transform mud into gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/witnessing-is-the-alchemy-of-enlightenment-it-can-transform-mud-into/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [“Kindness comes to us through a strainer. The floodgates of malice are always open. But as long as we have a belief in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/kindness-comes-to-us-through-a-strainer-the-floodgates-of-malice-are/) [Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/) > [Big as a biscuit, deep as a cup; even a river cant fill it up. What is it?(A kitchen strainer)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/big-as-a-biscuit-deep-as-a-cup-even-a-river-cant-fill-it-up-what-is/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [We are creating a political demolition derby, not a presidential debate. Those strange impulses in the American soul that have produced mud wrestling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-sidey/we-are-creating-a-political-demolition-derby-not-a-presidential/) [Hugh Sidey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-sidey/) > [It is a great shame; most of our words are misused tools / which often still smell of the mud in which previous owners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/it-is-a-great-shame-most-of-our-words-are-misused-tools-which-often/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [If he had a million men he would swear the enemy has two millions, and then he would sit down in the mud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-m-stanton/if-he-had-a-million-men-he-would-swear-the-enemy-has-two-millions-and/) [Edwin M. Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-m-stanton/) > [And also, one is a mother in order to understand the inexplicable. One is a mother to lighten the darkness. One is a mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariama-b/and-also-one-is-a-mother-in-order-to-understand-the-inexplicable-one/) [Mariama Bâ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariama-b/) > [The worst parts of playing a festival are walking. Not a fan of walking. The mud, I can handle. But the walking? No, ta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cinnamon/the-worst-parts-of-playing-a-festival-are-walking-not-a-fan-of/) [Gerry Cinnamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cinnamon/) > [Plato, the first true pope of philosophy (sorry, Socrates), argued for a World of Forms above the reality-a transcendent plane of perfect essences, pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/plato-the-first-true-pope-of-philosophy-sorry-socrates-argued-for-a/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Our love was born outside the walls, in the wind, in the night, in the earth, and that's why the clay and the flower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/our-love-was-born-outside-the-walls-in-the-wind-in-the-night-in-the/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [From my image of digging around in the mud like a grunt, I preferred fighting the war from ships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haskell-wexler/from-my-image-of-digging-around-in-the-mud-like-a-grunt-i-preferred/) [Haskell Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haskell-wexler/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [Even mud gives the illusion of depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/even-mud-gives-the-illusion-of-depth/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) ## More by Carlos Santana > [Every day you wake up is an opportunity to go beyond, and that 's why I let my band go right now. For the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/every-day-you-wake-up-is-an-opportunity-to-go-beyond-and-that-s-why-i/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [There's a melody in everything. And once you find the melody, then you connect immediately with the heart. Because sometimes English or Spanish, Swahili…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/there-s-a-melody-in-everything-and-once-you-find-the-melody-then-you/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [The concept is to weave in some emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/the-concept-is-to-weave-in-some-emotion/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [The worst thing you can become in life is cynical. Cynical is like concrete. and nothing grows in concrete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/the-worst-thing-you-can-become-in-life-is-cynical-cynical-is-like/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [I don’t eat meat because meat brings out negative qualities such as fear, anger, anxiety, aggressiveness, etc. Vegetables peacefully offer themselves to the earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/i-don-t-eat-meat-because-meat-brings-out-negative-qualities-such-as/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [If you want to be successful, just meditate, man. God will tell you what people need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/if-you-want-to-be-successful-just-meditate-man-god-will-tell-you-what/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [Your wrinkles either show that you're nasty, cranky, and senile, or that you're always smiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/your-wrinkles-either-show-that-you-re-nasty-cranky-and-senile-or-that/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [John Coltrane is still probably one of the greatest musicians of this century. His tone truly puts demons on a leash. His gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/john-coltrane-is-still-probably-one-of-the-greatest-musicians-of-this/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [Ever since I was a child I've always been very attracted to melodies. Whether I hear Jeff Beck, a choir, an ocean or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/ever-since-i-was-a-child-i-ve-always-been-very-attracted-to-melodies/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [You are not realistic unless you believe in miracles!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/you-are-not-realistic-unless-you-believe-in-miracles/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [Disposicion a transformacion personal es clave para Iluminacion Global.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/disposicion-a-transformacion-personal-es-clave-para-iluminacion-global/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [I know I'm not the kind of person who's gonna wind up a walking jukebox, like many rock 'n' roll artists. They just play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/i-know-i-m-not-the-kind-of-person-who-s-gonna-wind-up-a-walking/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [There is no person that love cannot heal; there is no soul that love cannot save.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/there-is-no-person-that-love-cannot-heal-there-is-no-soul-that-love/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [Bring the brothers home, and sisters home now. Legalize marijuana and take all that money and invest it in teachers and in education. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/bring-the-brothers-home-and-sisters-home-now-legalize-marijuana-and/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) > [Your mind is a magnet. You don't attract what you need or what you want; you attract who you are. And I love who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/your-mind-is-a-magnet-you-don-t-attract-what-you-need-or-what-you/) [Carlos Santana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) [Explore all 85 Carlos Santana quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Devil is like a strainer that separates the mud from the gold.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carlos Santana" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separates-the-mud-from-the-gold/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separates-the-mud-from-the-gold/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c4/carlos-santana-7960_devil_the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separa_944403.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Devil is like a strainer that separates the mud from the gold.” — Carlos Santana", "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": "Carlos Santana", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-santana/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Devil is like a strainer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separates-the-mud-from-the-gold/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-santana/the-devil-is-like-a-strainer-that-separates-the-mud-from-the-gold/#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 } } ] } ```