--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world of evil is only as evil as we…" description: "\"The world of evil is only as evil as we allow it to be.\" — Joe Meno" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png" --- # The world of evil is only as evil as we allow it to be. ![“The world of evil is only as evil as we allow it to be.” quote by Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png) > “The world of evil is only as evil as we allow it to be.” [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. States that evil's presence depends on collective tolerance, implying responsibility to oppose it. **In simple terms:** Evil persists when tolerated. Key Takeaway Refuse to enable evil. Themes ethics society responsibility evil Mood reflective urgent Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - political activism - community standards - education programs Key Concepts collective morality social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do we recognize tolerated evil? - What actions prevent evil’s growth? A Different Perspective Evil can be subtle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [But when we place God on our side of things, that we are now ridding the world of evil - that's very dangerous, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wallis/but-when-we-place-god-on-our-side-of-things-that-we-are-now-ridding/) [Jim Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-wallis/) > [To me, this world is nothing but evil, and my own evil just happened to come out cause of the circumstances of what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aileen-wuornos/to-me-this-world-is-nothing-but-evil-and-my-own-evil-just-happened-to/) [Aileen Wuornos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aileen-wuornos/) > [I am always loath to use the world 'evil,' but if 'evil' is the reverse of 'live,' Guy de Rothschild is thoroughly evil. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/i-am-always-loath-to-use-the-world-evil-but-if-evil-is-the-reverse-of/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Man has 2 common problems with God: the one is that there is evil in the world; the other is that free will is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/man-has-2-common-problems-with-god-the-one-is-that-there-is-evil-in/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Sometimes (at least in principle) God might allow some evil because doing so will prevent a greater evil, and sometimes He might allow evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/sometimes-at-least-in-principle-god-might-allow-some-evil-because/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [Negative desires can cause no evil if you do not allow yourself to be seduced by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/negative-desires-can-cause-no-evil-if-you-do-not-allow-yourself-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“So it falls out that in this world, in evil days like these, the Church walks onward like a wayfarer stricken by the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-of-hippo/so-it-falls-out-that-in-this-world-in-evil-days-like-these-the-church/) [Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-of-hippo/) > [“He was not Evil, for even Evil has a certain vitality — Bel-Shamharoth was the flip side of the coin of which Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-was-not-evil-for-even-evil-has-a-certain-vitality-bel-shamharoth/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/there-is-no-safety-for-honest-men-except-by-believing-all-possible/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Evil, as evil, can never be chosen; and though evil is often the effect of our own choice, yet we never desire it but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/evil-as-evil-can-never-be-chosen-and-though-evil-is-often-the-effect/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Those to whom evil is done, do evil in return”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/those-to-whom-evil-is-done-do-evil-in-return/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [I'd have to say, and I think that most Christians would hold the view, that there is such a thing as evil, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hollingworth/i-d-have-to-say-and-i-think-that-most-christians-would-hold-the-view/) [Peter Hollingworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hollingworth/) > [“This might be a beautiful world, but there were some evil souls residing in it. \* \* \*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/this-might-be-a-beautiful-world-but-there-were-some-evil-souls/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“And then all was right in my world as an evil plan hatched tiny little dinousaurs egss that would one day eat the rat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-van-dyken-the-matchmaker-s-replacement/and-then-all-was-right-in-my-world-as-an-evil-plan-hatched-tiny/) Rachel Van Dyken - The Matchmaker's Replacement > [My administration has a job to do and we're going to do it. We will rid the world of the evil-doers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-administration-has-a-job-to-do-and-we-re-going-to-do-it-we-will/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Joe Meno > [Our worlds are so momentary. We are along all our lives and then go off that way as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/our-worlds-are-so-momentary-we-are-along-all-our-lives-and-then-go/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [I was getting close to thirty and was trying on the idea of becoming more mature. I was reading more. I had gone out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/i-was-getting-close-to-thirty-and-was-trying-on-the-idea-of-becoming/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“wondered about what he said and then thought hard. I could never be a dick, not to Gretchen anyway, so I guess I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/wondered-about-what-he-said-and-then-thought-hard-i-could-never-be-a/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Go to a goddamn priest if you wanna be lied to. I've seen too many of your kind slip back inside to fool myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/go-to-a-goddamn-priest-if-you-wanna-be-lied-to-i-ve-seen-too-many-of/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [Maybe that's why people have friends at all. Not because they like them so much but because they don't make them feel so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/maybe-that-s-why-people-have-friends-at-all-not-because-they-like/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Madeline decides Jonathan is an immature, selfish asshole and that she is never talking to him again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/madeline-decides-jonathan-is-an-immature-selfish-asshole-and-that-she/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“-Are you ready to return to the outside world, Billy? -No, definitely not, sir. -Well, you can't stay here forever now, can you? -Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/are-you-ready-to-return-to-the-outside-world-billy-no-definitely-not/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“The more you like a girl, the less she likes you. It’s like fucking scientific.” “What about you and Kim?” “That’s what I’m talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/the-more-you-like-a-girl-the-less-she-likes-you-it-s-like-fucking/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Jack: Well, I've never been to New York, but I hear it's for assholes. Odile: It's not. Jack: Well, that's what I heard. Cool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/jack-well-i-ve-never-been-to-new-york-but-i-hear-it-s-for-assholes/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“How’s life?” “That’s the stupidest question I’ve ever heard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/how-s-life-that-s-the-stupidest-question-i-ve-ever-heard/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [We have fun acting like this, acting like we are incredibly offended. Really, we are just bored to tears with everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/we-have-fun-acting-like-this-acting-like-we-are-incredibly-offended/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“For years, Thisbe will later think of that one moment in the field as the only time she was ever sure about anything in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/for-years-thisbe-will-later-think-of-that-one-moment-in-the-field-as/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [What I've learned is that there is nothing in this life that does not fail to disappoint us, even our own deaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/what-i-ve-learned-is-that-there-is-nothing-in-this-life-that-does-not/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“And he says, “I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. And I think I realized that I’m average, that there’s nothing remarkable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/and-he-says-i-m-trying-to-figure-out-what-s-wrong-with-me-and-i-think/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) > [“Without death, there is hardly any threat strong enough to truly appreciate human life. He thinks: I am as good as dead--too afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/without-death-there-is-hardly-any-threat-strong-enough-to-truly/) [Joe Meno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) [Explore all 87 Joe Meno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/) ## More Allow quotes > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Please don't allow anyone to make you feel less than what you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/please-don-t-allow-anyone-to-make-you-feel-less-than-what-you-are/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It's really a great invention and I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-designed-to-allow-individuals-to-look-after-their-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Nothing has power over you unless you allow it. No matter what happens, you can choose what and how to think, act, and speak!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-has-power-over-you-unless-you-allow-it-no-matter-what-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you don't allow people to contribute, to offer their point of view, or to criticize what has been put before them, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/if-you-don-t-allow-people-to-contribute-to-offer-their-point-of-view/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [While we welcome people of all faiths in America we cannot be so naive as to expect all countries to do the same. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-huffington/while-we-welcome-people-of-all-faiths-in-america-we-cannot-be-so/) [Michael Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-huffington/) > [“Allow yourself some happiness, so that I can be a part of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-mahaffey/allow-yourself-some-happiness-so-that-i-can-be-a-part-of-it/) [Montgomery Mahaffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-mahaffey/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“Sometimes life doesn't allow us to be free to fly wherever we'd like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elana-johnson/sometimes-life-doesn-t-allow-us-to-be-free-to-fly-wherever-we-d-like/) [Elana Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elana-johnson/) > [I am that which I am, and I am willing to allow all others to be that which they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/i-am-that-which-i-am-and-i-am-willing-to-allow-all-others-to-be-that/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [By letting go, you allow everything to find it's rightful place. Once free, everything finds its way home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-brown/by-letting-go-you-allow-everything-to-find-it-s-rightful-place-once/) [Leon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-brown/) > [As long as a man's heart beats, as long as a man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that a being gifted with thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/as-long-as-a-man-s-heart-beats-as-long-as-a-man-s-flesh-quivers-i-do/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [Allow yourself to graduate, every five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/allow-yourself-to-graduate-every-five-years/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [“A man will only do what you allow him to do,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kennedi-dior/a-man-will-only-do-what-you-allow-him-to-do/) Kennedi Dior Browse all 1,065 Allow quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The world of evil is only as evil as we allow it to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Meno" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we-allow-it-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Allow" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we-allow-it-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/joe-meno-7831_allow_the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we_3001972.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The world of evil is only as evil as we allow it to be.” — Joe Meno", "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": "Joe Meno", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-meno/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The world of evil is only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we-allow-it-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-meno/the-world-of-evil-is-only-as-evil-as-we-allow-it-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```