--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person is more than the worst thing he…" description: "\"A person is more than the worst thing he has ever done.\" — Helen Prejean" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png" --- # A person is more than the worst thing he has ever done. ![“A person is more than the worst thing he has ever done.” quote by Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png) > “A person is more than the worst thing he has ever done.” [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person’s worth exceeds their worst actions; redemption and humanity remain possible. **In simple terms:** People are more than their sins. Key Takeaway Recognize inherent dignity. Themes redemption humanity morality Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - criminal justice reform - personal forgiveness - rehabilitation programs Key Concepts forgiveness justice compassion Questions to Reflect On - Can we separate actions from identity? - How does forgiveness affect healing? A Different Perspective Societal judgment often denies second chances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [If you like a person at their worst, you will love them at their best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-fry/if-you-like-a-person-at-their-worst-you-will-love-them-at-their-best/) [Jeffrey Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-fry/) > [Anybody who sees me in person will see the worst cauliflower ears I think you have ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/anybody-who-sees-me-in-person-will-see-the-worst-cauliflower-ears-i/) [Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/) > [A person's worst enemy can't wish on him what he can think up himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiddish-proverb/a-person-s-worst-enemy-can-t-wish-on-him-what-he-can-think-up-himself/) Yiddish Proverb > [I believe that each person is more than the worst thing they've ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/i-believe-that-each-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-they-ve-ever/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [...But the problem is, people tend to assign you the role of the person you are at your worst, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/but-the-problem-is-people-tend-to-assign-you-the-role-of-the-person/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [I'm just a negative person, a deeply negative person. I see the worst aspects of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-m-just-a-negative-person-a-deeply-negative-person-i-see-the-worst/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [“The worst thing in the world is to...live by another person's idea of who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-michael/the-worst-thing-in-the-world-is-to-live-by-another-person-s-idea-of/) Michele Michael > [Sometimes the worst thing that can happen is, 'Oh, I'm on stage playing a song,' because you're daydreaming about something else, you're on autopilot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/sometimes-the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-is-oh-i-m-on-stage-playing/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [people are more than the worst thing they have ever done in their lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/people-are-more-than-the-worst-thing-they-have-ever-done-in-their/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [The worst thing is when people criticise you and you go, 'Yeah, you're right.' It's really hard to take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckley/the-worst-thing-is-when-people-criticise-you-and-you-go-yeah-you-re/) [James Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buckley/) > [Worst thing in the world? John is completely out of it. Good luck, ladies. He's a freak!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/worst-thing-in-the-world-john-is-completely-out-of-it-good-luck/) [Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/) > [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/) > [The worst thing about movie-making is that it's like life: nobody can go back to correct the mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/the-worst-thing-about-movie-making-is-that-it-s-like-life-nobody-can/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [The worst thing for me is to not taste what I'm eating, to not know what I'm eating. It upsets me to no avail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-robuchon/the-worst-thing-for-me-is-to-not-taste-what-i-m-eating-to-not-know/) [Joel Robuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-robuchon/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) ## More by Helen Prejean > [Government ... can't be trusted to control its own bureaucrats or collect taxes equitably or fill a pothole, much less decide which of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/government-can-t-be-trusted-to-control-its-own-bureaucrats-or-collect/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [When people of color are killed in the inner city, when homeless people are killed, when the "nobodies" are killed, district attorneys do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/when-people-of-color-are-killed-in-the-inner-city-when-homeless/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [people are more than the worst thing they have ever done in their lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/people-are-more-than-the-worst-thing-they-have-ever-done-in-their/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [If you are going to do something for the poor, the abused, or the imprisoned, above all be faithful. People with broken lives often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/if-you-are-going-to-do-something-for-the-poor-the-abused-or-the/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [Writing is like praying, because you stop all other activities, descend into silence, and listen patiently to the depths of your soul, waiting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/writing-is-like-praying-because-you-stop-all-other-activities-descend/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [The important thing is that when you come to understand something you act on it, no matter how small that act is. Eventually it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/the-important-thing-is-that-when-you-come-to-understand-something-you/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [“no government is ever innocent enough or wise enough or just enough to lay claim to so absolute a power as death. (p. 21)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/no-government-is-ever-innocent-enough-or-wise-enough-or-just-enough/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [There are spaces of sorrow only God can touch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/there-are-spaces-of-sorrow-only-god-can-touch/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [I tell myself that I had simply better accept the fact that the death penalty is here to stay in our society, at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/i-tell-myself-that-i-had-simply-better-accept-the-fact-that-the-death/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [ “The prospect that a person will be killed according to the policy he promulgates prompts the \[priest\] to urge clemency, an incomprehensible position logically.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/the-prospect-that-a-person-will-be-killed-according-to-the-policy-he/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [Once you inject fear into a society of people, they become more and more afraid because they don't cross over the neighbourhoods and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/once-you-inject-fear-into-a-society-of-people-they-become-more-and/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [“Nonviolence and nonaggression are generally regarded as interchangeable concepts - King and Gandhi frequently used them that way - but nonviolence, as employed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/nonviolence-and-nonaggression-are-generally-regarded-as/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [The death penalty is a poor person's issue. Always remember that: after all the rhetoric that goes on in the legislative assemblies, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/the-death-penalty-is-a-poor-person-s-issue-always-remember-that-after/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [Do they deserve to die?" but "Do we deserve to kill them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/do-they-deserve-to-die-but-do-we-deserve-to-kill-them/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [When you try, God is there and you get the grace you need to get you through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/when-you-try-god-is-there-and-you-get-the-grace-you-need-to-get-you/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) [Explore all 32 Helen Prejean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) ## More Person quotes > [“Always resemble yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-white/always-resemble-yourself/) Cynthia White > [“They're threatened by you,' she said. 'You chose to do something they'd never have the gumption to choose for themselves. Being their own person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/they-re-threatened-by-you-she-said-you-chose-to-do-something-they-d/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/) [Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Sometimes, the person you trust most is the one who trusts you the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-the-person-you-trust-most-is-the-one-who-trusts-you-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I sound New York. I sound East Coast much more than a blonde person from L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kavner/i-sound-new-york-i-sound-east-coast-much-more-than-a-blonde-person/) [Julie Kavner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kavner/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [I'd love to talk to myself at 40 and see what I've achieved and what I feel... but I will just be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/i-d-love-to-talk-to-myself-at-40-and-see-what-i-ve-achieved-and-what/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [I'm not the sort of person who would want to just lie on the sofa watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-m-not-the-sort-of-person-who-would-want-to-just-lie-on-the-sofa/) [Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“if you act (and dress) as if you have a fascinating inner life, you may soon find that you actually do—and that you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-act-and-dress-as-if-you-have-a-fascinating-inner-life-you-may/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 19,722 Person quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A person is more than the worst thing he has ever done.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helen Prejean" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he-has-ever-done/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he-has-ever-done/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/helen-prejean-19524_person_a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he_3072096.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A person is more than the worst thing he has ever done.” — Helen Prejean", "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": "Helen Prejean", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A person is more than the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he-has-ever-done/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/a-person-is-more-than-the-worst-thing-he-has-ever-done/#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 } } ] } ```