--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No; I'm not bad. But sometimes beautiful…" description: "\"“No; I'm not bad. But sometimes beautiful things grow bad by doing bad, and it takes some time for their badness to spoil their beauty. So little boys ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/george-macdonald-295_badness_no-i-m-not-bad-but-sometimes-beautiful-t_614124.png" --- # No; I'm not bad. But sometimes beautiful things grow bad… ![“No; I'm not bad. But sometimes beautiful things grow bad by doing bad, and it takes some time for their badness to spoil their beauty. So little boys may be mistaken if they go after things because they beautiful.” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/george-macdonald-295_badness_no-i-m-not-bad-but-sometimes-beautiful-t_614124.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/george-macdonald-295_badness_no-i-m-not-bad-but-sometimes-beautiful-t_614124.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/george-macdonald-295_badness_no-i-m-not-bad-but-sometimes-beautiful-t_614124.png) > ““No; I'm not bad. But sometimes beautiful things grow bad by doing bad, and it takes some time for their badness to spoil their beauty. So little boys may be mistaken if they go after things because they beautiful.”” [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beauty can be corrupted by harmful actions, and it may take time before the decay becomes evident, leading to misguided pursuits. **In simple terms:** Bad actions can ruin beauty over time. Key Takeaway Beware of harming what you cherish. Themes beauty corruption perception morality growth Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - Romantic relationships - artistic creation - personal development - environmental stewardship Key Concepts Ethics Aesthetic decay Human nature Questions to Reflect On - What actions might be harming your valued things? - How can you protect beauty without stifling it? A Different Perspective Not all beautiful things are safe to pursue without caution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Badness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/badness/) [Badness Spoil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/badness-spoil-4982298/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Doing Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-bad-267969/) [Grow Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grow-bad-2533460/) [Little boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-boys/) [Spoil Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoil-beauty-3049666/) ## Related quotes > [“Joy could be found everywhere. A hollow on the trunk of a tree could not spoil its beauty, as the little caterpillars eating some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-serban/joy-could-be-found-everywhere-a-hollow-on-the-trunk-of-a-tree-could/) [Irina Serban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-serban/) > [DON'T EVER PREDICT, DON'T SPOIL THE BEAUTY OF LIFE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa/don-t-ever-predict-don-t-spoil-the-beauty-of-life/) [ALYSSA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa/) > [It's through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/it-s-through-mistakes-that-you-actually-can-grow-you-have-to-get-bad/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I can't stay in L.A. too long or it starts to grow on me in a bad way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-can-t-stay-in-l-a-too-long-or-it-starts-to-grow-on-me-in-a-bad-way/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [“Let me once more assert that Mr Malison was not a bad man. The misfortune was, that his notion of right fell in with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/let-me-once-more-assert-that-mr-malison-was-not-a-bad-man-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I don't want to be content with what I'm doing. 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A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/we-may-know-that-the-work-we-continue-to-put-off-doing-will-be-bad/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Person that never do anything in life to success,getting bad!person that never listen ,doing bad!person that never think at all that is so bad!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axll-sblns/person-that-never-do-anything-in-life-to-success-getting-bad-person/) [AXLL\_SBLNS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axll-sblns/) > [You learn as much from doing a bad film as a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-moran/you-learn-as-much-from-doing-a-bad-film-as-a-good-one/) [Nick Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-moran/) > [Am young doing bad, why is that? Because am growing, starting to follow my dad's foot step, when I shouldn't...He's a bad influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dub-tepper/am-young-doing-bad-why-is-that-because-am-growing-starting-to-follow/) [DUB$TEPPER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dub-tepper/) > [I'm no longer poppin' tags, I just let 'em hang. Sucka nigga doing bad, I just do my thang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti/i-m-no-longer-poppin-tags-i-just-let-em-hang-sucka-nigga-doing-bad-i/) [TI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ti/) ## More by George MacDonald > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Life and religion are one, or neither is any thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/life-and-religion-are-one-or-neither-is-any-thing/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/come-then-affliction-if-my-father-wills-and-be-my-frowning-friend-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Ah, what is it we send up thither, where our thoughts are either a dissonance or a sweetness and a grace?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/ah-what-is-it-we-send-up-thither-where-our-thoughts-are-either-a/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [You must learn to be strong in the dark as well as in the day, else you will always be only half brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-must-learn-to-be-strong-in-the-dark-as-well-as-in-the-day-else/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Few delights can equal the mere presence of one whom we trust utterly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/few-delights-can-equal-the-mere-presence-of-one-whom-we-trust-utterly/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“You have tasted of death now,” said the old man. “Is it good?” “It is good,” said Mossy. “It is better than life.” “No,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/you-have-tasted-of-death-now-said-the-old-man-is-it-good-it-is-good/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [ “I wish I had \[made that song\]. No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-that-would-be-to-take-it-from/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Past tears are present strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/past-tears-are-present-strength/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/age-is-not-all-decay-it-is-the-ripening-the-swelling-of-the-fresh/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I want to help you grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when he thought of you first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-want-to-help-you-grow-as-beautiful-as-god-meant-you-to-be-when-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Immeasurably imperfect it was, but false the impression could not be, for she saw with the eyes made for seeing, and saw indeed what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/immeasurably-imperfect-it-was-but-false-the-impression-could-not-be/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Those that hope little cannot grow much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/those-that-hope-little-cannot-grow-much/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) [Explore all 720 George MacDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) ## More Badness quotes > [You don't have to be a good person to be a good writer--history shows it's better if you're not--but you have to understand your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-abrahams/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-good-person-to-be-a-good-writer-history-shows/) [Peter Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-abrahams/) > [I think when you don't know where you stand with someone, they can surprise you in their goodness and their badness, and that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrissey/i-think-when-you-don-t-know-where-you-stand-with-someone-they-can/) [David Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrissey/) > [A man of bad character punishes his own soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ghazali/a-man-of-bad-character-punishes-his-own-soul/) [Al-Ghazali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ghazali/) > [“If you have had a bad day, remember that tomorrow is a wonderful gift and a new chance to try again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/if-you-have-had-a-bad-day-remember-that-tomorrow-is-a-wonderful-gift/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [The first link between my soul and Christ is not my goodness but my badness, not my merit but my misery, not my riches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-first-link-between-my-soul-and-christ-is-not-my-goodness-but-my/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“They don't go into what is the cause of goodness, so why of the other shop? 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