--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff…" description: "\"The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff that does real and lasting harm to people, like leakage of industrial chemicals into water systems, seem to ge..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png" --- # The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff that does real… ![“The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff that does real and lasting harm to people, like leakage of industrial chemicals into water systems, seem to get not so much as a second glance; the bloviation from media pundits and think tanks creates false problems that waste time and energy debunking.” quote by Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png) > “The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff that does real and lasting harm to people, like leakage of industrial chemicals into water systems, seem to get not so much as a second glance; the bloviation from media pundits and think tanks creates false problems that waste time and energy debunking.” [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Industrial pollution causes real harm while media noise creates distractions that waste effort on false issues. **In simple terms:** Real harm is overlooked; media creates false problems. Key Takeaway Focus on tangible environmental damage. Themes environment media accountability Mood concerned critical Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - policy making - activism - journalism - community organizing Key Concepts pollution public discourse misinformation Questions to Reflect On - How can we prioritize real threats over sensationalism? - What mechanisms can hold media accountable? A Different Perspective Media narratives can obscure urgent problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-stuff/) [Chemicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemicals/) [Debunking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debunking-658882/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Energy Debunking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-debunking-2275657/) [False Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-problems-2275659/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Harm People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm-people-398142/) [Lasting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasting/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perpetrators Actual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetrators-actual-2275658/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Pundits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pundits/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tanks/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time and energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-energy/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [When you think you're a really good person, you're actually capable of doing some real harm to people, either knowingly or unknowingly. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-tupper/when-you-think-you-re-a-really-good-person-you-re-actually-capable-of/) [James Tupper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-tupper/) > [“I should have known that at the root of any mystery that's all you find: people doing unspeakable harm to other people. What else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-dybek/i-should-have-known-that-at-the-root-of-any-mystery-that-s-all-you/) [Nick Dybek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-dybek/) > [Clearly, freedom does not extend to the right to harm other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/clearly-freedom-does-not-extend-to-the-right-to-harm-other-people/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [There is nothing wrong with listen too people on things, nothing wrong with liste too your boss in your career, teacher,family friends.However it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listen-too-people-on-things-nothing-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most harm is done by people who are awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-hardy/most-harm-is-done-by-people-who-are-awake/) [Jeremy Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-hardy/) > [“Strangers don't harm you ,But the people who says they care about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/strangers-don-t-harm-you-but-the-people-who-says-they-care-about-you/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [I think it's pathetic that a court of law cannot be in a vacuum of the legal system, without the influence of the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fuhrman/i-think-it-s-pathetic-that-a-court-of-law-cannot-be-in-a-vacuum-of/) [Mark Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fuhrman/) > [I have to do this all the time - choosing what to print based on how it might come back to harm people from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-gira-grant/i-have-to-do-this-all-the-time-choosing-what-to-print-based-on-how-it/) [Melissa Gira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-gira-grant/) > [As a Senator from Rhode Island, I wish that once - just once - the fossil fuel industry and their paid-for PR machine would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/as-a-senator-from-rhode-island-i-wish-that-once-just-once-the-fossil/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [I don't be bringing harm to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmad-balshe/i-don-t-be-bringing-harm-to-people/) [Ahmad Balshe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmad-balshe/) > [Nuclear weapons production and testing has involved extensive health and environmental damage … One of the most remarkable features of this damage has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-makhijani/nuclear-weapons-production-and-testing-has-involved-extensive-health/) [Arjun Makhijani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-makhijani/) > [When white supremacy becomes institutional, it begins to harm the very people who are not simply outside of it because of their race, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/when-white-supremacy-becomes-institutional-it-begins-to-harm-the-very/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [People say I'm that and that, They may destroy my image but no matter what, it cause no harm for me, because still some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/precious-pano/people-say-i-m-that-and-that-they-may-destroy-my-image-but-no-matter/) [Precious Pano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/precious-pano/) > [Debunking bad science should be constant obligation of the science community, even if it takes time away from serious research or seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/debunking-bad-science-should-be-constant-obligation-of-the-science/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Things written down can cause a great deal of harm. All too often, people don't consider that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/things-written-down-can-cause-a-great-deal-of-harm-all-too-often/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## More by Henry Rollins > [I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-believe-that-one-defines-oneself-by-reinvention/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I think that one of the hardest things in the world to be is a black male. I mean everyone hates your guts. White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-think-that-one-of-the-hardest-things-in-the-world-to-be-is-a-black/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [In the summer of '84, you just couldn't escape the Born in the USA record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/in-the-summer-of-84-you-just-couldn-t-escape-the-born-in-the-usa/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [We spend millions of dollars to remove pain from our lives. It's why so many people get hooked on painkillers. The body becomes addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/we-spend-millions-of-dollars-to-remove-pain-from-our-lives-it-s-why/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Sleep is for squares.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/sleep-is-for-squares/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [There's a lot of mountain climbers trapped inside of bodies of people behind the counter at Kinko's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-s-a-lot-of-mountain-climbers-trapped-inside-of-bodies-of-people/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/if-i-lose-the-light-of-the-sun-i-will-write-by-candlelight-moonlight/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I was raised in Washington, DC, very violent place. I grew up with violence. My introduction to music was violent. The years I've spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-was-raised-in-washington-dc-very-violent-place-i-grew-up-with/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I feel pain everyday of my life. When you see me perform, it's that pain you're seeing coming out. I put all my emotions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-feel-pain-everyday-of-my-life-when-you-see-me-perform-it-s-that/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I feel close to people like Jimi Hendrix because I connect with his music. Not the man but what he did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-feel-close-to-people-like-jimi-hendrix-because-i-connect-with-his/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I don't believe in fate or destiny. I believe in various degrees of hatred, paranoia, and abandonment. However much of that gets heaped upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-don-t-believe-in-fate-or-destiny-i-believe-in-various-degrees-of/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Young, gay and stuck in Arkansas? Sounds like a horror flick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/young-gay-and-stuck-in-arkansas-sounds-like-a-horror-flick/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I was never told to "Get up, get out there, get a job." It was never a thing either parent ever said I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-was-never-told-to-get-up-get-out-there-get-a-job-it-was-never-a/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [There's no retirement, there's just a few years of non-work by the fire with someone bringing you some tea and relative peace and playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-s-no-retirement-there-s-just-a-few-years-of-non-work-by-the/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I love being a storyteller. I love telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-love-being-a-storyteller-i-love-telling-stories/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) [Explore all 1,006 Henry Rollins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More Bad stuff quotes > [It's very intense to be in front of a live audience. It's just an amazing experience. It's dangerous. Everything out there is heightened. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/it-s-very-intense-to-be-in-front-of-a-live-audience-it-s-just-an/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Just like the breakthroughs, the bad stuff always takes you by surprise. (121)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-giles/just-like-the-breakthroughs-the-bad-stuff-always-takes-you-by/) [Gail Giles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-giles/) > [A lot of bad stuff in the world wasn’t really that bad until someone tried to change it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/a-lot-of-bad-stuff-in-the-world-wasn-t-really-that-bad-until-someone/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [“Stop focusing on the bad stuff because life is too damn short.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/stop-focusing-on-the-bad-stuff-because-life-is-too-damn-short/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [“It’s like everyone wants the bad stuff to be true because she’s so good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-dew-shostak/it-s-like-everyone-wants-the-bad-stuff-to-be-true-because-she-s-so/) [Kay Dew Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-dew-shostak/) > [If you help them (the crew) create good memories, they'll forget all the bad stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/if-you-help-them-the-crew-create-good-memories-they-ll-forget-all-the/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [Theres really not much that people can pick on me for my work, so obviously they find other reasons to write something bad about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/theres-really-not-much-that-people-can-pick-on-me-for-my-work-so/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I did a lot of bad stuff from the age of 18 to 21. Those are days when everyone is usually in college doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delmon-young/i-did-a-lot-of-bad-stuff-from-the-age-of-18-to-21-those-are-days-when/) [Delmon Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delmon-young/) > [The problem with me is I read everything, but it's only the bad stuff that stays with me. It's weird, you only need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/the-problem-with-me-is-i-read-everything-but-it-s-only-the-bad-stuff/) [Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/) > [There's good stuff and bad stuff, but you continue on. I'm not prescriptive - I cannot tell anyone else what to do with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/there-s-good-stuff-and-bad-stuff-but-you-continue-on-i-m-not/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [Eventually the bad stuff I'm writing turns into better stuff. Other times, I've just walked away from what I was working on, and figured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-haddix/eventually-the-bad-stuff-i-m-writing-turns-into-better-stuff-other/) [Margaret Haddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-haddix/) > [When something's painful, you just avoid it. Why bother dredging up the past if it's nothing but bad stuff?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-koyczan/when-something-s-painful-you-just-avoid-it-why-bother-dredging-up-the/) [Shane Koyczan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-koyczan/) > [Some of the material out there - I don't want to say that it's all bad - but there's a lot of bad stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-hernandez/some-of-the-material-out-there-i-don-t-want-to-say-that-it-s-all-bad/) [Jay Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-hernandez/) > [Lack of respect for the worker. This nourishes disconnection, fear, anger, phoniness, and all the bad stuff that impedes excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallowell/lack-of-respect-for-the-worker-this-nourishes-disconnection-fear/) [Edward Hallowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallowell/) > [I don't care about people kissing my ass or telling me how great I am. I don't really give a damn. I read the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sherman/i-don-t-care-about-people-kissing-my-ass-or-telling-me-how-great-i-am/) [Richard Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sherman/) [Browse all 116 Bad stuff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-stuff/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff that does real and lasting harm to people, like leakage of industrial chemicals into water systems, seem to get not so much as a second glance; the bloviation from media pundits and think tanks creates false problems that waste time and energy debunking.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Rollins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff-that-does-real-and-lasting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad stuff" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff-that-does-real-and-lasting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/218/henry-rollins-170_bad-stuff_the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff_1831184.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The perpetrators of the actual bad stuff that does real and lasting harm to people, like leakage of…” — Henry Rollins", "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 Rollins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The perpetrators of the actual bad...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff-that-does-real-and-lasting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-perpetrators-of-the-actual-bad-stuff-that-does-real-and-lasting/#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 } } ] } ```