--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evil is never abstract. It is always…" description: "\"“Evil is never abstract. It is always concrete, always particular and always vested in individuals. To deny monsters as individuals the right to speak,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/clive-barker-773_dark-side_evil-is-never-abstract-it-is-always-conc_2885465.png" --- # Evil is never abstract. It is always concrete, always… ![“Evil is never abstract. It is always concrete, always particular and always vested in individuals. To deny monsters as individuals the right to speak, to actually state their case, is perverse - because I want to hear the Devil speak. I like the idea that a point of view can be made by the dark…” quote by Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/clive-barker-773_dark-side_evil-is-never-abstract-it-is-always-conc_2885465.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/clive-barker-773_dark-side_evil-is-never-abstract-it-is-always-conc_2885465.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/clive-barker-773_dark-side_evil-is-never-abstract-it-is-always-conc_2885465.png) > ““Evil is never abstract. It is always concrete, always particular and always vested in individuals. To deny monsters as individuals the right to speak, to actually state their case, is perverse - because I want to hear the Devil speak. I like the idea that a point of view can be made by the dark side.”” [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evil is personal and vocal; denying its voice silences truth and fuels perversion. **In simple terms:** Evil is concrete and speaks. Key Takeaway Listen to all viewpoints, even dark ones. Themes ethics philosophy evil voice truth Mood critical cautious Type philosophical controversial When to use this quote - political debate - media analysis - psychological study Key Concepts personhood speech moral complexity Questions to Reflect On - Should harmful ideas be heard? - How to balance free speech and safety? A Different Perspective Giving a platform to evil can legitimize harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-side/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) ## Related quotes > [“Evil is not an abstract concept. It lives. It has a form. It stalks. It is too real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-dooley/evil-is-not-an-abstract-concept-it-lives-it-has-a-form-it-stalks-it/) Tom Dooley > [What, can the devil speak true?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-can-the-devil-speak-true/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“spirit of man to be able to hear His voice. In fact, every spirit is equipped to listen to the different voices that come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/spirit-of-man-to-be-able-to-hear-his-voice-in-fact-every-spirit-is/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [Beware the power of the dark side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-angleberger/beware-the-power-of-the-dark-side/) [Tom Angleberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-angleberger/) > [“The dark side of life has a way of finding us all anyway, so stop chasing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/the-dark-side-of-life-has-a-way-of-finding-us-all-anyway-so-stop/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Even when my every inclination is to be otherwise, I don't want to live my life on the dark side of things. Sometimes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/even-when-my-every-inclination-is-to-be-otherwise-i-don-t-want-to/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [“She swallows, then adds in a horrified whisper, "I wanted you to make Jason Kim bleed. A lot." I blink, surprised. And pleased, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-jay/she-swallows-then-adds-in-a-horrified-whisper-i-wanted-you-to-make/) [Stacey Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-jay/) > [I've always had a fascination with vampires. It's not that I'm exactly fascinated with the dark side. It's the human struggle with it. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-lee/i-ve-always-had-a-fascination-with-vampires-it-s-not-that-i-m-exactly/) [Sheryl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-lee/) > [Poetry is the dark side of the moon,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wright/poetry-is-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/) [Charles Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wright/) > [You're my bad boy fairytale Since jamming with the dark side I wanna be your bad girl You bring out my wild side Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/you-re-my-bad-boy-fairytale-since-jamming-with-the-dark-side-i-wanna/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [There are a lot of dark sides to success, but the light side of it is the ability to be opportunistic, and to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/there-are-a-lot-of-dark-sides-to-success-but-the-light-side-of-it-is/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [You don't know the power of the dark side!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-know-the-power-of-the-dark-side/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Kiss From A Rose There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea. You became the light on the dark side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seal/kiss-from-a-rose-there-used-to-be-a-graying-tower-alone-on-the-sea/) [Seal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seal/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) ## More by Clive Barker > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Those old hypocrites. They talk about killing witches but the Good Book’s full of magic. Turning the Nile to blood and parting the Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/those-old-hypocrites-they-talk-about-killing-witches-but-the-good/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I dreamt a limitless book, A book unbound, Its leaves scattered in fantastic abundance On every line there was a new horizon drawn, New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-dreamt-a-limitless-book-a-book-unbound-its-leaves-scattered-in/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Only when they have outrun the all-too-eager shadows of the Canyon and they are back in the glare of the billboards on Sunset Boulevard,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/only-when-they-have-outrun-the-all-too-eager-shadows-of-the-canyon/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I firmly believe that a story is only as good as the villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-firmly-believe-that-a-story-is-only-as-good-as-the-villain/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Let us not neglect the forbidden. Let us not sophisticate ourselves out of the cheap thrill and chill of it: the story told for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/let-us-not-neglect-the-forbidden-let-us-not-sophisticate-ourselves/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [You can plan to be brave - it's even better if you just try to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/you-can-plan-to-be-brave-it-s-even-better-if-you-just-try-to-be-brave/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Pleasure is a reward, given to the human system by evolution in return for services rendered to the preservation and increase of the species.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/pleasure-is-a-reward-given-to-the-human-system-by-evolution-in-return/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I love meeting people who've read my books. The prime reason to be on the planet is to make things I can show to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-love-meeting-people-who-ve-read-my-books-the-prime-reason-to-be-on/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Nothing happens carelessly. We’re not brought into the world without reason, even though we may never understand the reason. An infant that lives an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/nothing-happens-carelessly-we-re-not-brought-into-the-world-without/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Despite his intent, tears sprang to his eyes, and he went into her embrace, both of them sobbing freely, like enemies joined by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/despite-his-intent-tears-sprang-to-his-eyes-and-he-went-into-her/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [Always, worlds within worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/always-worlds-within-worlds/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“I'm an inclusionist. I've always divided up (very, very broadly, I admit) the artistic instincts into the inclusionist and the exclusionist. The exclusionist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-m-an-inclusionist-i-ve-always-divided-up-very-very-broadly-i-admit/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [I think I'm less and less labelled a 'horror writer'. The books tend not to go on horror shelves any more, and when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-think-i-m-less-and-less-labelled-a-horror-writer-the-books-tend-not/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Horror shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/horror-shows-us-that-the-control-we-believe-we-have-is-purely-illusory/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) [Explore all 365 Clive Barker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) ## More Dark side quotes > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Kiss From A Rose There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea. You became the light on the dark side of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seal/kiss-from-a-rose-there-used-to-be-a-graying-tower-alone-on-the-sea/) [Seal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seal/) > [You don't know the power of the dark side!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-know-the-power-of-the-dark-side/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of dark sides to success, but the light side of it is the ability to be opportunistic, and to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/there-are-a-lot-of-dark-sides-to-success-but-the-light-side-of-it-is/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [You're my bad boy fairytale Since jamming with the dark side I wanna be your bad girl You bring out my wild side Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/you-re-my-bad-boy-fairytale-since-jamming-with-the-dark-side-i-wanna/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [Poetry is the dark side of the moon,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wright/poetry-is-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/) [Charles Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wright/) > [I've always had a fascination with vampires. It's not that I'm exactly fascinated with the dark side. It's the human struggle with it. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-lee/i-ve-always-had-a-fascination-with-vampires-it-s-not-that-i-m-exactly/) [Sheryl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-lee/) > [“She swallows, then adds in a horrified whisper, "I wanted you to make Jason Kim bleed. A lot." I blink, surprised. And pleased, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-jay/she-swallows-then-adds-in-a-horrified-whisper-i-wanted-you-to-make/) [Stacey Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-jay/) > [Even when my every inclination is to be otherwise, I don't want to live my life on the dark side of things. Sometimes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/even-when-my-every-inclination-is-to-be-otherwise-i-don-t-want-to/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [“The dark side of life has a way of finding us all anyway, so stop chasing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/the-dark-side-of-life-has-a-way-of-finding-us-all-anyway-so-stop/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Beware the power of the dark side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-angleberger/beware-the-power-of-the-dark-side/) [Tom Angleberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-angleberger/) > [Faith in your new apprentice, misplaced may be. As is your faith in the dark side of the Force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/faith-in-your-new-apprentice-misplaced-may-be-as-is-your-faith-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You want my dark side? Have I ever stolen anything? Not so much intentionally. But I don't think it's so much stealing as... being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/you-want-my-dark-side-have-i-ever-stolen-anything-not-so-much/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [The population at large is neither 'ordinary' or 'normal'. They seem to be bound together by a collective ignorance of themselves and what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-nilsen/the-population-at-large-is-neither-ordinary-or-normal-they-seem-to-be/) [Dennis Nilsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-nilsen/) [Browse all 656 Dark side quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-side/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Evil is never abstract. It is always concrete, always particular and always vested in individuals. To deny monsters as individuals the right to speak, to actually state their case, is perverse - because I want to hear the Devil speak. 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