--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The second you believe in hell, you're…" description: "\"“The second you believe in hell, you're undermining everything good because a morality based in fear can only bring out the worst in people and never t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg" --- # The second you believe in hell, you're undermining… ![“The second you believe in hell, you're undermining everything good because a morality based in fear can only bring out the worst in people and never their best.” quote by David Ellis Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg) > ““The second you believe in hell, you're undermining everything good because a morality based in fear can only bring out the worst in people and never their best.”” David Ellis Dickerson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Believing in hell, built on fear, undermines goodness because fear-driven morality limits humanity’s potential for virtue **In simple terms:** Fear‑based morality restricts moral excellence Key Takeaway Reject fear‑based beliefs for healthier ethics Themes fear morality hell goodness ethical philosophy Mood serious thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal growth - spiritual discourse - education Key Concepts theology psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape moral choices? - What alternatives to fear‑based morality exist? A Different Perspective Fear can be an ingrained belief system ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) ## Related quotes > [I think that what is happening now in terms of the Brexit vote does represent a serious undermining of the Good Friday Agreement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/i-think-that-what-is-happening-now-in-terms-of-the-brexit-vote-does/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [You have told me, O God, to believe in hell. But you have forbidden me to think...of any man as damned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/you-have-told-me-o-god-to-believe-in-hell-but-you-have-forbidden-me/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [The first thing brought forth by the study of any religion, ancient or modern, is that it is based upon Fear, born of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/the-first-thing-brought-forth-by-the-study-of-any-religion-ancient-or/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [For me, the litmus test to know whether or not I'm doing the right thing is to examine whether my decisions are love-based or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gant/for-me-the-litmus-test-to-know-whether-or-not-i-m-doing-the-right/) [Robert Gant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gant/) > [“Making a decision based on fear is like painting a self-portrait of someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-glassman/making-a-decision-based-on-fear-is-like-painting-a-self-portrait-of/) [Charles F. Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-glassman/) > [There's always a reaction based on fear. People assume if you're criticizing a decision to go to war, then you're saying something against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-harris/there-s-always-a-reaction-based-on-fear-people-assume-if-you-re/) [Ed Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-harris/) > [A mature person should disconnect himself from anything that is connected with fear. That's how maturity comes. Just watch all your acts, all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-mature-person-should-disconnect-himself-from-anything-that-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every human thought, word, or deed is based on fear or love. Fear is the energy which contracts, closes down, draws in, hides, hoards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/every-human-thought-word-or-deed-is-based-on-fear-or-love-fear-is-the/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Everything we do in life is based on fear, especially love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/everything-we-do-in-life-is-based-on-fear-especially-love/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Every persisting marriage is based on fear', said Peregrine. 'Fear is fundamental, you dig down in human nature and what's at the bottom? Mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/every-persisting-marriage-is-based-on-fear-said-peregrine-fear-is/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [The first is based in fear, the second in fearlessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/the-first-is-based-in-fear-the-second-in-fearlessness/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [In the '80s, I was putting out an album virtually every year, I think mostly based on fear - that if I didn't, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/in-the-80s-i-was-putting-out-an-album-virtually-every-year-i-think/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [I decided to make 'Captain America' because I realized I wasn't doing the film because it terrified me. You can't make decisions based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-evans/i-decided-to-make-captain-america-because-i-realized-i-wasn-t-doing/) [Chris Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-evans/) > [“The word 'phobic' has its place when properly used, but lately it's been declawed by the pompous insistence that most animosity is based upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-word-phobic-has-its-place-when-properly-used-but-lately-it-s-been/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“When our actions and choices are based on fear and denial ... Well, nothing good can come of that. Ever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-unger/when-our-actions-and-choices-are-based-on-fear-and-denial-well/) [Lisa Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-unger/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/) [M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. 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Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The second you believe in hell, you're undermining everything good because a morality based in fear can only bring out the worst in people and never their best.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ellis Dickerson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ellis-dickerson/the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-undermining-everything-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ellis-dickerson/the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-undermining-everything-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/david-ellis-dickerson-231149_fear_the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-un_2020674.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The second you believe in hell, you're undermining everything good because a morality based in fear can only…” — David Ellis Dickerson", "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": "David Ellis Dickerson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ellis-dickerson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The second you believe in hell,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ellis-dickerson/the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-undermining-everything-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ellis-dickerson/the-second-you-believe-in-hell-you-re-undermining-everything-good/#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 } } ] } ```