--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't mean that God made this happen to…" description: "\"“I don't mean that God made this happen to teach us something. Or to teach me something. How monstrously selfish would that be? I just mean that if we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/david-levithan-67_bad-thing_i-don-t-mean-that-god-made-this-happen-t_3226356.jpg" --- # I don't mean that God made this happen to teach us… ![“I don't mean that God made this happen to teach us something. Or to teach me something. How monstrously selfish would that be? I just mean that if we go through this thing and it changes us so much, you have to hope that it changes us for the better, right? If goodness can't come from bad things…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/david-levithan-67_bad-thing_i-don-t-mean-that-god-made-this-happen-t_3226356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/david-levithan-67_bad-thing_i-don-t-mean-that-god-made-this-happen-t_3226356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/david-levithan-67_bad-thing_i-don-t-mean-that-god-made-this-happen-t_3226356.jpg) > ““I don't mean that God made this happen to teach us something. Or to teach me something. How monstrously selfish would that be? I just mean that if we go through this thing and it changes us so much, you have to hope that it changes us for the better, right? If goodness can't come from bad things, it makes bad things unbearable.”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering can transform us positively if we choose growth; otherwise it feels unbearable. **In simple terms:** Bad experiences can lead to better selves. Key Takeaway Embrace growth from hardship. Themes growth adversity hope Mood thoughtful empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - personal development - creative writing Key Concepts psychology philosophy resilience Questions to Reflect On - Can pain ever be a catalyst for good? - What helps you find purpose in hardship? A Different Perspective Not everyone finds meaning after trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Changes Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changes-hope-1641074/) [God Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-happen-848864/) [Mean God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-god-370890/) [Monstrously Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monstrously-selfish-6085213/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) ## Related quotes > [“If we go through this thing and it changes us so much, you have to hope that it changes us for the better, right?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/if-we-go-through-this-thing-and-it-changes-us-so-much-you-have-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Just because you pray for something, and nothing happens, does not mean it is God's will for nothing to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/just-because-you-pray-for-something-and-nothing-happens-does-not-mean/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [“I just mean that if we go through this thing and it changes us so much, you have to hope that it changes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-just-mean-that-if-we-go-through-this-thing-and-it-changes-us-so/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Faith changes hope into reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-hagin/faith-changes-hope-into-reality/) [Kenneth E. Hagin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-hagin/) > [I just need to stay loyal to God and anything can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reiss-nelson/i-just-need-to-stay-loyal-to-god-and-anything-can-happen/) [Reiss Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reiss-nelson/) > [We cannot make the Kingdom of God happen, but we can put out leaves as it draws near. We can be kind to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/we-cannot-make-the-kingdom-of-god-happen-but-we-can-put-out-leaves-as/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [I had to make them changes, I hope you understood. You see for every bad, I did a ton of good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/i-had-to-make-them-changes-i-hope-you-understood-you-see-for-every/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [“What’s never going to change? Our values, our priorities, our commitment to each other and our family. But I hope that literally every other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-gaines/what-s-never-going-to-change-our-values-our-priorities-our-commitment/) [Chip Gaines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-gaines/) > [Each moment that passes changes you...You can't even own yourself. How can you ever hope to own anyone or anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/each-moment-that-passes-changes-you-you-can-t-even-own-yourself-how/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [“And we ask ourselves, if there is a God, how can this happen? Better to ask, if there is a God... must it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucien-lacroix/and-we-ask-ourselves-if-there-is-a-god-how-can-this-happen-better-to/) [Lucien LaCroix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucien-lacroix/) > [Worrying and Stressing is useless simply because whatever GOD has for you is for you. Let GOD happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worrying-and-stressing-is-useless-simply-because-whatever-god-has-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are doing God's will everything seems to happen without much effort or many obstacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-neal/when-you-are-doing-god-s-will-everything-seems-to-happen-without-much/) [Mary C. Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-neal/) > [Fate can be one mean god at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/fate-can-be-one-mean-god-at-times/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“but it does mean God is able to redeem any and all situations and use them for his own good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/but-it-does-mean-god-is-able-to-redeem-any-and-all-situations-and-use/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [When things are going bad that does not mean God has stopped doing good It's mean He is shifting things around you to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christianquotes/when-things-are-going-bad-that-does-not-mean-god-has-stopped-doing/) [ChristianQuotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christianquotes/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. 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Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don't mean that God made this happen to teach us something. Or to teach me something. How monstrously selfish would that be? I just mean that if we go through this thing and it changes us so much, you have to hope that it changes us for the better, right? 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