--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a person is never entirely holy or…" description: "\"a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful.\" — Hermann Hesse" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png" --- # a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful. ![“a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful.” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png) > “a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful.” [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature contains both virtue and flaw; purity and sin coexist within each person. **In simple terms:** People are both good and bad. Key Takeaway Accept complexity within yourself. Themes morality human nature duality Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - ethical decisions - self‑acceptance Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile your virtues and faults? - Can you see the good in someone you deem sinful? A Different Perspective Human nature is not binary; it is fluid and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entirely Sinful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entirely-sinful-3771657/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Holy Entirely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-entirely-3771659/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Person Entirely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-entirely-3771658/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Sinful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sinful/) ## Related quotes > [It is possible to imagine a person so entirely that the image resists attempts to dislodge it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hempel/it-is-possible-to-imagine-a-person-so-entirely-that-the-image-resists/) [Amy Hempel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hempel/) > [It is a good maxim to trust a person entirely or not at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/it-is-a-good-maxim-to-trust-a-person-entirely-or-not-at-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [“A person or an act is never entirely Sansara or entirely Nirvana, a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful. It does really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-person-or-an-act-is-never-entirely-sansara-or-entirely-nirvana-a/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I sped through heaven and saw god at work. I suffered holy pains. I dropped all my defenses and was afraid of nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/i-sped-through-heaven-and-saw-god-at-work-i-suffered-holy-pains-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Let sinful bachelors their woes deplore; full well they merit all they feel, and more: unaw by precepts, human or divine, like birds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/let-sinful-bachelors-their-woes-deplore-full-well-they-merit-all-they/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Whatever we do or say without prayer always ends up either sinful or harmful and convicts us through the deeds in some mysterious way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-eremita/whatever-we-do-or-say-without-prayer-always-ends-up-either-sinful-or/) [Marcus Eremita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-eremita/) > [We are so evil and sinful and flawed that Jesus had to die for us... But we are so lobed and valued that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/we-are-so-evil-and-sinful-and-flawed-that-jesus-had-to-die-for-us-but/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Never was sin seen to be more abominably sinful and full of provocation than when the burden of it was upon the shoulders of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/never-was-sin-seen-to-be-more-abominably-sinful-and-full-of/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [The only way to make a person silent and much maturer is by showing him his sinful doings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadi/the-only-way-to-make-a-person-silent-and-much-maturer-is-by-showing/) [Fadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fadi/) > [“Addison's mouth was sweet, and her body..it was fucking sinful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/addison-s-mouth-was-sweet-and-her-body-it-was-fucking-sinful/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) > [You are more sinful than you could dare imagine and you are more loved and accepted than you could ever dare hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/you-are-more-sinful-than-you-could-dare-imagine-and-you-are-more/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [When it comes to pride and other sinful matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-black-keys/when-it-comes-to-pride-and-other-sinful-matters/) [The Black Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-black-keys/) > [“She was breathtaking in her beauty and her human spirit, he thought, unable to speak as he gazed upon her. Hers was the sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-featherstone/she-was-breathtaking-in-her-beauty-and-her-human-spirit-he-thought/) [Charlotte Featherstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-featherstone/) > [“Do not take the grace of God for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/do-not-take-the-grace-of-god-for-granted/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [No matter how pathetic,useless or sinful you may feel¦.. Always turn back to Allah. Always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/no-matter-how-pathetic-useless-or-sinful-you-may-feel-always-turn/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) ## More by Hermann Hesse > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Fortunately, like most children, I had learned what is most valuable, most indispensable for life before school years began, taught by apple trees, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/fortunately-like-most-children-i-had-learned-what-is-most-valuable/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“The mistaken and unhappy notion that a man is an enduring unity is known to you. It is also known to you that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-mistaken-and-unhappy-notion-that-a-man-is-an-enduring-unity-is/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“... it would be better for our country and the world in general, if at least the few people who were capable of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-would-be-better-for-our-country-and-the-world-in-general-if-at/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-bird-fights-its-way-out-of-the-egg-the-egg-is-the-world-who-would/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/everything-becomes-a-little-different-as-soon-as-it-is-spoken-out-loud/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-may-be-important-to-great-thinkers-to-examine-the-world-to-explain/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“..it is useless for you to build walls and dormitories and chapels and churches. Death looks through the window and laughs..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-is-useless-for-you-to-build-walls-and-dormitories-and-chapels-and/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“When the world is at peace, when all things are tranquil and all men obey their superiors in all their courses, then music can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/when-the-world-is-at-peace-when-all-things-are-tranquil-and-all-men/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [A mere nothing suffices — and the lightning strikes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-mere-nothing-suffices-and-the-lightning-strikes/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“And if time is not real, then the dividing line that seems to lie between this world and eternity, between suffering and bliss, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/and-if-time-is-not-real-then-the-dividing-line-that-seems-to-lie/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Beautiful was this world, looking at it thus, without searching, thus simply, thus childlike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/beautiful-was-this-world-looking-at-it-thus-without-searching-thus/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Were not the gods forms created like me and you, mortal, transient?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/were-not-the-gods-forms-created-like-me-and-you-mortal-transient/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) [Explore all 951 Hermann Hesse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More Holy quotes > [Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/clearly-when-we-baptize-our-eyes-should-gaze-beyond-the-baptismal/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [The purpose of a spirit filled life is to demonstrate the supernatural power of our living God so that the unsaved multitudes will abandon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-osborn/the-purpose-of-a-spirit-filled-life-is-to-demonstrate-the/) [T.L. Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-osborn/) > [“Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/forget-about-deciding-what-s-right-for-each-other-here-s-what-you/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [The more holy, the more humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-more-holy-the-more-humble/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I was overcome by the Holy Ghost one time, but in a Baptist way. I was six or seven, and I was saved. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/i-was-overcome-by-the-holy-ghost-one-time-but-in-a-baptist-way-i-was/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [Grace is the power of the Holy Spirit coming to us free of charge to enable you to do with ease what you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/grace-is-the-power-of-the-holy-spirit-coming-to-us-free-of-charge-to/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [In recent years my understanding of God had evolved into increasingly remote abstractions. I'd come to think of God in terms like Divine Reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/in-recent-years-my-understanding-of-god-had-evolved-into-increasingly/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/) [Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/) > [Ideally, when Christians meet, as Christians do, to take counsel together, their purpose is not ( or should not be) to ascertain what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/ideally-when-christians-meet-as-christians-do-to-take-counsel/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [In the quiet moments of your day, what do you think and do? When you are with your Self and no one else, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/in-the-quiet-moments-of-your-day-what-do-you-think-and-do-when-you/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“The HOLY of Holiness!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-holy-of-holiness/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Holy living consists in doing God's work with a smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/holy-living-consists-in-doing-god-s-work-with-a-smile/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) [Browse all 4,265 Holy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hermann Hesse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entirely-sinful/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Holy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entirely-sinful/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eae/hermann-hesse-130_holy_a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entir_1225989.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“a person is never entirely holy or entirely sinful.” — Hermann Hesse", "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": "Hermann Hesse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "a person is never entirely holy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entirely-sinful/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-person-is-never-entirely-holy-or-entirely-sinful/#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 } } ] } ```