--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is there a word for a thing you know you…" description: "\"“Is there a word for a thing you know you absolutely shouldn’t do, that would be wrong in every way that matters to you, but that you’re pretty sure yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg" --- # Is there a word for a thing you know you absolutely… ![“Is there a word for a thing you know you absolutely shouldn’t do, that would be wrong in every way that matters to you, but that you’re pretty sure you’re going to do anyway? Or is that just—human? I” quote by Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg) > ““Is there a word for a thing you know you absolutely shouldn’t do, that would be wrong in every way that matters to you, but that you’re pretty sure you’re going to do anyway? Or is that just—human? I”” [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often know a behavior is wrong yet feel compelled to do it, revealing human paradoxes. **In simple terms:** We do what we shouldn’t despite knowing it. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront self‑sabotaging urges. Themes human nature self‑sabotage moral conflict Mood reflective cautionary Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - addiction recovery - financial decisions - relationship choices Key Concepts cognitive dissonance temptation ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - Why do you repeat harmful patterns? - What inner conflicts drive you? A Different Perspective Sometimes rationalizing can justify harmful actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Shouldn Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouldn-wrong-616581/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Word Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-thing-616582/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-way/) ## Related quotes > [“Have you ever wanted something that you knew you shouldn’t have? That it was wrong on every level, but you knew you needed it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/have-you-ever-wanted-something-that-you-knew-you-shouldn-t-have-that-2/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“Have you ever wanted something that you knew you shouldn’t have? That it was wrong on every level, but you knew you needed it?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/have-you-ever-wanted-something-that-you-knew-you-shouldn-t-have-that/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [Catherine! Get out of my way. I need to have a word with that thing." Since she usually called Bones "filthy animal", I assumed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/catherine-get-out-of-my-way-i-need-to-have-a-word-with-that-thing/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“The separation of word and thing is the essential fact on which our adult lives are founded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/the-separation-of-word-and-thing-is-the-essential-fact-on-which-our/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [Death! Strange that there should be such a word, and such a thing, and we ever forget it; that one should be living, warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/death-strange-that-there-should-be-such-a-word-and-such-a-thing-and/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [I am, in some sense, a writer. Even though I kinda downplay the word thing, I do enjoy writing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bird/i-am-in-some-sense-a-writer-even-though-i-kinda-downplay-the-word/) [Andrew Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bird/) > [Philistinism! - We have not the expression in English. Perhaps we have not the word because we have so much of the thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/philistinism-we-have-not-the-expression-in-english-perhaps-we-have/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) > [Each thing has its word, but the word has become a thing by itself. Why shouldn't I find it? Why can't a tree be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-ball/each-thing-has-its-word-but-the-word-has-become-a-thing-by-itself-why/) [Hugo Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-ball/) > [“The word thing is an interesting word. At first glance it looks like the front half of one word combined with the last half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obert-skye/the-word-thing-is-an-interesting-word-at-first-glance-it-looks-like/) [Obert Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-skye/) > [“A word is the only thing in the world made more powerful by absence than existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/a-word-is-the-only-thing-in-the-world-made-more-powerful-by-absence/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“The Word is a symbol and a delight which sucks up men and scenes, trees, plants, factories, and Pekinese. Then the Thing becomes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-word-is-a-symbol-and-a-delight-which-sucks-up-men-and-scenes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The Word is symbol of delight which sucks up men and scenes, trees, plants, factories, and Pekinese. Then the Thing becomes the Word and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-word-is-symbol-of-delight-which-sucks-up-men-and-scenes-trees/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I sometimes say things for a joke, and they are picked up the wrong way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-fricker/i-sometimes-say-things-for-a-joke-and-they-are-picked-up-the-wrong-way/) [Brenda Fricker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-fricker/) > [The last thing I want to appear is remotely jaded or bitter, which it could come across the wrong way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-williamson/the-last-thing-i-want-to-appear-is-remotely-jaded-or-bitter-which-it/) [Matthew Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-williamson/) > [I did a video interview straight after the Scottish Cup Final and I reacted to some abuse from Twitter. Dangerous, of course. The Hibs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-doherty/i-did-a-video-interview-straight-after-the-scottish-cup-final-and-i/) [Matt Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-doherty/) ## More by Elan Mastai > [“You know you're having a seriously fucked-up day when ontology becomes a life-or-death proposition”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/you-know-you-re-having-a-seriously-fucked-up-day-when-ontology/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“The truth is, there are no alternate realities. At least not the way Penny describes them. Maybe an infinite multiverse is born from every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/the-truth-is-there-are-no-alternate-realities-at-least-not-the-way/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“When you’re young, you think of your parents with the simplest adjectives. As you get older, you add more adjectives and notice some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/when-you-re-young-you-think-of-your-parents-with-the-simplest/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“They were married within a year and slotted themselves into their respective lifelong roles—my father was the lighthouse, my mother the keeper who wound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/they-were-married-within-a-year-and-slotted-themselves-into-their/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“When you jump off a cliff, falling can look a whole lot like flying, for a while anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/when-you-jump-off-a-cliff-falling-can-look-a-whole-lot-like-flying/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“Anyone can overthrow a government. It’s ruling that’s hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/anyone-can-overthrow-a-government-it-s-ruling-that-s-hard/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“You got a little bit famous. Even a little bit of fame can mess with your head. It’s a cognitive disease, you know, fame?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/you-got-a-little-bit-famous-even-a-little-bit-of-fame-can-mess-with/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“You keep working. You keep trying. You keep failing. Until one day in the distant future, that for me is the distant past, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/you-keep-working-you-keep-trying-you-keep-failing-until-one-day-in/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“She was your mother and she loved you in a way nobody ever has and nobody ever will and no she's gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/she-was-your-mother-and-she-loved-you-in-a-way-nobody-ever-has-and/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“When you invent the car, you also invent the car accident. When you invent the plane, you also invent the plane crash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/when-you-invent-the-car-you-also-invent-the-car-accident-when-you/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“But there was something else, hard to pin down exactly, a charge—this magnetic pheromonal buzz that hung between us like a spider’s web, generally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/but-there-was-something-else-hard-to-pin-down-exactly-a-charge-this/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“The brain is a soupy lightning storm swirling and crackling in three pounds of wet meat. Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/the-brain-is-a-soupy-lightning-storm-swirling-and-crackling-in-three/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“But the world feels too big and the words feel too small, and turning the slushy tangle of memories into clean lines of text…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/but-the-world-feels-too-big-and-the-words-feel-too-small-and-turning/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“You believe what you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/you-believe-what-you-do/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“When someone dies they get very cold and very still. That probably sounds obvious, but when it’s your mother it doesn’t feel obvious—it feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/when-someone-dies-they-get-very-cold-and-very-still-that-probably/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) [Explore all 27 Elan Mastai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) ## More Thing quotes > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [“What would happen if you didn’t do the thing you “have to” do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brodie/what-would-happen-if-you-didn-t-do-the-thing-you-have-to-do/) [Richard Brodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brodie/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I wish there was such a thing as reincarnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/i-wish-there-was-such-a-thing-as-reincarnation/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) [Browse all 10,731 Thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Is there a word for a thing you know you absolutely shouldn’t do, that would be wrong in every way that matters to you, but that you’re pretty sure you’re going to do anyway? Or is that just—human? I”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elan Mastai" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you-absolutely-shouldn-t-do-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Thing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you-absolutely-shouldn-t-do-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74f/elan-mastai-22667_thing_is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you_2456714.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Is there a word for a thing you know you absolutely shouldn’t do, that would be wrong in every way that…” — Elan Mastai", "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": "Elan Mastai", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Is there a word for a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you-absolutely-shouldn-t-do-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/is-there-a-word-for-a-thing-you-know-you-absolutely-shouldn-t-do-that/#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 } } ] } ```