--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The devil is everywhere under the skin of…" description: "\"The devil is everywhere under the skin of things, searching for a way into the light.\" — J. M. Coetzee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_devil_the-devil-is-everywhere-under-the-skin-o_3189973.jpg" --- # The devil is everywhere under the skin of things… ![“The devil is everywhere under the skin of things, searching for a way into the light.” quote by J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_devil_the-devil-is-everywhere-under-the-skin-o_3189973.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_devil_the-devil-is-everywhere-under-the-skin-o_3189973.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_devil_the-devil-is-everywhere-under-the-skin-o_3189973.jpg) > “The devil is everywhere under the skin of things, searching for a way into the light.” [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evil lurks in everyday objects, waiting for an opening to reveal itself and corrupt purity. **In simple terms:** Evil hides in everyday things. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant against hidden threats. Themes morality danger light vs dark Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - ethical decision‑making - creative criticism Key Concepts temptation corruption psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize subtle moral threats? - Can light ever be truly pure? A Different Perspective Not all darkness is literal; metaphor may be over‑interpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Skin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-skin-5880256/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Searching Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/searching-way-1358290/) [Skin Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin-things-4916283/) [Skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skins/) [Things Searching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-searching-1084995/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Life forms a surface that acts as if it could not be otherwise, but under its skin things are pounding and pulsing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/life-forms-a-surface-that-acts-as-if-it-could-not-be-otherwise-but/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [I'm only getting more and more comfortable in my skin with things and my hands and every technique that I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raquel-pennington/i-m-only-getting-more-and-more-comfortable-in-my-skin-with-things-and/) [Raquel Pennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raquel-pennington/) > [“Sometimes the very things we are searching for may be closer than we think but our eyes refuse to see them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-dzifah-tamakloe/sometimes-the-very-things-we-are-searching-for-may-be-closer-than-we/) [Deborah Dzifah Tamakloe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-dzifah-tamakloe/) > [“Sometimes we dream of things that we've always wanted--of things that we have been searching for our whole lives without knowing it...and other times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-giovanni/sometimes-we-dream-of-things-that-we-ve-always-wanted-of-things-that/) [Cassandra Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-giovanni/) > [Your name must be google.. you have all the things I'm searching for ..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaypee/your-name-must-be-google-you-have-all-the-things-i-m-searching-for/) [Jaypee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaypee/) > [We have a world that is searching for answers, that is searching for a way back to spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/we-have-a-world-that-is-searching-for-answers-that-is-searching-for-a/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Be the light...in the dark, let it shine on through. When you're searching for your way, find the light inside of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-alvord/be-the-light-in-the-dark-let-it-shine-on-through-when-you-re/) [Tiffany Alvord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-alvord/) > [I've been searching for that someone, to show me the way, to take my hand and tell me that everything will be okay; I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-been-searching-for-that-someone-to-show-me-the-way-to-take-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In searching for a way out of my own troubles, I had found my way into the trouble of others, some long gone, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ball/in-searching-for-a-way-out-of-my-own-troubles-i-had-found-my-way-into/) [Jesse Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ball/) > [I had just broken up with my wife so I was searching for another way to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-davis/i-had-just-broken-up-with-my-wife-so-i-was-searching-for-another-way/) [Michael Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-davis/) > [I am a pisces, a fish out of water, searching for a way back home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kidd/i-am-a-pisces-a-fish-out-of-water-searching-for-a-way-back-home/) [James Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-kidd/) > [To me, a philosopher who says that the distinction between human and nonhuman depends on whether you have a white or a black skin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/to-me-a-philosopher-who-says-that-the-distinction-between-human-and/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Our devil has pale skin and blue eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gutierrez/our-devil-has-pale-skin-and-blue-eyes/) [Jose Angel Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gutierrez/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [The color of somebody's skin or the way he wears his hair or clothes has nothing to do with anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-color-of-somebody-s-skin-or-the-way-he-wears-his-hair-or-clothes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by J. M. Coetzee > [“For I am no orator. What would I have said if they had let me go on? That it is worse to beat a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/for-i-am-no-orator-what-would-i-have-said-if-they-had-let-me-go-on/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [To me, a philosopher who says that the distinction between human and nonhuman depends on whether you have a white or a black skin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/to-me-a-philosopher-who-says-that-the-distinction-between-human-and/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The spark of true poetry flashes when ideas are juxtaposed that no one has yet thought of bringing together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-spark-of-true-poetry-flashes-when-ideas-are-juxtaposed-that-no/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“But with this woman it is as if there is no interior, only a surface across which I hunt back and forth seeking entry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/but-with-this-woman-it-is-as-if-there-is-no-interior-only-a-surface/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [You think you know what is just and what is not. I understand. We all think we know." I had no doubt, myself, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/you-think-you-know-what-is-just-and-what-is-not-i-understand-we-all/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The highest type of intelligence, says Aristotle, manifests itself in an ability to see connections where no one has seen them before, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-highest-type-of-intelligence-says-aristotle-manifests-itself-in/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [I am corrupted to the bone with the beauty of this forsaken world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/i-am-corrupted-to-the-bone-with-the-beauty-of-this-forsaken-world/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Elizabeth, Lady C, claims to be writing at the limits of language. Would it not be insulting to her if I were diligently to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/elizabeth-lady-c-claims-to-be-writing-at-the-limits-of-language-would/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Denunciations of the manipulativeness of advertisers can unfortunately all too easily be turned on their heads into denunciations of the gullibility of consumers. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/denunciations-of-the-manipulativeness-of-advertisers-can/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Deprived of human intercourse, I inevitably overvalue the imagination and expect it to make the mundane glow with an aura of self-transcendence. Yet why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/deprived-of-human-intercourse-i-inevitably-overvalue-the-imagination/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [What is miraculous about the past is that we have succeeded--God knows how--in making thousands and millions of individual human beings, lock well enought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/what-is-miraculous-about-the-past-is-that-we-have-succeeded-god-knows/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [...the program of scientific experimentation that leads you to conclude that animals are imbeciles is profoundly anthropocentric. It values being able to find your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-program-of-scientific-experimentation-that-leads-you-to-conclude/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The mode of consciousness of nonhuman species is quite different from human consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-mode-of-consciousness-of-nonhuman-species-is-quite-different-from/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“The Empire does not require that its servants love each other, merely that they perform their duty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-empire-does-not-require-that-its-servants-love-each-other-merely/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The most important of all rights is the right to life, and I cannot foresee a day when domesticated animals will be granted that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-most-important-of-all-rights-is-the-right-to-life-and-i-cannot/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) [Explore all 96 J. M. Coetzee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The devil is everywhere under the skin of things, searching for a way into the light.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. 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