--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are few ways in which good people…" description: "\"There are few ways in which good people do more harm to those who take them seriously than to defend the gospel with arguments that won't hold water. M..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg" --- # There are few ways in which good people do more harm to… ![“There are few ways in which good people do more harm to those who take them seriously than to defend the gospel with arguments that won't hold water. Many of the difficulties encountered by young people going to college would be avoided if parents and teachers were more careful to distinguish…” quote by Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg) > “There are few ways in which good people do more harm to those who take them seriously than to defend the gospel with arguments that won't hold water. Many of the difficulties encountered by young people going to college would be avoided if parents and teachers were more careful to distinguish between what they know to be true and what they think may be true. Impetuous youth, upon finding the authority it trusts crumbling, even on unimportant details, is apt to lump everything together and throw the baby out with the bath.” [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good people can cause more damage by defending faith with weak arguments than by confronting falsehoods directly; youth suffer when authority collapses without clear distinction between truth and speculation. **In simple terms:** Weak defenses harm more than direct attacks; youth need clear truth. Key Takeaway Teach critical thinking and honest dialogue. Themes faith education authority youth truth Mood concerned thoughtful encouraging Type advice reflective educational When to use this quote - college counseling - parental guidance - religious instruction - public speaking - media literacy Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking trust dogmatism Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance respectful dialogue with intellectual rigor? - What practices help youth discern reliable authority? A Different Perspective If arguments are flawed, they can undermine credibility and cause greater confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Baths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baths/) [Being true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-true/) [Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [College Avoided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-avoided-1401050/) [Crumbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crumbling/) [Defend Gospel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-gospel-1401048/) [Details](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/details/) [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Encountered Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encountered-young-1401051/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Going to college](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-to-college/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Gospel Arguments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gospel-arguments-1401047/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Impetuous Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impetuous-youth-1401049/) [Lds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lds/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parents and teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-and-teachers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Unimportant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unimportant/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [He exhibits the most extraordinary capacity for middle age that I've ever encountered in a young man of twenty-four.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-price/he-exhibits-the-most-extraordinary-capacity-for-middle-age-that-i-ve/) [Dennis Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-price/) > [“Those are the doubting reactions of impetuous youth. Today, you learn something. Tomorrow you think you can already be letter perfect in technique. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/those-are-the-doubting-reactions-of-impetuous-youth-today-you-learn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the gospel was of a nature to be propagated or maintained by the power of the world, God would not have intrusted it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-the-gospel-was-of-a-nature-to-be-propagated-or-maintained-by-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [There was a time when only specialized Christian missionaries needed to be able to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ against the attacks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/there-was-a-time-when-only-specialized-christian-missionaries-needed/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [The aged love what is practical while impetuous youth longs only for what is dazzling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petrarch/the-aged-love-what-is-practical-while-impetuous-youth-longs-only-for/) [Petrarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petrarch/) > [All of my friends who have younger siblings who are going to college or high school - my number one piece of advice is:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/all-of-my-friends-who-have-younger-siblings-who-are-going-to-college/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [I was never that famous, but I do think going to college and really getting away from the business and taking a true break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-was-never-that-famous-but-i-do-think-going-to-college-and-really/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I think college is something I want to experience just to have the experience, really. I think about going to college all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-latimore/i-think-college-is-something-i-want-to-experience-just-to-have-the/) [Jacob Latimore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-latimore/) > [I was a hotshot as a junior. When I was 18, I really got into fiddling around. I completely lost interest in golf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hollis-stacy/i-was-a-hotshot-as-a-junior-when-i-was-18-i-really-got-into-fiddling/) [Hollis Stacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hollis-stacy/) > [Going to college was never an option. I was passionate about music, but how much talent I actually had was another matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/going-to-college-was-never-an-option-i-was-passionate-about-music-but/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [It's kind of depressing when you hear the anti-science rhetoric in America, but I think that people are just afraid of change, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/it-s-kind-of-depressing-when-you-hear-the-anti-science-rhetoric-in/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [I think I really benefited from going to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-think-i-really-benefited-from-going-to-college/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I was told that going to college wouldn't be good for my career, but I think that's nonsense. It's good to empower yourself by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-was-told-that-going-to-college-wouldn-t-be-good-for-my-career-but-i/) [Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/) > [It's funny, I get a little quieter with time. I don't want to chase my tail and one day repeat myself and repeat myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/it-s-funny-i-get-a-little-quieter-with-time-i-don-t-want-to-chase-my/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [Hey, maybe instead of going to college, you should drop out and I could quit my job and we can form an all-girl band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-palladino/hey-maybe-instead-of-going-to-college-you-should-drop-out-and-i-could/) [Daniel Palladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-palladino/) ## More by Henry B. Eyring > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [So many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring may seem almost beyond us… But the test a loving God has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/so-many-things-beat-upon-us-in-a-lifetime-that-simply-enduring-may/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [If you ponder the scriptures and begin to do what you covenanted with God to do, I can promise you that you will feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/if-you-ponder-the-scriptures-and-begin-to-do-what-you-covenanted-with/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [For us to know that the Book of Mormon is true, we must read it and make the choice found in Moroni: pray to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/for-us-to-know-that-the-book-of-mormon-is-true-we-must-read-it-and/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [The good word of the Lord with which we must nourish is the simple doctrine of the gospel. We need not fear either simplicity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/the-good-word-of-the-lord-with-which-we-must-nourish-is-the-simple/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Heavenly Father hears your prayers, He loves you. He knows your name. He loves you beyond your ability to comprehend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/heavenly-father-hears-your-prayers-he-loves-you-he-knows-your-name-he/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/if-we-have-faith-in-jesus-christ-the-hardest-as-well-as-the-easiest/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Discord or jealousy inhibits the ability of the Holy Ghost to teach us and inhibits our ability to receive light and truth. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/discord-or-jealousy-inhibits-the-ability-of-the-holy-ghost-to-teach/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [At this and every season, our Savior invites us to join with HIM and others to offer the priceless gift of JOY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/at-this-and-every-season-our-savior-invites-us-to-join-with-him-and/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [We help God's children best by providing ways to build faith in Jesus Christ and in His restored gospel when they are young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/we-help-god-s-children-best-by-providing-ways-to-build-faith-in-jesus/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [In the priesthood we share the sacred duty to labor for the souls of men. We must do more than learn that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/in-the-priesthood-we-share-the-sacred-duty-to-labor-for-the-souls-of/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [You need never be discouraged or afraid. The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you, and you will find it if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/you-need-never-be-discouraged-or-afraid-the-way-through-difficulties/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [“When you walk in the light, you will feel some of the warmth and the happiness that will finally be yours when you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/when-you-walk-in-the-light-you-will-feel-some-of-the-warmth-and-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [I perceive myself as rather uninhibited, with a certain mathematical facility and more interest in the broad aspect of a problem than the delicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-perceive-myself-as-rather-uninhibited-with-a-certain-mathematical/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Heavenly Father and the Savior are grateful that you do your part. They know you, They watch over you, and They love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/heavenly-father-and-the-savior-are-grateful-that-you-do-your-part/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) [Explore all 294 Henry B. Eyring quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) ## More Argument quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/) [Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/) > [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/) [Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) [Browse all 3,479 Argument quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are few ways in which good people do more harm to those who take them seriously than to defend the gospel with arguments that won't hold water. Many of the difficulties encountered by young people going to college would be avoided if parents and teachers were more careful to distinguish between what they know to be true and what they think may be true. Impetuous youth, upon finding the authority it trusts crumbling, even on unimportant details, is apt to lump everything together and throw the baby out with the bath.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry B. Eyring" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people-do-more-harm-to-those-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Argument" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people-do-more-harm-to-those-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06b/henry-b-eyring-1096_argument_there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people_918245.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are few ways in which good people do more harm to those who take them seriously than to defend the…” — Henry B. Eyring", "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": "Henry B. Eyring", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are few ways in which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people-do-more-harm-to-those-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/there-are-few-ways-in-which-good-people-do-more-harm-to-those-who/#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 } } ] } ```