--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I guess more bad things have been done in…" description: "\"I guess more bad things have been done in the name of progress than any other. I myself have been guilty of this. When I was a teen-ager, I stole a car..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/jack-handey-829_bad-thing_i-guess-more-bad-things-have-been-done-i_1852015.jpg" --- # I guess more bad things have been done in the name of… ![“I guess more bad things have been done in the name of progress than any other. I myself have been guilty of this. When I was a teen-ager, I stole a car and drove it out into the desert and set it on fire. When the police showed up, I just shrugged and said, "Hey, progress." Boy, did I have a lot…” quote by Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/jack-handey-829_bad-thing_i-guess-more-bad-things-have-been-done-i_1852015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/jack-handey-829_bad-thing_i-guess-more-bad-things-have-been-done-i_1852015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f3/jack-handey-829_bad-thing_i-guess-more-bad-things-have-been-done-i_1852015.jpg) > “I guess more bad things have been done in the name of progress than any other. I myself have been guilty of this. When I was a teen-ager, I stole a car and drove it out into the desert and set it on fire. When the police showed up, I just shrugged and said, "Hey, progress." Boy, did I have a lot to learn.” [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admits that many harmful acts have been justified as progress, and he himself has er of such mistakes **In simple terms:** Bad deeds often hide behind the idea of progress Key Takeaway Question the moral cost of progress and learn from past errors Themes ethics progress self‑reflection Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political activism - business decisions - scientific research - technological development Key Concepts moral philosophy historical analysis personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What personal actions have you rationalized as progress? - How can we ensure progress is ethical? A Different Perspective Progress can be used to excuse harmful behavior ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Hey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey/) [Hey Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey-progress-2436317/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Progress Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress-guilty-2436316/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Things Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-progress-696534/) ## Related quotes > [I think a good way to get into a movie is to show up where they're making the movie, then stick a big cactus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-a-good-way-to-get-into-a-movie-is-to-show-up-where-they-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't pretend to have all the answers. I don't pretend to even know what the questions are. Hey, where am I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-pretend-to-have-all-the-answers-i-don-t-pretend-to-even-know/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes, when I drive across the desert in the middle of the night, with no other cars around, I start imagining: What if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-when-i-drive-across-the-desert-in-the-middle-of-the-night/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [ \[Omin\] ...All things must progress, and progression is not always a steady incline. Sometimes we must fall, sometimes we will rise - some must… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/omin-all-things-must-progress-and-progression-is-not-always-a-steady/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [It's crazy how fast time flies and how things progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/it-s-crazy-how-fast-time-flies-and-how-things-progress/) [Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/) > [Things come naturally in a career. From experience, I know that things progress season by season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-varane/things-come-naturally-in-a-career-from-experience-i-know-that-things/) [Raphael Varane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-varane/) > [Every new day begins with possibilities. It's up to us to fill it with the things that move us toward progress and peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/every-new-day-begins-with-possibilities-it-s-up-to-us-to-fill-it-with/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know how things go in football. Seasons are long, and you have to see how things progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernesto-valverde/you-know-how-things-go-in-football-seasons-are-long-and-you-have-to/) [Ernesto Valverde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernesto-valverde/) > [“Esoteric things progress not according to time, but by activity, they can be slow or quick, depending upon the efforts made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belsebuub/esoteric-things-progress-not-according-to-time-but-by-activity-they/) [Belsebuub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belsebuub/) > [Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is is a wounded seal, trying to swim to shore, because WHERE DOES HE THINK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/probably-to-a-shark-about-the-funniest-thing-there-is-is-a-wounded/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-probably-not-a-good-idea-to-be-chewing-on-a-toothpick-if-you-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't understand people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-understand-people-who-say-life-is-a-mystery-because-what-is/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More by Jack Handey > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't understand people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-understand-people-who-say-life-is-a-mystery-because-what-is/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-probably-not-a-good-idea-to-be-chewing-on-a-toothpick-if-you-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is is a wounded seal, trying to swim to shore, because WHERE DOES HE THINK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/probably-to-a-shark-about-the-funniest-thing-there-is-is-a-wounded/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Why do there have to be rules for everything? It's gotten to the point that rules dominate just about every aspect of our lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/why-do-there-have-to-be-rules-for-everything-it-s-gotten-to-the-point/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/most-people-don-t-realize-that-large-pieces-of-coral-which-have-been/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Here's a suggestion for a new animal, if some new ones get created or evolve: something that stings you, then laughs at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/here-s-a-suggestion-for-a-new-animal-if-some-new-ones-get-created-or/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go ice-skating, try not to swing your arms too much, because that really annoys me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-ice-skating-try-not-to-swing-your-arms-too-much-because/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go to a party at somebody's house, don't automatically assume that the drinks are free. Ask, and ask often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-to-a-party-at-somebody-s-house-don-t-automatically-assume/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [He was a cowboy, mister, and he loved the land. He loved it so much he made a woman out of dirt and married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/he-was-a-cowboy-mister-and-he-loved-the-land-he-loved-it-so-much-he/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you were a gladiator in olden days, I bet the inefficiency of how the gladiator fights were organized and scheduled would just drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-were-a-gladiator-in-olden-days-i-bet-the-inefficiency-of-how/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) [Explore all 358 Jack Handey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. 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I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. 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Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I guess more bad things have been done in the name of progress than any other. I myself have been guilty of this. When I was a teen-ager, I stole a car and drove it out into the desert and set it on fire. 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