---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: as I get older there is nothing more…"
description: "\"as I get older there is nothing more constantly astonishing to me than the goodness of the Bad; - unless it is the badness of the Good.\" — Margaret Deland"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/margaret-deland-7843_astonishing_as-i-get-older-there-is-nothing-more-con_407099.png"
---

#  as I get older there is nothing more constantly…

![“as I get older there is nothing more constantly astonishing to me than the goodness of the Bad; - unless it is the badness of the Good.” quote by Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/margaret-deland-7843_astonishing_as-i-get-older-there-is-nothing-more-con_407099.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/margaret-deland-7843_astonishing_as-i-get-older-there-is-nothing-more-con_407099.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/margaret-deland-7843_astonishing_as-i-get-older-there-is-nothing-more-con_407099.png)

> “as I get older there is nothing more constantly astonishing to me than the goodness of the Bad; - unless it is the badness of the Good.”

[Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker is amazed by how goodness can appear in bad things and vice versa, highlighting moral ambiguity.

**In simple terms:** Good and bad can mix in unexpected ways.

Key Takeaway

Embrace moral complexity.

Themes

morality paradox perception humanity

Mood

contemplative thoughtful poetic

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- literary analysis
- ethical decision making
- social observation

Key Concepts

ethical relativism psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What examples of moral paradox have you seen?
- Can we trust appearances?

A Different Perspective

Goodness can be a coping mechanism, not always genuine.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/)

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> [All the best of the monsters played for sympathy. That goes for my father, Karloff, myself and all the others. They all won the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lon-chaney-jr/all-the-best-of-the-monsters-played-for-sympathy-that-goes-for-my/)

Lon Chaney, Jr

> [A bad man can do a million times more harm than a beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-bad-man-can-do-a-million-times-more-harm-than-a-beast/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [“But the greatest cause of verbicide is the fact that most people are obviously far more anxious to express their approval and disapproval of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/but-the-greatest-cause-of-verbicide-is-the-fact-that-most-people-are/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [“They don't go into what is the cause of goodness, so why of the other shop? If lewdies are good that's because they like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/they-don-t-go-into-what-is-the-cause-of-goodness-so-why-of-the-other/)

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> [The first link between my soul and Christ is not my goodness but my badness, not my merit but my misery, not my riches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-first-link-between-my-soul-and-christ-is-not-my-goodness-but-my/)

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## More by Margaret Deland

> [What I object to in Mother is that she wants me to think her thoughts. Apart from the question of hypocrisy, I prefer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/what-i-object-to-in-mother-is-that-she-wants-me-to-think-her-thoughts/)

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[Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

> [War is wicked, beause it is murder and hate. And it is foolish, because hate and murder can only destroy people's bodies, not change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/war-is-wicked-beause-it-is-murder-and-hate-and-it-is-foolish-because/)

[Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

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[Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

> [the attempt to break a habit of years is necessarily experimental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-deland/the-attempt-to-break-a-habit-of-years-is-necessarily-experimental/)

[Margaret Deland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

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[Explore all 87 Margaret Deland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-deland/)

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> [It's astonishing what you learn and feel and see along the way. That's why a reporter's job, as you know, is such a joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/it-s-astonishing-what-you-learn-and-feel-and-see-along-the-way-that-s/)

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Browse all 410 Astonishing quotes

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