---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Light itself is a great corrective. A…"
description: "\"Light itself is a great corrective. A thousand wrongs and abuses that are grown in darkness disappear, like owls and bats, before the light of day.\" — ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg"
---

#  Light itself is a great corrective. A thousand wrongs and…

![“Light itself is a great corrective. A thousand wrongs and abuses that are grown in darkness disappear, like owls and bats, before the light of day.” quote by James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg)

> “Light itself is a great corrective. A thousand wrongs and abuses that are grown in darkness disappear, like owls and bats, before the light of day.”

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Illumination dispels hidden wrongs, revealing truth and prompting correction.

**In simple terms:** Light exposes hidden problems.

Key Takeaway

Seek transparency to address issues.

Themes

truth justice clarity

Mood

hopeful inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- government corruption
- social injustice
- personal honesty
- organizational ethics

Key Concepts

metaphor of light ethical reform

Questions to Reflect On

- What areas in your life need more “light”?
- How can transparency be fostered?

A Different Perspective

Light alone cannot solve systemic problems.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Owl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owl/)

## Related quotes

> [Remember, a small light will do a great deal when it is in a very dark place. Put one little tallow in the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/remember-a-small-light-will-do-a-great-deal-when-it-is-in-a-very-dark/)

[Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/)

> [If the light is great in front of you, you should turn around and see what it is doing behind you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-maisel/if-the-light-is-great-in-front-of-you-you-should-turn-around-and-see/)

[Jay Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-maisel/)

> [Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/give-light-and-the-darkness-will-disappear-of-itself/)

[Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/)

> [You are the light of the world. Shine, and darkness will disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-are-the-light-of-the-world-shine-and-darkness-will-disappear/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“When you get into the dark room You do not open the window and throw out the darkness You push the button and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-boban-manic/when-you-get-into-the-dark-room-you-do-not-open-the-window-and-throw/)

[Slobodan Boban Manic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-boban-manic/)

> [Understand the obstructions you are putting in the way of love, freedom, and happiness and they will drop. Turn on the light of awareness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/understand-the-obstructions-you-are-putting-in-the-way-of-love/)

[Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/)

> [Do not fight the darkness, let the light in and the darkness will disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/do-not-fight-the-darkness-let-the-light-in-and-the-darkness-will/)

[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/)

> [Don't fight darkness. Bring the light, and darkness will disappear,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/don-t-fight-darkness-bring-the-light-and-darkness-will-disappear/)

[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/)

> [The day my father died seemed longer than my entire childhood. The day I felt my first success seemed fleeting, hour-long, not long enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahrukh-khan/the-day-my-father-died-seemed-longer-than-my-entire-childhood-the-day/)

[Shahrukh Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahrukh-khan/)

> [Then what shall I write? I can't just write that this happened then this happened then this happened to boring infinitum. I'll let my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/then-what-shall-i-write-i-can-t-just-write-that-this-happened-then/)

[David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/)

> [The sun was set; the night came on apace, And falling dews bewet around the place; The bat takes airy rounds on leathern wings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gay/the-sun-was-set-the-night-came-on-apace-and-falling-dews-bewet-around/)

[John Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gay/)

> [There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast. Some men, like bats or owls, have better eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-are-dark-shadows-on-the-earth-but-its-lights-are-stronger-in-2/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“Favorite Quotations. I speak my mind because it hurts to bite my tongue. The worth of a book is measured by what you carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-frayne/favorite-quotations-i-speak-my-mind-because-it-hurts-to-bite-my/)

Pat Frayne

> [Come to us and quackle and quank. Relieve us of our stirrings With your fangs so sharp and bright Take this blood that's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-lasky/come-to-us-and-quackle-and-quank-relieve-us-of-our-stirrings-with/)

[Kathryn Lasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-lasky/)

> [Words should wander and meander. They should fly like owls and flicker like bats and slip like cats. They should murmur and scream and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/words-should-wander-and-meander-they-should-fly-like-owls-and-flicker/)

[David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/)

## More by James A. Garfield

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [If wrinkles must be written on our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brows-let-them-not-be-written-upon/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/there-are-men-and-women-who-make-the-world-better-just-by-being-the/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [..remember that under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/remember-that-under-our-institutions-there-was-no-middle-ground-for/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Whomsoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce and when you realize that the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/whomsoever-controls-the-volume-of-money-in-any-country-is-absolute/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [“Jika kerut merut mesti tertera di dahi kita, biarlah mereka tidak tertera di hati kita. Jiwa kita jangan pernah menjadi tua.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/jika-kerut-merut-mesti-tertera-di-dahi-kita-biarlah-mereka-tidak/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-men-who-succeed-best-in-public-life-are-those-who-take-the-risk/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/now-more-than-ever-the-people-are-responsible-for-the-character-of/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Nobody but radicals have ever accomplished anything in a great crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/nobody-but-radicals-have-ever-accomplished-anything-in-a-great-crisis/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Battles are never the end of war; for the dead must be buried and the cost of the conflict must be paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/battles-are-never-the-end-of-war-for-the-dead-must-be-buried-and-the/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/men-are-tending-to-materialism-houses-lands-and-worldly-goods-attract/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [“If wrinkles must be written on our brow, let them not be written on our heart. The spirit should not grow old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brow-let-them-not-be-written-on/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

[Explore all 128 James A. Garfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

## More Abuse quotes

> [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/)

[Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/)

[Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/)

> [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/)

[Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/)

> [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/)

[Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/)

> [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/)

[Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/)

> [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/)

[Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/)

> [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/)

[Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/)

> [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/)

[Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/)

> [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/)

[Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/)

> [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/)

[Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/)

> [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/)

[Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/)

> [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/)

[Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/)

[Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Light itself is a great corrective. A thousand wrongs and abuses that are grown in darkness disappear, like owls and bats, before the light of day.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James A. Garfield"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-thousand-wrongs-and-abuses-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Abuse"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-thousand-wrongs-and-abuses-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6e/james-a-garfield-3517_abuse_light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-tho_2177325.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Light itself is a great corrective. A thousand wrongs and abuses that are grown in darkness disappear, like…” — James A. Garfield",
                "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": "James A. Garfield",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Light itself is a great corrective....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-thousand-wrongs-and-abuses-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/light-itself-is-a-great-corrective-a-thousand-wrongs-and-abuses-that/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
