--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe in Hell...but it's here on…" description: "\"“I believe in Hell...but it's here on earth.\" He shakes his head. \"Good people and bad people. As if it were this easy. Everyone is both of these at on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/jodi-picoult-45_bad-people_i-believe-in-hell-but-it-s-here-on-earth_815091.jpg" --- # I believe in Hell...but it's here on earth." He shakes his… ![“I believe in Hell...but it's here on earth." He shakes his head. "Good people and bad people. As if it were this easy. Everyone is both of these at once.” quote by Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/jodi-picoult-45_bad-people_i-believe-in-hell-but-it-s-here-on-earth_815091.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/jodi-picoult-45_bad-people_i-believe-in-hell-but-it-s-here-on-earth_815091.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f6/jodi-picoult-45_bad-people_i-believe-in-hell-but-it-s-here-on-earth_815091.jpg) > ““I believe in Hell...but it's here on earth." He shakes his head. "Good people and bad people. As if it were this easy. Everyone is both of these at once.”” [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## 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 good and evil, and moral judgments are rarely simple. **In simple terms:** People are both good and bad. Key Takeaway Accept moral complexity. Themes morality duality human nature Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - conflict resolution - self‑reflection Key Concepts Ethics psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile conflicting traits? - Can we change our moral stance? A Different Perspective Simplistic moral labels ignore nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-people/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [I could believe only in the hell I was living in, a hell on earth, and it was man-made, not God-made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/i-could-believe-only-in-the-hell-i-was-living-in-a-hell-on-earth-and/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [When lovers of life get ready to dance, the earth shakes and the sky trembles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-lovers-of-life-get-ready-to-dance-the-earth-shakes-and-the-sky/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“When mountains move, the earth shakes. When you stand as close as we have to real-life miracles, you will get roughed up. Mountains are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosaria-champagne-butterfield/when-mountains-move-the-earth-shakes-when-you-stand-as-close-as-we/) [Rosaria Champagne Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosaria-champagne-butterfield/) > [“You hang around bad people, bad things happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/you-hang-around-bad-people-bad-things-happen/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [“There well always be bad people the most bad people don’t read” – Ayah (The New Girl in the City)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayah/there-well-always-be-bad-people-the-most-bad-people-don-t-read-ayah/) [Ayah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayah/) > [I don't think people who are bad people think they're bad people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-scott/i-don-t-think-people-who-are-bad-people-think-they-re-bad-people/) [Adam Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-scott/) > [Why bad people - who are bad to other people - keep getting hired after they have proven their selves time and again is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/why-bad-people-who-are-bad-to-other-people-keep-getting-hired-after/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [If you reject good people you will find bad people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/if-you-reject-good-people-you-will-find-bad-people/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [People see police officers and think they're such bad people. We have some who can be some bad people. But we have some great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-ha-clinton-dix/people-see-police-officers-and-think-they-re-such-bad-people-we-have/) [Ha Ha Clinton-Dix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-ha-clinton-dix/) > [Johnny: Life is to short for the best people, for the bad people its just longer living lives which is unnecessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/johnny-life-is-to-short-for-the-best-people-for-the-bad-people-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a human race, we have good people and bad people, and everyone has agendas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-morley/as-a-human-race-we-have-good-people-and-bad-people-and-everyone-has/) Bobby Morley > [We have to take the guns away from these people that have them and they are bad people that shouldn't have them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-take-the-guns-away-from-these-people-that-have-them-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Good people can do bad things, make bad decisions. It doesn't make them bad people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-people-can-do-bad-things-make-bad-decisions-it-doesn-t-make-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good people struggle against what's imperfect about them. The people that we call 'bad' people embrace that kind of stuff, embrace the darker side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/good-people-struggle-against-what-s-imperfect-about-them-the-people/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) > [People are complicated. People have secrets. It doesnt make them good people or bad people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zayas/people-are-complicated-people-have-secrets-it-doesnt-make-them-good/) [David Zayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zayas/) ## More by Jodi Picoult > [You get through it, you just never get over it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-get-through-it-you-just-never-get-over-it/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Let me guess," Eric says, "You never meant for it to happen." "Hell, yes, I did. I've wanted her since you two started dating."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/let-me-guess-eric-says-you-never-meant-for-it-to-happen-hell-yes-i/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“It’s the difference between dancing along the eggshell crust of acquaintance and diving into the messy center of a relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-the-difference-between-dancing-along-the-eggshell-crust-of/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Because hate's just the flip side of love. Like heads and tails on a dime. If you don't know what it feels like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/because-hate-s-just-the-flip-side-of-love-like-heads-and-tails-on-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I love feeling loved. I don't love knowing that I will always come in second place. I love the fact that at least sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-love-feeling-loved-i-don-t-love-knowing-that-i-will-always-come-in/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Music is the language of memory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/music-is-the-language-of-memory/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [But there is a different between mending someone who's broken and finding someone who makes you complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/but-there-is-a-different-between-mending-someone-who-s-broken-and/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“sometimes words are not big enough to contain all the feelings you are trying to pour into them. My”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/sometimes-words-are-not-big-enough-to-contain-all-the-feelings-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“The age wasn't as important as the milestones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-age-wasn-t-as-important-as-the-milestones/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The night is falling down around us. Meteors rain like fireworks, quick rips in the seam of the dark... Every second, another streak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-night-is-falling-down-around-us-meteors-rain-like-fireworks-quick/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“When she had packed all the artifacts that made up their personal history into liquor store boxes, the house became strictly a feminine place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/when-she-had-packed-all-the-artifacts-that-made-up-their-personal/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/maybe-who-we-are-isn-t-so-much-about-what-we-do-but-rather-what-we-re/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Here's what I hadn't realized : the mother you haven't seen for almost 36 years isn't your mother. She is a stranger. Sharing DNA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/here-s-what-i-hadn-t-realized-the-mother-you-haven-t-seen-for-almost/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [My brother believed in all sorts of mythical creatures: pixies, dragons, werewolves, honest men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/my-brother-believed-in-all-sorts-of-mythical-creatures-pixies-dragons/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) [Explore all 2,062 Jodi Picoult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More Bad people quotes > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [“Any discussion of money and success would be lacking if I did not state that money is neither good nor bad. In the hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-stovall/any-discussion-of-money-and-success-would-be-lacking-if-i-did-not/) [Jim Stovall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-stovall/) > [When people walk away from you, let them go. You're destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-walk-away-from-you-let-them-go-you-re-destiny-is-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you have the ability and the opportunity to help someone, but you don't do anything just because you're scared or it's inconvenient or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/if-you-have-the-ability-and-the-opportunity-to-help-someone-but-you/) [Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/) > [Really bad people around the world, because of the genius of American innovation, use our products and infrastructure for their emails, for their communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-comey/really-bad-people-around-the-world-because-of-the-genius-of-american/) [James Comey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-comey/) > [“If you sought to leave the world, don’t go alone. Since there are too many bad people you can take them too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-you-sought-to-leave-the-world-don-t-go-alone-since-there-are-too/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [“To feel someone’s life drain from their body by your hands . . . bad, bad people who need to be plucked from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-cole/to-feel-someone-s-life-drain-from-their-body-by-your-hands-bad-bad/) [Tillie Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-cole/) > [“I just can't get with this idea that literature is a 12-step program. If someone wants to read a book to see good people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/i-just-can-t-get-with-this-idea-that-literature-is-a-12-step-program/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [“Deterrents properly placed can help. But that is not enough. We are one society, and as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/deterrents-properly-placed-can-help-but-that-is-not-enough-we-are-one/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [“Plato argued that good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will always find a way around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-howard/plato-argued-that-good-people-do-not-need-laws-to-tell-them-to-act/) [Philip K. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-howard/) > [Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/too-bad-all-the-people-who-know-how-to-run-this-country-are-busy/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [“was my first indication that the policies of Mamaw’s “party of the working man”—the Democrats—weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Political scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/was-my-first-indication-that-the-policies-of-mamaw-s-party-of-the/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [The truth is that Africa is like everywhere else. There are poor areas, there are rich areas, there is a middle class. Some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/the-truth-is-that-africa-is-like-everywhere-else-there-are-poor-areas/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I'm a very placid human being. I don't want to kill anyone. I guess I have played a lot of bad people in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-m-a-very-placid-human-being-i-don-t-want-to-kill-anyone-i-guess-i/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [We do not come to God as bad people trying to become good people; we come as rebels to lay down our arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-do-not-come-to-god-as-bad-people-trying-to-become-good-people-we/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Browse all 703 Bad people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I believe in Hell...but it's here on earth.\" He shakes his head. \"Good people and bad people. As if it were this easy. 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