--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evil exists. Evil is real. One of the…" description: "\"Evil exists. Evil is real. One of the hallmarks of evil is that it seeks to convince its victims that it exists 'out there.'\" — John Ortberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f32/john-ortberg-932_convince_evil-exists-evil-is-real-one-of-the-hall_1773817.png" --- # Evil exists. Evil is real. One of the hallmarks of evil is… ![“Evil exists. Evil is real. One of the hallmarks of evil is that it seeks to convince its victims that it exists 'out there.'” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f32/john-ortberg-932_convince_evil-exists-evil-is-real-one-of-the-hall_1773817.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f32/john-ortberg-932_convince_evil-exists-evil-is-real-one-of-the-hall_1773817.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f32/john-ortberg-932_convince_evil-exists-evil-is-real-one-of-the-hall_1773817.png) > “Evil exists. Evil is real. One of the hallmarks of evil is that it seeks to convince its victims that it exists 'out there.'” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evil is a tangible force that manipulates perception, making victims think it is external. **In simple terms:** Evil tricks people into seeing it as something outside themselves. Key Takeaway Beware of attributing all harm to external forces. Themes theology psychology ethics Mood cautious reflective Type spiritual psychological When to use this quote - personal counseling - spiritual guidance - conflict resolution - self‑reflection Key Concepts Manipulation perception externalization Questions to Reflect On - How do we recognize internal versus external sources of evil? - What strategies prevent being misled by evil? A Different Perspective Evil can also be internal, stemming from personal choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-exists/) [Evil Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-real-340026/) [Evil Seeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-seeks-1803397/) [Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists/) [Exists Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists-evil-1803396/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Seeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeks/) [Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims/) ## Related quotes > [The great lesson of our time is that evil still exists, and when evil is on the march, it must be confronted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-solarz/the-great-lesson-of-our-time-is-that-evil-still-exists-and-when-evil/) [Stephen J. Solarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-solarz/) > [“The presence and love of the Word had called them into being; inevitably, therefore when they lost the knowledge of God, they lost existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athanasius-of-alexandria/the-presence-and-love-of-the-word-had-called-them-into-being/) [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athanasius-of-alexandria/) > [“Anything that exists has some goodness in it because God made it. 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Life is unfair, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-shulman/what-i-mean-is-all-the-terrible-things-that-happen-in-fairy-tales/) [Polly Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-shulman/) > [“Evil is real - and powerful. It has to be fought, not explained away, not fled. And God is against evil all the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/evil-is-real-and-powerful-it-has-to-be-fought-not-explained-away-not/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [Evil is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/evil-is-real/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [“And what constitutes evil, real evil, is the taking of a single human life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/and-what-constitutes-evil-real-evil-is-the-taking-of-a-single-human-2/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [It is only in folk tales, children's stories, and the journals of intellectual opinion that power is used wisely and well to destroy evil.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-is-only-in-folk-tales-children-s-stories-and-the-journals-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The "Axis of Evil" was - and is - very real, as the tyrants of Iran, Iraq, and North Korea knew full well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-axis-of-evil-was-and-is-very-real-as-the-tyrants-of-iran-iraq-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Evil is real - and powerful. It has to be fought, not explained away, not fled. And God is against evil all the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/evil-is-real-and-powerful-it-has-to-be-fought-not-explained-away-not-2/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) > [And what constitutes evil, real evil, is the taking of a single human life. Whether a man would die tomorrow or the day after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/and-what-constitutes-evil-real-evil-is-the-taking-of-a-single-human/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [There are people who are dangerous, and evil is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/there-are-people-who-are-dangerous-and-evil-is-real/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [“Evil is not just a thing of fairytales. Evil is real and it walks among us. Evil is jealousy and hate and fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-gordon/evil-is-not-just-a-thing-of-fairytales-evil-is-real-and-it-walks/) [H.D. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-gordon/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? 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You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Convince quotes > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/) [Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/) [Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/) > [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/) [Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/) [Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/) > [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Evil exists. 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