--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If only we could see in advance all the…" description: "\"If only we could see in advance all the harm that can come from the good we think we are doing.\" — Luigi Pirandello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg" --- # If only we could see in advance all the harm that can come… ![“If only we could see in advance all the harm that can come from the good we think we are doing.” quote by Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg) > “If only we could see in advance all the harm that can come from the good we think we are doing.” [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good intentions can unintentionally cause harm; foresight is limited. **In simple terms:** Good deeds can have hidden damage. Key Takeaway Consider consequences before acting. Themes ethics intent unintended consequences Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - policy making - charitable work - personal decisions Key Concepts philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - How can we mitigate unintended harm? - When should we trust intuition? A Different Perspective Predicting all outcomes is impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advance Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advance-harm-1097910/) [Good Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-think/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Harm Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm-come-879157/) [Think Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-doing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I do not know what I can do for this world but I will not let any harm come to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-do-not-know-what-i-can-do-for-this-world-but-i-will-not-let-any/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [No harm will come to me. The Assembly is prepared to treat us leniently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoinette/no-harm-will-come-to-me-the-assembly-is-prepared-to-treat-us-leniently/) [Marie Antoinette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoinette/) > [“(...)what harm could come from just talking to someone? I learned never to ask that question again because inevitably you'll get an answer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-fisher/what-harm-could-come-from-just-talking-to-someone-i-learned-never-to/) [Julie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-fisher/) > [Harm can come about without will or action. But will and action can avert harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/harm-can-come-about-without-will-or-action-but-will-and-action-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No harm can come to me since, in whatever happens, I see only the tender hand of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/no-harm-can-come-to-me-since-in-whatever-happens-i-see-only-the/) [Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/) > [A lot of harm has come in all eras from people attached to one view of 'spiritual' truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/a-lot-of-harm-has-come-in-all-eras-from-people-attached-to-one-view/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“Please quiet your strange self lest harm come to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-giraldi/please-quiet-your-strange-self-lest-harm-come-to-you/) [William Giraldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-giraldi/) > [We're never as good as we think we are, nor as bad as we think we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/we-re-never-as-good-as-we-think-we-are-nor-as-bad-as-we-think-we-are/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [It may feel good to think you're right. But it's better to allow the possibility that you're wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/it-may-feel-good-to-think-you-re-right-but-it-s-better-to-allow-the/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [I don't have to be good because they think I'm going to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-don-t-have-to-be-good-because-they-think-i-m-going-to-be-good/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [“We’re good for each other, I think. You bring me down to earth and I make you dream big.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-west/we-re-good-for-each-other-i-think-you-bring-me-down-to-earth-and-i/) [Kasie West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-west/) > [It’s a good thing when you don’t dare do something if you don’t think it’s right. But it’s not good when you think something’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-undset/it-s-a-good-thing-when-you-don-t-dare-do-something-if-you-don-t-think/) [Sigrid Undset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-undset/) > [My friends have to remind me that it's OK to own the fact that you're good at something. I think it'll just come with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-sweatshirt/my-friends-have-to-remind-me-that-it-s-ok-to-own-the-fact-that-you-re/) [Earl Sweatshirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-sweatshirt/) > [“Sometimes, your ideas aren’t as good as you think. Other times, the world just isn’t ready for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/sometimes-your-ideas-aren-t-as-good-as-you-think-other-times-the/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [When you look good you feel good. I think I heard that from David Beckham.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-russell/when-you-look-good-you-feel-good-i-think-i-heard-that-from-david/) [George Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-russell/) ## More by Luigi Pirandello > [When a character is born, he acquires at once such an independence, even of his own author, that he can be imagined by everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/when-a-character-is-born-he-acquires-at-once-such-an-independence/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“The capacity for deluding ourselves that today's reality is the only true one, on the one hand, sustains us, but on the other, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/the-capacity-for-deluding-ourselves-that-today-s-reality-is-the-only/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [Inevitably we construct ourselves. Let me explain. I enter this house and immediately I become what I have to become, what I can become:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/inevitably-we-construct-ourselves-let-me-explain-i-enter-this-house/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [THE FATHER: But don't you see that the whole trouble lies here? In words, words. Each one of us has within him a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/the-father-but-don-t-you-see-that-the-whole-trouble-lies-here-in/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [If we have no other reality beyond the illusion, you too must not count overmuch on your reality as you feel it today, since,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-we-have-no-other-reality-beyond-the-illusion-you-too-must-not/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“This is the real drama for me; the belief that we all, you see, think of ourselves as one single person: but it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/this-is-the-real-drama-for-me-the-belief-that-we-all-you-see-think-of/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [Each of us, face to face with other men, is clothed with some sort of dignity, but we know only too well all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/each-of-us-face-to-face-with-other-men-is-clothed-with-some-sort-of/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“In his madness he became a terrifying actor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/in-his-madness-he-became-a-terrifying-actor/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [Those who understood, in fact, say: 'I mustn't do this, I mustn't do that,' so as not to commit some stupidity or other! Splendid!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/those-who-understood-in-fact-say-i-mustn-t-do-this-i-mustn-t-do-that/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“Voi credete di conoscervi se non vi costruite in qualche modo? E ch'io possa conoscervi, se non vi costruisco a modo mio? E voi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/voi-credete-di-conoscervi-se-non-vi-costruite-in-qualche-modo-e-ch-io/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“You don’t appreciate the fact that madmen are very lucky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/you-don-t-appreciate-the-fact-that-madmen-are-very-lucky/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [Here is a piece of earth. If you stand staring at it and doing nothing, what does the earth yield? Nothing. Just like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/here-is-a-piece-of-earth-if-you-stand-staring-at-it-and-doing-nothing/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [“trovarsi davanti a un pazzo sapete che significa? trovarsi davanti a uno che vi scrolla dalle fondamenta tutto quanto avete costruito in voi, attorno…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/trovarsi-davanti-a-un-pazzo-sapete-che-significa-trovarsi-davanti-a/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [We're like so many puppets hung on the wall, waiting for someone to come and move us or make us talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/we-re-like-so-many-puppets-hung-on-the-wall-waiting-for-someone-to/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [If you shut yourself up disdainfully in your ivory tower and insist that you have your own conscience and are satisfied with its approval,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-you-shut-yourself-up-disdainfully-in-your-ivory-tower-and-insist/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) [Explore all 92 Luigi Pirandello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) ## More Harm quotes > [This welfare for wealthy companies wastes taxpayer dollars, harms the environment, and makes a mockery of the recent reductions in federal social spending programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/this-welfare-for-wealthy-companies-wastes-taxpayer-dollars-harms-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I've never done anybody any harm in my entire life. No need to chase girls, I've thousands of them on Top Of The Pops,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-savile/i-ve-never-done-anybody-any-harm-in-my-entire-life-no-need-to-chase/) [Jimmy Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-savile/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [If any man has done wrong, the harm is his own. But perhaps he has not done wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-any-man-has-done-wrong-the-harm-is-his-own-but-perhaps-he-has-not/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Be Kind - If not, Bring No Harm”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-r-west/be-kind-if-not-bring-no-harm/) [Bianca R. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-r-west/) > [“In quixotically trying to conquer death doctors all too frequently do no good for their patients’ “ease” but at the same time they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/in-quixotically-trying-to-conquer-death-doctors-all-too-frequently-do/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [Speak only the speech that neither torments self nor does harm to others. That speech is truly well spoken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/speak-only-the-speech-that-neither-torments-self-nor-does-harm-to/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“I have noticed that nothing I have never said ever did me any harm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/i-have-noticed-that-nothing-i-have-never-said-ever-did-me-any-harm/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [I've said before, the number one thing that we have to work on is protecting the gay community from sharia law. Now, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foster-friess/i-ve-said-before-the-number-one-thing-that-we-have-to-work-on-is/) [Foster Friess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foster-friess/) [Browse all 2,207 Harm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If only we could see in advance all the harm that can come from the good we think we are doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Luigi Pirandello" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the-harm-that-can-come-from-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Harm" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the-harm-that-can-come-from-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c89/luigi-pirandello-4230_harm_if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the_1695536.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If only we could see in advance all the harm that can come from the good we think we are doing.” — Luigi Pirandello", "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": "Luigi Pirandello", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If only we could see in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the-harm-that-can-come-from-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-only-we-could-see-in-advance-all-the-harm-that-can-come-from-the/#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 } } ] } ```