--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Goodness has never been a guarantee of…" description: "\"Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.\" — Madeleine L'Engle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png" --- # Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety. ![“Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.” quote by Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png) > “Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.” [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral virtue does not automatically protect one from danger; ethical behavior and safety are independent. **In simple terms:** Virtue ≠ safety Key Takeaway Goodness alone isn’t protective Themes ethics risk human behavior vulnerability morality Mood thoughtful cautious Type aphor advice When to use this quote - evaluating leaders - personal relationships - policy making - risk assessment - team dynamics Key Concepts moral philosophy safety perception Practical Applications - ethical training programs - risk management frameworks Questions to Reflect On - When can moral actions fail to prevent harm? - How should we balance trust in character with safety protocols? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Goodness Guarantee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness-guarantee-411140/) [Guarantee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantee/) [Guarantee Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantee-safety-411141/) [Guarantees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantees/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) ## Related quotes > [In too much of the West, everyone wants the guarantee of safety, and never having to make any decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/in-too-much-of-the-west-everyone-wants-the-guarantee-of-safety-and/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [The first responsibility of the state is to guarantee the safety of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-salinas-pliego/the-first-responsibility-of-the-state-is-to-guarantee-the-safety-of/) [Ricardo Salinas Pliego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-salinas-pliego/) > [Guidance requires action, but it does not guarantee safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/guidance-requires-action-but-it-does-not-guarantee-safety/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [“Insisting that operators always follow procedures does not guarantee safety although it does usually guarantee that there is someone to blame-either for following the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-g-leveson/insisting-that-operators-always-follow-procedures-does-not-guarantee/) [Nancy G. Leveson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-g-leveson/) > [There's never any guarantee at war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/there-s-never-any-guarantee-at-war/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I guarantee the people who study are going to be successful. Nothing can replace hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-a-hrabowski-iii/i-guarantee-the-people-who-study-are-going-to-be-successful-nothing/) [Freeman A. Hrabowski III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-a-hrabowski-iii/) > [The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-only-guarantee-for-failure-is-to-stop-trying/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [We should work to guarantee that there is a midwife or health worker by every woman's side during childbirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/we-should-work-to-guarantee-that-there-is-a-midwife-or-health-worker/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) > [Spending is not caring. Spending is what politicians do instead of caring. Spending more does not guarantee success. Politicians like to measure spending because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/spending-is-not-caring-spending-is-what-politicians-do-instead-of/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Chemistry does not guarantee compatibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-chan/chemistry-does-not-guarantee-compatibility/) [Amy Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-chan/) > [An Emraan Hashmi film has come to guarantee certain ingredients: An intense, grey central character, a beautiful girl - if he gets lucky, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emraan-hashmi/an-emraan-hashmi-film-has-come-to-guarantee-certain-ingredients-an/) [Emraan Hashmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emraan-hashmi/) > [Age is no guarantee of maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawana-blackwell/age-is-no-guarantee-of-maturity/) [Lawana Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawana-blackwell/) > [Of course war is horrible, but at present it's still the only guarantee of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/of-course-war-is-horrible-but-at-present-it-s-still-the-only/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [“On the one hand, freedom of speech guarantees a lack of freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/on-the-one-hand-freedom-of-speech-guarantees-a-lack-of-freedom/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [You always want to have a winning car, but there is no guarantee that it will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimi-raikkonen/you-always-want-to-have-a-winning-car-but-there-is-no-guarantee-that/) [Kimi Raikkonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimi-raikkonen/) ## More by Madeleine L'Engle > [“One of the hardest lessons I have to learn is how not to be judgmental about people who are judgmental. When I see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/one-of-the-hardest-lessons-i-have-to-learn-is-how-not-to-be/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/inspiration-more-often-comes-during-the-work-than-before-it-because/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/you-have-to-write-the-book-that-wants-to-be-written-and-if-the-book/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Severe illness isolates those in close contact with it, because it inevitably narrows the focus of concern. To a certain extent this can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/severe-illness-isolates-those-in-close-contact-with-it-because-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/faith-is-what-makes-life-bearable-with-all-its-tragedies-and/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“Instead of rejoicing in this glorious “impossible” which gives meaning and dignity to our lives, we try to domesticate God, to make his mighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/instead-of-rejoicing-in-this-glorious-impossible-which-gives-meaning/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I have never lived before...Until this summer, I did not know what it was to be alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-have-never-lived-before-until-this-summer-i-did-not-know-what-it/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [On the other side of pain, there is still love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/on-the-other-side-of-pain-there-is-still-love/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“To love is to be vulnerable; and it is only in vulnerability and risk—not safety and security—that we overcome darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/to-love-is-to-be-vulnerable-and-it-is-only-in-vulnerability-and-risk/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“IT was the most horrible, the most repellent thing she had ever seen, far more nauseating then anything she had ever imagined with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/it-was-the-most-horrible-the-most-repellent-thing-she-had-ever-seen/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [I feel as though I'm not breathing when I'm out of his presence. He's the oxygen in my air, the sun in my universe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/i-feel-as-though-i-m-not-breathing-when-i-m-out-of-his-presence-he-s/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [My husband is my most ruthless critic... sometimes he will say, 'It's been said better before.' Of course it has. It's all been said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/my-husband-is-my-most-ruthless-critic-sometimes-he-will-say-it-s-been/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [If we aren't capable of being hurt we aren't capable of feeling joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/if-we-aren-t-capable-of-being-hurt-we-aren-t-capable-of-feeling-joy/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [God promised to make you free. He never promised to make you independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/god-promised-to-make-you-free-he-never-promised-to-make-you/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) [Explore all 660 Madeleine L'Engle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) ## More Goodness quotes > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [Love reacts with goodness towards those who ill-treat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/love-reacts-with-goodness-towards-those-who-ill-treat-it/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [the path of goodness had a name it is called Love in it we find the key to every hope and has it's root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-path-of-goodness-had-a-name-it-is-called-love-in-it-we-find-the/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [To make one good action succeed another, is the perfection of goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/to-make-one-good-action-succeed-another-is-the-perfection-of-goodness/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The living can't quit living because the world has turned terrible and people they love and need are killed. They can't because they don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-living-can-t-quit-living-because-the-world-has-turned-terrible/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [A good man therefore is a standing lesson to us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/a-good-man-therefore-is-a-standing-lesson-to-us-all/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/and-if-thy-heart-be-straight-with-god-then-every-creature-shall-be-to/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/sometimes-resilience-arrives-in-the-moment-you-discover-your-own/) [Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/) > [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) [Browse all 3,129 Goodness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madeleine L'Engle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goodness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ae/madeleine-l-engle-345_goodness_goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-s_25724.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Goodness has never been a guarantee of safety.” — Madeleine L'Engle", "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": "Madeleine L'Engle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Goodness has never been a guarantee...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/goodness-has-never-been-a-guarantee-of-safety/#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 } } ] } ```