--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With God, what is terrible is that one…" description: "\"With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.\" — Jean Anouilh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg" --- # With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether… ![“With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.” quote by Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg) > “With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.” [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uncertainty about divine intent makes it hard to distinguish between genuine guidance and deceptive influence. **In simple terms:** Hard to know if God or devil is speaking. Key Takeaway Seek discernment, question appearances. Themes faith uncertainty spirituality Mood reflective philosophical Type literary theological When to use this quote - personal prayer - ethical decision‑making - critical thinking Key Concepts theodicy epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What criteria help differentiate true guidance? - How do we act amid spiritual doubt? A Different Perspective Reliance on faith may not resolve ambiguity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-terrible-737799/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Terrible Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-knows-2615224/) [Trick Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trick-devil-359278/) ## Related quotes > [“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/) > [Go warn the children of God of the terrible speed of mercy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/go-warn-the-children-of-god-of-the-terrible-speed-of-mercy/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world it didn’t exist’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-robertson/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-it/) [Michael Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-robertson/) > [Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/then-the-woman-came-and-told-her-husband-saying-a-man-of-god-came/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [My God! How terrible these money questions are for an artist!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gauguin/my-god-how-terrible-these-money-questions-are-for-an-artist/) [Paul Gauguin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gauguin/) > [I don't think any actor really thinks they're good. I watch my own work and I'm like, Oh God, this is terrible, that's terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-morrone/i-don-t-think-any-actor-really-thinks-they-re-good-i-watch-my-own/) [Camila Morrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-morrone/) > [“f it be a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God,It is a more terrible thing to fall out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archbishop-fulton-sheen/f-it-be-a-terrible-thing-to-fall-into-the-hands-of-the-living-god-it/) [Archbishop Fulton Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archbishop-fulton-sheen/) > [“Maybe at the very bottom of it... I really don't like God. You know, it's silly to say I don't like God because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/maybe-at-the-very-bottom-of-it-i-really-don-t-like-god-you-know-it-s/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [ People are hungry for God. What \[a\] terrible meeting \[it\] would be with our neighbour if we give them only ourselves. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/people-are-hungry-for-god-what-a-terrible-meeting-it-would-be-with/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [“You’re not a failure, Uncle,” he said, the words awkward and insufficient in his mouth. “It’s only that we don’t feel safe. A game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-willow-wilson/you-re-not-a-failure-uncle-he-said-the-words-awkward-and-insufficient/) [G. Willow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-willow-wilson/) > [People have a view of a God who is terrible that they can't even imagine being loving or wanting anything to do with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/people-have-a-view-of-a-god-who-is-terrible-that-they-can-t-even/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [Well, I suppose I could do a solo album, but my god, it would be terrible!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/well-i-suppose-i-could-do-a-solo-album-but-my-god-it-would-be-terrible/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was the quarter from behind the ear gag. He would never put the time in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gulman/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-the-quarter-from-behind/) [Gary Gulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gulman/) > [The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is commiting that women look better in their makeup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-is-commiting-that-women-look/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) ## More by Jean Anouilh > [“I spit on your happiness! I spit on your idea of life--that life that must go on, come what may. You are all like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/i-spit-on-your-happiness-i-spit-on-your-idea-of-life-that-life-that/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [It is restful, tragedy, because one knows that there is no more lousy hope left. You know you're caught, caught at last like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/it-is-restful-tragedy-because-one-knows-that-there-is-no-more-lousy/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Saintliness is also a temptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/saintliness-is-also-a-temptation/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Propaganda is a soft weapon; hold it in your hands too long, and it will move about like a snake, and strike the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/propaganda-is-a-soft-weapon-hold-it-in-your-hands-too-long-and-it/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [A good actor must never be in love with anyone but himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/a-good-actor-must-never-be-in-love-with-anyone-but-himself/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [I don't want people to love me. It makes for obligations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/i-don-t-want-people-to-love-me-it-makes-for-obligations/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Poor little men, poor little cocks! As soon as they're old enough, they swell their plumage to be conquerors. If they only knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/poor-little-men-poor-little-cocks-as-soon-as-they-re-old-enough-they/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Life consists of nothing more than the happiness we can get out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/life-consists-of-nothing-more-than-the-happiness-we-can-get-out-of-it/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Each of us has a day .. when he has to accept, finally, the fact that he is a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/each-of-us-has-a-day-when-he-has-to-accept-finally-the-fact-that-he/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [We have found other terms far less vague than the old ones to designate the same complaints. It's a great advance linguistically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/we-have-found-other-terms-far-less-vague-than-the-old-ones-to/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [One can be a patriot, you know, without making one's wife join the breadline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/one-can-be-a-patriot-you-know-without-making-one-s-wife-join-the/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [All prisons are brimming over with innocence. It is those who cram their fellows into them, in the name of empty ideas, who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/all-prisons-are-brimming-over-with-innocence-it-is-those-who-cram/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Obligations, hatreds, injuries; what did I expect my memories to be? I was forgetting remorse. Now I have a complete past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/obligations-hatreds-injuries-what-did-i-expect-my-memories-to-be-i/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [We poison our lives with fear of burglary and shipwreck, and, ask anyone, the house is never burgled, and the ship never goes down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/we-poison-our-lives-with-fear-of-burglary-and-shipwreck-and-ask/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) > [Je sais de quelles petitesses meurent les plus grandes amours. I know how pettiness ruins the greatest loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/je-sais-de-quelles-petitesses-meurent-les-plus-grandes-amours-i-know/) [Jean Anouilh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) [Explore all 85 Jean Anouilh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/) ## 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": "With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean Anouilh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-never-knows-whether-it-s-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-never-knows-whether-it-s-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/jean-anouilh-7113_devil_with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-ne_1064054.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.” — Jean Anouilh", "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": "Jean Anouilh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-anouilh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With God, what is terrible is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-never-knows-whether-it-s-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-anouilh/with-god-what-is-terrible-is-that-one-never-knows-whether-it-s-not/#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 } } ] } ```