---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems entirely possible to me that…"
description: "\"It seems entirely possible to me that horrible things can be going on without us becoming horrible people.\" — Jonathan Safran Foer"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png"
---

#  It seems entirely possible to me that horrible things can…

![“It seems entirely possible to me that horrible things can be going on without us becoming horrible people.” quote by Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png)

> “It seems entirely possible to me that horrible things can be going on without us becoming horrible people.”

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

We can witness terrible events without becoming morally corrupted, highlighting the resilience of human conscience.

**In simple terms:** Seeing bad things doesn’t make us bad.

Key Takeaway

Stay compassionate despite suffering.

Themes

morality resilience empathy

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- journalism
- war zones
- personal trauma
- community aid

Key Concepts

human nature ethical boundaries

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain empathy when faced with suffering?
- What safeguards protect moral integrity?

A Different Perspective

Witnessing horror can still desensitize over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Entirely Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entirely-possible-1755485/) [Going Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-horrible-1118783/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Horrible People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-people/) [Horrible things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-things/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Possible Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-horrible-3697211/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Without u](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-u/)

## Related quotes

> [I've played horrible people and done horrible things, and there were moments on 'The Knick' where it was super uncomfortable - some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-johnson/i-ve-played-horrible-people-and-done-horrible-things-and-there-were/)

[Eric Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-johnson/)

> [“There are countless horrible things happening all over the world and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auberon-waugh/there-are-countless-horrible-things-happening-all-over-the-world-and/)

[Auberon Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auberon-waugh/)

> [We came back right over the World Trade Center and could see, even from that altitude, the devastation, the smoke that was coming up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/we-came-back-right-over-the-world-trade-center-and-could-see-even/)

[Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/)

> [I find that more and more I'm trying to entertain myself when I'm working, because I know the work's going to go to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/i-find-that-more-and-more-i-m-trying-to-entertain-myself-when-i-m/)

[Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/)

> [“Dude, let’s be honest, you’re going to be a horrible boyfriend. Like, the fucking worst. You’re already off to a shitty start.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ney/dude-let-s-be-honest-you-re-going-to-be-a-horrible-boyfriend-like-the/)

[Sara Ney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ney/)

> [It's entirely possible that the notion of what is the past, what is the present and what is the future, could change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlton-cuse/it-s-entirely-possible-that-the-notion-of-what-is-the-past-what-is/)

[Carlton Cuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlton-cuse/)

> [“It's entirely possible to base an entire book on a long-forgotten letter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/it-s-entirely-possible-to-base-an-entire-book-on-a-long-forgotten/)

[Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/)

> [“It was entirely possible I would sexually assault him if I got too close.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-hanson/it-was-entirely-possible-i-would-sexually-assault-him-if-i-got-too/)

[Caroline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-hanson/)

> [“Sometimes impossible things are entirely possible, if there's magic enough in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-willingham/sometimes-impossible-things-are-entirely-possible-if-there-s-magic/)

[Bill Willingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-willingham/)

> [What if everything in a museum is crap? It's entirely possible; it's not the end of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-salle/what-if-everything-in-a-museum-is-crap-it-s-entirely-possible-it-s/)

[David Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-salle/)

> [I wrote this book to show you that a cure is entirely possible because I've seen it happen over and over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/i-wrote-this-book-to-show-you-that-a-cure-is-entirely-possible/)

[Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/)

> [“It is entirely possible to do something amazing at any age of your life. What exactly are you waiting for?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-taylor/it-is-entirely-possible-to-do-something-amazing-at-any-age-of-your/)

[Trish Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-taylor/)

> [It is entirely possible to create something totally artificial within the realms of rock and roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/it-is-entirely-possible-to-create-something-totally-artificial-within/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [Just to be a functioning adult in the world, we develop all of these layers of protection. When we see homeless people, we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/just-to-be-a-functioning-adult-in-the-world-we-develop-all-of-these/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Stupidity without malice isn't horrible; some people can't help it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/stupidity-without-malice-isn-t-horrible-some-people-can-t-help-it/)

[Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/)

## More by Jonathan Safran Foer

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I try not to remember the life that I didn’t want to lose but lost and have to remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-try-not-to-remember-the-life-that-i-didn-t-want-to-lose-but-lost/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“I have an aristocratic smile and like to punch people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-have-an-aristocratic-smile-and-like-to-punch-people/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I would have done anything for him. Maybe that was my sickness. We made love in nothing places and turned the lights off. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-would-have-done-anything-for-him-maybe-that-was-my-sickness-we-made/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“One day I wandered away from her and hid. I liked the way it felt to have someone look for me, to hear my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/one-day-i-wandered-away-from-her-and-hid-i-liked-the-way-it-felt-to/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [If nothing matters, there's nothing to save.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/if-nothing-matters-there-s-nothing-to-save/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“It was one of the best days of my life, a day during which I lived my life and didn't think about it at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-was-one-of-the-best-days-of-my-life-a-day-during-which-i-lived-my/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“The appearance was misleading- human dreams; rubbish heaps abundant yet ephemeral sudden and splendid, only to wilt and perish”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-appearance-was-misleading-human-dreams-rubbish-heaps-abundant-yet/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“the entirety of human society and moral progress represents an explicit transcendence of what’s “natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/the-entirety-of-human-society-and-moral-progress-represents-an/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Food is not so much a symbol of freedom as the first requirement of freedom. We eat foods that are native to America on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/food-is-not-so-much-a-symbol-of-freedom-as-the-first-requirement-of/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Rationally, factory farming is so obviously wrong, in so many ways. In all of my reading and conversations, I’ve yet to find a credible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/rationally-factory-farming-is-so-obviously-wrong-in-so-many-ways-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Just because you're an atheist, that doesn't mean you wouldn't love for things to have reasons for why they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/just-because-you-re-an-atheist-that-doesn-t-mean-you-wouldn-t-love/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Do you think I'm wonderful? she asked him one day as they leaned against the trunk of a petrified maple. No, he said. Why?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/do-you-think-i-m-wonderful-she-asked-him-one-day-as-they-leaned/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [My insides don't match up with my outsides. -Do anyone's inside and outsides match up? -I don't know. I'm only me. -Maybe that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/my-insides-don-t-match-up-with-my-outsides-do-anyone-s-inside-and/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

[Explore all 1,117 Jonathan Safran Foer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## More Becoming quotes

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

[Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/)

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/)

[Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/)

> [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/)

[Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/)

> [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/)

[John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

[Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/)

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

[Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It seems entirely possible to me that horrible things can be going on without us becoming horrible people.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Safran Foer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-horrible-things-can-be-going-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Becoming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-horrible-things-can-be-going-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/jonathan-safran-foer-136_becoming_it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-ho_1214817.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It seems entirely possible to me that horrible things can be going on without us becoming horrible people.” — Jonathan Safran Foer",
                "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": "Jonathan Safran Foer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It seems entirely possible to me...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-horrible-things-can-be-going-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/it-seems-entirely-possible-to-me-that-horrible-things-can-be-going-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
