--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great news for someone is always bad news…" description: "\"Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else\" — John Green" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg" --- # Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else ![“Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg) > “Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote points out that when one person benefits, another often suffers, highlighting the zero‑sum nature of some situations. **In simple terms:** One’s gain can be another’s loss. Key Takeaway Consider the impact on others. Themes fairness competition interdependence Mood thoughtful balanced Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - business deals - resource allocation - personal relationships - political power Key Concepts zero‑sum trade‑off Questions to Reflect On - When can competition become collaborative? - What are examples of mutual benefit? A Different Perspective Not all outcomes are zero‑sum; cooperation can create win‑wins. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-news/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [News Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news-bad-247087/) ## Related quotes > [For a long period of time, the media covered rap music and hip hop the same way they cover a lot of black people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/for-a-long-period-of-time-the-media-covered-rap-music-and-hip-hop-the/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [Well-reported news is a public good; bad news is bad for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-lepore/well-reported-news-is-a-public-good-bad-news-is-bad-for-everyone/) [Jill Lepore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-lepore/) > [The good news doesn't make any sense unless you know what the bad news is first, and the bad news goes pretty deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mallonee/the-good-news-doesn-t-make-any-sense-unless-you-know-what-the-bad/) [Bill Mallonee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mallonee/) > [I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that it's going to drop to zero tonight. The good news is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-bad-news-and-good-news-the-bad-news-is-that-it-s-going-to-drop/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You folks feeling the economic pinch? Are you a little fed up with the economic news? It's bad. The department stores, this holiday season,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-folks-feeling-the-economic-pinch-are-you-a-little-fed-up-with-the/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [“Good news, bad news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/good-news-bad-news/) [Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/) > [The real news is bad news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-real-news-is-bad-news/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [“Mr. A calls me into his office and says he's got bad news and bad news, and which do I want first. I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/mr-a-calls-me-into-his-office-and-says-he-s-got-bad-news-and-bad-news/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" I shrug. "The bad news, I guess?" "Alright. You're a horrible student." That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-reintgen/do-you-want-the-good-news-or-the-bad-news-first-i-shrug-the-bad-news/) [Scott Reintgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-reintgen/) > [The truth is, we know so little about life, we don't really know what the good news is and what the bad news is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-truth-is-we-know-so-little-about-life-we-don-t-really-know-what/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I have good news and bad news The good news is that the jeep is still where we left it, and I got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/i-have-good-news-and-bad-news-the-good-news-is-that-the-jeep-is-still/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“Bad news is still bad news - even if you're expecting it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-plourde/bad-news-is-still-bad-news-even-if-you-re-expecting-it/) [Lynn Plourde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-plourde/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I suppose more than anything, chefs have gotten better, which is great news, which makes my life a lot easier. I can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/i-suppose-more-than-anything-chefs-have-gotten-better-which-is-great/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [Great News! If you quit being cunty the whole world will stop being against you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/great-news-if-you-quit-being-cunty-the-whole-world-will-stop-being/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Bad news quotes > [In the wake of such bad news, it was heartening to know that what 'Sense8' stood for meant so much to so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-j-smith/in-the-wake-of-such-bad-news-it-was-heartening-to-know-that-what/) [Brian J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-j-smith/) > [“I remember a man, a very lonely man, coming up to me at the end of a reading and looking into my face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/i-remember-a-man-a-very-lonely-man-coming-up-to-me-at-the-end-of-a/) [Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/) > [In the business world, bad news is usually good news - for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/in-the-business-world-bad-news-is-usually-good-news-for-somebody-else/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [You never want to have to give your child bad news of any kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/you-never-want-to-have-to-give-your-child-bad-news-of-any-kind/) [Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/) > [If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I'm utterly unsuited for bureaucracy. I don't know my passwords to anything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/if-there-s-one-thing-you-should-know-about-me-it-s-that-i-m-utterly/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [I seem to thrive by destroying the last thing I did, in a kind of cartoon Nietzsche way. Emerson says in "Experience" something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chiasson/i-seem-to-thrive-by-destroying-the-last-thing-i-did-in-a-kind-of/) [Dan Chiasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chiasson/) > [“The bad news is that, measured in terms of geologic time, if the Earth’s history is an accurate guide, glaciers will soon return to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bernstein/the-bad-news-is-that-measured-in-terms-of-geologic-time-if-the-earth/) [Andrew Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bernstein/) > [I love an underdog. No, I don't necessarily mean the cartoon. I mean like David, as in Goliath, or the Bears, as in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/i-love-an-underdog-no-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-the-cartoon-i-mean/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) > [The good news is that economists are intelligent, engaging and often charming folks. The bad news is their work is often of little use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/the-good-news-is-that-economists-are-intelligent-engaging-and-often/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [The flatter the corporate hierarchy, the more likely it is that employees will communicate bad news and act upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-flatter-the-corporate-hierarchy-the-more-likely-it-is-that/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The good news may be that Nature is phasing out the white man, but the bad news is that's who She thinks we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/the-good-news-may-be-that-nature-is-phasing-out-the-white-man-but-the/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [For a long period of time, the media covered rap music and hip hop the same way they cover a lot of black people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/for-a-long-period-of-time-the-media-covered-rap-music-and-hip-hop-the/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [“Shifting from a superior/inferior paradigm to a strength-in-difference paradigm was kind of a good news/bad news situation. On the downside, I had to admit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debby-irving/shifting-from-a-superior-inferior-paradigm-to-a-strength-in/) [Debby Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debby-irving/) > [“The best way to mess with the head of your reader is to strategize the delivery of bad news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-percy/the-best-way-to-mess-with-the-head-of-your-reader-is-to-strategize/) [Benjamin Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-percy/) > [“The real secret, though, is that nobody belongs, whether they are natives or not. After expulsion from paradise all humans are in exile. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-codrescu/the-real-secret-though-is-that-nobody-belongs-whether-they-are/) [Andrei Codrescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-codrescu/) [Browse all 691 Bad news quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-news/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-news-for-someone-else/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad news" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-news-for-someone-else/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b00/john-green-12_bad-news_great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-new_1690205.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Great news for someone is always bad news for someone else” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Great news for someone is always...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-news-for-someone-else/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/great-news-for-someone-is-always-bad-news-for-someone-else/#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 } } ] } ```