--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The alternative to villains who have done…" description: "\"“The alternative to villains who have done something wrong is a universe where bad things sometimes happen to people who don’t deserve them.”\" — Megan ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png" --- # The alternative to villains who have done something wrong… ![“The alternative to villains who have done something wrong is a universe where bad things sometimes happen to people who don’t deserve them.” quote by Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png) > ““The alternative to villains who have done something wrong is a universe where bad things sometimes happen to people who don’t deserve them.”” [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It points out that bad events can affect innocent people, challenging the belief that outcomes always reflect moral desert. **In simple terms:** Bad things happen to good people, questioning fairness. Key Takeaway Recognize that outcomes aren’t always deserved. Themes justice fairness moral luck inequality Mood thoughtful critical Type ethical analytical When to use this quote - natural disasters - health crises - economic downturns - unearned suffering Key Concepts ethics philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek moral explanations for random suffering? - How does this view affect empathy? A Different Perspective Not all suffering is deserved, but this can be hard to accept. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alternative Villains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternative-villains-5959805/) [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Universe Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-bad-338518/) [Villains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/villains/) [Villains Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/villains-wrong-5959806/) [Wrong Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-universe-1060669/) ## Related quotes > [We are not important to the universe. That's the bad news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/we-are-not-important-to-the-universe-that-s-the-bad-news/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [“Hello Stonehedge!!!! who takes the Pandorica takes the Universe!! but bad news everyone. cause guess who! HAH! Except you lot your all Whizzing about,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-eleventh-doctor/hello-stonehedge-who-takes-the-pandorica-takes-the-universe-but-bad/) [The Eleventh Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-eleventh-doctor/) > [If the universe is so bad...how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-the-universe-is-so-bad-how-on-earth-did-human-beings-ever-come-to/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The universe was bad enough without people poking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-was-bad-enough-without-people-poking-it/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/if-you-think-this-universe-is-bad-you-should-see-some-of-the-others/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“Bad guys have only one enemy: The Universe; but the good guys have two enemies: The universe and the bad guys!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/bad-guys-have-only-one-enemy-the-universe-but-the-good-guys-have-two/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always thought something was fundamentally wrong with the universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/i-always-thought-something-was-fundamentally-wrong-with-the-universe/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“All this gave way to my first encounter with guilt, which is still something entirely inscrutable to me, as if aliens were sending transmissions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/all-this-gave-way-to-my-first-encounter-with-guilt-which-is-still/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [There is a right and a wrong in the universe, and the distinction between the two is not that difficult to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-s-maggin-2/there-is-a-right-and-a-wrong-in-the-universe-and-the-distinction/) [Elliot S. Maggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-s-maggin-2/) > [Looking for Narnia? You’re in the wrong universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/looking-for-narnia-you-re-in-the-wrong-universe/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [What do you get if you multiply six by nine?" "Six by nine. Forty two." "That's it. That's all there is." "I always thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/what-do-you-get-if-you-multiply-six-by-nine-six-by-nine-forty-two/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [If there's nothing wrong with me...maybe there's something wrong with the universe! -Beverly Crusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-trek/if-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-me-maybe-there-s-something-wrong-with/) [Star Trek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/star-trek/) > [Yet I have said over and over again that there is no "right" or "wrong" in the universe. A thing is not intrinsically right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/yet-i-have-said-over-and-over-again-that-there-is-no-right-or-wrong/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Now, you can say that your Daddy is right and the other little child’s Daddy is wrong, but the Universe is an awfully big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/now-you-can-say-that-your-daddy-is-right-and-the-other-little-child-s/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Elektra isn't a villain and isn't a good girl, but as Frank Miller said, she is one of the villains with a weak streak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elodie-yung/elektra-isn-t-a-villain-and-isn-t-a-good-girl-but-as-frank-miller/) [Elodie Yung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elodie-yung/) ## More by Megan McArdle > [It is a vast, and pervasive, cognitive mistake to assume that people who agree with you (or disagree) do so on the same criteria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/it-is-a-vast-and-pervasive-cognitive-mistake-to-assume-that-people/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Dweck encourages parents and teachers to praise children for their effort, rather than their intelligence, talent, or looks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/dweck-encourages-parents-and-teachers-to-praise-children-for-their/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“If they’re forced into a challenge they don’t feel prepared for, they may even engage in what psychologists call “self-handicapping”: deliberately doing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/if-they-re-forced-into-a-challenge-they-don-t-feel-prepared-for-they/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [We have made it impossible for children to fall very far—and in so doing, we have robbed them of the joys of climbing high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/we-have-made-it-impossible-for-children-to-fall-very-far-and-in-so/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [The up side of down: why failing well is the key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-up-side-of-down-why-failing-well-is-the-key-to-success/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Most of all, learning to fail well means overcoming our natural instincts to blame someone—maybe ourselves—whenever something goes wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/most-of-all-learning-to-fail-well-means-overcoming-our-natural/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [Over the years, I developed a theory about why writers are such procrastinators: We were too good in English class. This sounds crazy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/over-the-years-i-developed-a-theory-about-why-writers-are-such/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“...simple things, but each error made the other ones more dangerous, like sticks of kindling to a roaring fire”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/simple-things-but-each-error-made-the-other-ones-more-dangerous-like/) [megan mcardle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“object is to take lots of small, manageable risks, because that, he says, is the only way to figure out what really works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/object-is-to-take-lots-of-small-manageable-risks-because-that-he-says/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [If we wanted a program to help the majority of the population, we'd offer loan guarantees to help poor people get access to reliable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/if-we-wanted-a-program-to-help-the-majority-of-the-population-we-d/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“If they’re forced into a challenge they don’t feel prepared for, they may even engage in what psychologists call “self-handicapping”: deliberately doing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/if-they-re-forced-into-a-challenge-they-don-t-feel-prepared-for-they-2/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“the people who dislike challenges think that talent is a fixed thing that you’re either born with or not. The people who relish them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-people-who-dislike-challenges-think-that-talent-is-a-fixed-thing/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Like most people, I couldn't let go of the money we'd wasted. That's why so many people eat awful meals, watch horrible movies, read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/like-most-people-i-couldn-t-let-go-of-the-money-we-d-wasted-that-s/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [“Writers who don’t produce copy—or leave it so long that they couldn’t possibly produce something good—are giving themselves the perfect excuse for not succeeding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/writers-who-don-t-produce-copy-or-leave-it-so-long-that-they-couldn-t/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) > [I'd also like us to encourage people to gang rush shooters, rather than following their instincts to hide; if we drilled it into young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/i-d-also-like-us-to-encourage-people-to-gang-rush-shooters-rather/) [Megan McArdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) [Explore all 22 Megan McArdle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The alternative to villains who have done something wrong is a universe where bad things sometimes happen to people who don’t deserve them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Megan McArdle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-done-something-wrong-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad thing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-done-something-wrong-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dff/megan-mcardle-26163_bad-thing_the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-don_770992.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The alternative to villains who have done something wrong is a universe where bad things sometimes happen to…” — Megan McArdle", "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": "Megan McArdle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mcardle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The alternative to villains who have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-done-something-wrong-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mcardle/the-alternative-to-villains-who-have-done-something-wrong-is-a/#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 } } ] } ```