--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, apologies are rarely…" description: "\"“Of course, apologies are rarely acceptable to true believers - or to anyone who believes in *pure* good, or in pure evil.”\" — John Irving" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/john-irving-337_apologies_of-course-apologies-are-rarely-acceptabl_261984.png" --- # Of course, apologies are rarely acceptable to true… ![“Of course, apologies are rarely acceptable to true believers - or to anyone who believes in *pure* good, or in pure evil.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/john-irving-337_apologies_of-course-apologies-are-rarely-acceptabl_261984.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/john-irving-337_apologies_of-course-apologies-are-rarely-acceptabl_261984.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/745/john-irving-337_apologies_of-course-apologies-are-rarely-acceptabl_261984.png) > ““Of course, apologies are rarely acceptable to true believers - or to anyone who believes in \*pure\* good, or in pure evil.”” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Apologies are ineffective for those with absolute convictions about good or evil. **In simple terms:** Apologies don’t work for extreme believers. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of apology with rigid ideologies. Themes morality belief communication Mood reflective critical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - political debate - religious discourse - personal conflict Key Concepts idealism dogmatism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Can forgiveness change a rigid belief? - When is an apology truly meaningful? A Different Perspective Apologies may still open dialogue if sincerity is shown. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apologies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologies/) [Apologies Rarely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologies-rarely-2580466/) [Believers Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believers-believes-2580468/) [Believes Pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes-pure-2580469/) [Pure evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-evil/) [Rarely Acceptable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rarely-acceptable-2580467/) ## Related quotes > [You hide your instinctive self and instead create a social self with lies. 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He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-peters/our-president-seems-determined-to-do-anything-he-can-with-the/) [Ralph Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-peters/) > [If the myth of pure evil is that evil is committed with the intention of causing harm and an absence of moral considerations, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-the-myth-of-pure-evil-is-that-evil-is-committed-with-the-intention/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“When you behold the face of pure evil, it will be beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/when-you-behold-the-face-of-pure-evil-it-will-be-beautiful/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [My heart is calm and pure EVIL!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vegeta/my-heart-is-calm-and-pure-evil/) [Vegeta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vegeta/) > [“Chad stared at his publicist/babysitter/daughter of Satan. “Jesus, woman, I do not envy the man you end up with.” Miss Gore’s smile was pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/chad-stared-at-his-publicist-babysitter-daughter-of-satan-jesus-woman/) [Jennifer L. 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Even freedom has become a prison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-acceptable-is-unacceptable-the-truth-is-a-lie-the-good-is-pure/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“My heart is pure. Pure evil!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/my-heart-is-pure-pure-evil/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [“price. There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil, least of all in people. In the best of us there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/price-there-is-no-such-thing-as-pure-good-or-pure-evil-least-of-all/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“I'll stop eating steak when you stop killing spiders." Absurdity: comparing cows to spiders. Arachnids are pure evil. They're like a cigarette manufacturer or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/i-ll-stop-eating-steak-when-you-stop-killing-spiders-absurdity/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More Apologies quotes > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [“A lady need never apologize. ~ Joseph de Bonaparte (Brother of Napoleon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pataki/a-lady-need-never-apologize-joseph-de-bonaparte-brother-of-napoleon/) [Allison Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pataki/) > [“Make no apologies for surviving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hailey-edwards/make-no-apologies-for-surviving/) [Hailey Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hailey-edwards/) > [“If other people owe you an apology, and your words of apology to them are proper and heartfelt, you still may not hear from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/if-other-people-owe-you-an-apology-and-your-words-of-apology-to-them/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [“No. I made that choice. I let all that anger and pain get twisted up in my thoughts for you.” He leaned in. “It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/no-i-made-that-choice-i-let-all-that-anger-and-pain-get-twisted-up-in/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Sorry is like a band-aid. Just because you use it, doesn't mean it's going to heal the wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-is-like-a-band-aid-just-because-you-use-it-doesn-t-mean-it-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you realize youve made a mistake, make amends immediately. Its easier to eat crow while its still warm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-realize-youve-made-a-mistake-make-amends-immediately-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My apologies. I meant no offense." Except that his tone told her he didn't mean a word he'd just spoken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-oram/my-apologies-i-meant-no-offense-except-that-his-tone-told-her-he-didn/) [Jean Oram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-oram/) > [“Time made apologies and absolution unnecessary. Time didn't really heal, it just made bad memories distant so that the brain couldn't recapture the lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amulya-malladi/time-made-apologies-and-absolution-unnecessary-time-didn-t-really/) [Amulya Malladi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amulya-malladi/) > [But my apology was a thousand apologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/but-my-apology-was-a-thousand-apologies/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [“You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty You know I try but I don't do too well with apologies I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/you-gotta-go-and-get-angry-at-all-of-my-honesty-you-know-i-try-but-i/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) > [I'm disappointed in myself. I promised myself I'd stay strong, but I couldn't. Tonight marks the first time I cut. Tonight is the start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie/i-m-disappointed-in-myself-i-promised-myself-i-d-stay-strong-but-i/) [Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie/) > [Your apologies don't mean much to me any more. You apologise but you never change. 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