--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody involved in a conflict thinks…" description: "\"“Nobody involved in a conflict thinks they’re the villain.”\" — David Wong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png" --- # Nobody involved in a conflict thinks they’re the villain. ![“Nobody involved in a conflict thinks they’re the villain.” quote by David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png) > ““Nobody involved in a conflict thinks they’re the villain.”” [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In conflicts, each side sees themselves as right, not as the villain. **In simple terms:** Conflicts lack a clear villain. Key Takeaway Seek mutual understanding in disputes. Themes conflict perspective empathy Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - negotiations - family arguments Key Concepts cognitive bias moral relativism Questions to Reflect On - Who might be the unseen villain? - How can you view your role objectively? A Different Perspective Villain narratives simplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Villain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/villain/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [What's the point of being a hero when everyone thinks you're a villain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/what-s-the-point-of-being-a-hero-when-everyone-thinks-you-re-a-villain/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [Unfortunately the innocent are always involved in any conflict. Always, everywhere, there is some voice crying from a tower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/unfortunately-the-innocent-are-always-involved-in-any-conflict-always/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [I don't like to get involved in conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-tevez/i-don-t-like-to-get-involved-in-conflict/) [Carlos Tevez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-tevez/) > [I don't want my country to be involved in any conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aryna-sabalenka/i-don-t-want-my-country-to-be-involved-in-any-conflict/) [Aryna Sabalenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aryna-sabalenka/) > [“Verla says that nobody thinks of himself as a villain. Even the nastiest person thinks that he is in the right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-murphy/verla-says-that-nobody-thinks-of-himself-as-a-villain-even-the/) [Pat Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-murphy/) > [“Verla says that no one thinks of himself as a villain. Even the nastiest person thinks that he is in the right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-murphy/verla-says-that-no-one-thinks-of-himself-as-a-villain-even-the/) [Pat Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-murphy/) > [“no one thinks of himself as a villain, and few make decisions they think are wrong. A person may dislike his choice, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/no-one-thinks-of-himself-as-a-villain-and-few-make-decisions-they/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [No villain thinks of himself as a villain, and that's the approach I always take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/no-villain-thinks-of-himself-as-a-villain-and-that-s-the-approach-i/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [Keep in mind, Eragon, that no one thinks himself a villain, and few make decisions they think are wrong. A person may dislike his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/keep-in-mind-eragon-that-no-one-thinks-himself-a-villain-and-few-make/) [Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by David Wong > [“A realization washed over her in that cold, dark space: this was how virtually all living things born on earth have died—with teeth tearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/a-realization-washed-over-her-in-that-cold-dark-space-this-was-how/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Let’s say you have an ax. Just a cheap one, from Home Depot. On one bitter winter day, you use said ax to behead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/let-s-say-you-have-an-ax-just-a-cheap-one-from-home-depot-on-one/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“John, let me make one thing clear,” Jim said, cutting me off in his most stern, evangelical voice. “Every man is blessed with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-let-me-make-one-thing-clear-jim-said-cutting-me-off-in-his-most/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“John ducked casually across some DO NOT DUCK CASUALLY ACROSS THIS TAPE tape”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-ducked-casually-across-some-do-not-duck-casually-across-this/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“He made the engine growl and told the headlights to fuck the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/he-made-the-engine-growl-and-told-the-headlights-to-fuck-the-night/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Marconi said, "I see you have your instruments. Can any of you sing? The old spirituals work best." John said, "I can sing." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/marconi-said-i-see-you-have-your-instruments-can-any-of-you-sing-the/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“It’s the microscopic parasite that causes malaria. Nearly half of all human deaths in recorded history have been caused by this invisible assassin. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/it-s-the-microscopic-parasite-that-causes-malaria-nearly-half-of-all/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [At this point two elderly security guards in parkas, the guys who normally work the front desk at the plant, asked John to step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/at-this-point-two-elderly-security-guards-in-parkas-the-guys-who/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“I stared at the price tags and thought, Why don’t you fucking kill yourself? I have that thought a lot, actually. Hey, did you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/i-stared-at-the-price-tags-and-thought-why-don-t-you-fucking-kill/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Well, you’d better hope I am because the world was built by sociopaths, men willing to send a million innocent boys into battle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/well-you-d-better-hope-i-am-because-the-world-was-built-by-sociopaths/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [There is no word in the English language for the feeling someone gets when they suddenly realize they're standing next to an unholy monster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/there-is-no-word-in-the-english-language-for-the-feeling-someone-gets/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Around us, the disembodied human limbs were piling up, forming a circle around the fountain, fusing themselves to each other like Satan’s LEGO set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/around-us-the-disembodied-human-limbs-were-piling-up-forming-a-circle/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“I tried to say something cool, wound up stammering something like, “WANNA YOU WANNA WEENIE ME?” The end kind of trailed off in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/i-tried-to-say-something-cool-wound-up-stammering-something-like/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [John flung himself into a pseudo-karate stance, one hand poised behind him and one in front, posed like a cartoon cactus. I thought for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-flung-himself-into-a-pseudo-karate-stance-one-hand-poised-behind/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Imagine fifty thousand men trapped on a desert island, deprived of food and water and sex but somehow kept alive for fifty thousand years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/imagine-fifty-thousand-men-trapped-on-a-desert-island-deprived-of/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) [Explore all 294 David Wong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [“While there is battle and hatred men have eyes for nothing save the fact that the enemy is the cause of all the troubles;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-butterfield/while-there-is-battle-and-hatred-men-have-eyes-for-nothing-save-the/) [Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) [Browse all 3,969 Conflict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nobody involved in a conflict thinks they’re the villain.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Wong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-they-re-the-villain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conflict" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-they-re-the-villain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/david-wong-1098_conflict_nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-the_415365.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nobody involved in a conflict thinks they’re the villain.” — David Wong", "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 Wong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nobody involved in a conflict thinks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-they-re-the-villain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/nobody-involved-in-a-conflict-thinks-they-re-the-villain/#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 } } ] } ```