--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no odor so bad as that which…" description: "\"There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg" --- # There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness… ![“There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg) > “There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even virtuous acts can become corrupt when they are tainted by bad motives, producing a foul result. **In simple terms:** Goodness can be spoiled by bad intent. Key Takeaway Guard motives behind actions. Themes ethics philosophy morality Mood thoughtful philosophical Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - personal decisions - leadership - policy making - creative work Key Concepts intentionality corruption purity Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure our good deeds stay untainted? - What signs indicate a virtue is being compromised? A Different Perspective Pure intentions are hard to maintain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arises Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arises-goodness-2591239/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Goodness Tainted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness-tainted-2591238/) [Odor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odor/) [Odor Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odor-bad-2591240/) [Tainted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tainted/) ## Related quotes > [So behave that the odor of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere, that when we behold or scent a flower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/so-behave-that-the-odor-of-your-actions-may-enhance-the-general/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The scent of flowers does not travel against the wind; but the odor of good people travels; even against the wind: a good man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/the-scent-of-flowers-does-not-travel-against-the-wind-but-the-odor-of/) [Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/) > [Kindness to children, love for children, goodness to children-- these are the only investments that never fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/kindness-to-children-love-for-children-goodness-to-children-these-are/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It's very difficult to look at it in a kind of a free manner, what reality is. That was my first struggle, to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/it-s-very-difficult-to-look-at-it-in-a-kind-of-a-free-manner-what/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [So fucking frustrated with your lady. Get a flight, I send her home. Man my love is oh so tainted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyga/so-fucking-frustrated-with-your-lady-get-a-flight-i-send-her-home-man/) [Tyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyga/) > [“Deeds done from bad motives remain everlastingly tainted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/deeds-done-from-bad-motives-remain-everlastingly-tainted/) [Thích Nhất Hạnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [“This world tainted everything it touched, and nothing good was left—could be left – beneath its menacing gaze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-giovanni/this-world-tainted-everything-it-touched-and-nothing-good-was-left/) [Cassandra Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-giovanni/) > [The newspaper is of necessity something of a monopoly, and its first duty is to shun the temptations of monopoly. Its primary office is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-p-scott/the-newspaper-is-of-necessity-something-of-a-monopoly-and-its-first/) [C. P. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-p-scott/) > [“Love Untamed, unbridled, unfair Timeless, ageless, never painless Selfish, selfless, righteous n’ wicked Lingers on and on It weeps; it laughs, it hinders and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/love-untamed-unbridled-unfair-timeless-ageless-never-painless-selfish/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [Pleasure only starts once the worm has got into the fruit; to become delightful, happiness must be tainted with poison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/pleasure-only-starts-once-the-worm-has-got-into-the-fruit-to-become/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [Perhaps it is time to debate culture. The common story is that in 'real' African culture, before it was tainted by the West, gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/perhaps-it-is-time-to-debate-culture-the-common-story-is-that-in-real/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I don't want to write poems that are just really clear about how I'm aware of all the traps involved in writing poetry; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-want-to-write-poems-that-are-just-really-clear-about-how-i-m/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [In an era when party fundraising is badly tainted, dinners are a really good way of raising cash for campaigning. Lots of people giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/in-an-era-when-party-fundraising-is-badly-tainted-dinners-are-a/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Show business got really tainted for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-chlumsky/show-business-got-really-tainted-for-me/) [Anna Chlumsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-chlumsky/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Goodness quotes > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [Love reacts with goodness towards those who ill-treat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/love-reacts-with-goodness-towards-those-who-ill-treat-it/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [the path of goodness had a name it is called Love in it we find the key to every hope and has it's root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-path-of-goodness-had-a-name-it-is-called-love-in-it-we-find-the/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [To make one good action succeed another, is the perfection of goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/to-make-one-good-action-succeed-another-is-the-perfection-of-goodness/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The living can't quit living because the world has turned terrible and people they love and need are killed. They can't because they don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-living-can-t-quit-living-because-the-world-has-turned-terrible/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/sometimes-resilience-arrives-in-the-moment-you-discover-your-own/) [Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/) > [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) [Browse all 3,129 Goodness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-arises-from-goodness-tainted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goodness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-arises-from-goodness-tainted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20c/henry-david-thoreau-20_goodness_there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-ar_1872365.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted.” — Henry David Thoreau", "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 David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no odor so bad...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-arises-from-goodness-tainted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-no-odor-so-bad-as-that-which-arises-from-goodness-tainted/#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 } } ] } ```