--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His sins seemed to be so few that he was…" description: "\"“His sins seemed to be so few that he was alarmed and groped anxiously for more, knowing he could not be without guilt.”\" — Morley Callaghan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg" --- # His sins seemed to be so few that he was alarmed and… ![“His sins seemed to be so few that he was alarmed and groped anxiously for more, knowing he could not be without guilt.” quote by Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg) > ““His sins seemed to be so few that he was alarmed and groped anxiously for more, knowing he could not be without guilt.”” [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Guilt can become addictive, driving a person to seek more wrongdoing despite fear of consequences. **In simple terms:** Guilt can fuel more sin. Key Takeaway Beware of guilt-driven actions. Themes guilt addiction morality anxiety conscience Mood reflective serious Type literary psychological When to use this quote - confessional counseling - literary analysis - personal journaling Key Concepts psychology of sin moral conflict Questions to Reflect On - What triggers the cycle of guilt? - Can guilt be transformed positively? A Different Perspective Not all guilt leads to more sin; it can also inspire reform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [“the admittance of guilt was only a fraction of the solution; the corrective action was the far greater journey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-a-falconi/the-admittance-of-guilt-was-only-a-fraction-of-the-solution-the/) S.A. Falconi > [Dont make yourself victim of inner guilt . t deprive you of your strength & confidence. Guilt feeling makes bearing shameful memories, being unable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/dont-make-yourself-victim-of-inner-guilt-t-deprive-you-of-your/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [“No. It would help if I were able to feel guilty.But the end of innocence is also the end of guilt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/no-it-would-help-if-i-were-able-to-feel-guilty-but-the-end-of/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I had children very young. You go through a period of immense guilt about being a working mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/i-had-children-very-young-you-go-through-a-period-of-immense-guilt/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) > [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/) [Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/) > [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/) Gensoumaden Saiyuki > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [If you impose morality on people, they will find ways to circumvent their guilt. They will make offerings to temples - or other places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/if-you-impose-morality-on-people-they-will-find-ways-to-circumvent/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) ## More by Morley Callaghan > [“As he still groped for that one moment, Father Dowling began to think that the whole city for years had been whispering its story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/as-he-still-groped-for-that-one-moment-father-dowling-began-to-think/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [“There is only one trait that marks the writer. He is always watching. It's a kind of trick of the mind and he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/there-is-only-one-trait-that-marks-the-writer-he-is-always-watching/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [“The last confession he heard was from a young hysterical girl who seemed to him to be making up a chain of small sins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/the-last-confession-he-heard-was-from-a-young-hysterical-girl-who/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [I had my success too soon. Three books published with Scribners in New York before I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/i-had-my-success-too-soon-three-books-published-with-scribners-in-new/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [There is only one trait that makes the writer. He is always watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/there-is-only-one-trait-that-makes-the-writer-he-is-always-watching/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [I'm probably better known for boxing with Hemingway than for anything I've written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/i-m-probably-better-known-for-boxing-with-hemingway-than-for-anything/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [“The question is," Harry whispered, trying desperately to joke, "whether it's better to be dead from the neck up or the neck down," and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/the-question-is-harry-whispered-trying-desperately-to-joke-whether-it/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [I had my success too soon. Three books published with Scribner's in New York before I was 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/i-had-my-success-too-soon-three-books-published-with-scribner-s-in/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) > [I know it may sound silly, but I think my short stories have a life and identity of their own. They crop up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/i-know-it-may-sound-silly-but-i-think-my-short-stories-have-a-life/) [Morley Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) [Explore all 10 Morley Callaghan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/) ## More Guilt quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/) Gensoumaden Saiyuki > [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [Anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anger-was-better-than-tears-better-than-grief-better-than-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Phil and Hannah had decided that Christian guilt was better than bad math”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/phil-and-hannah-had-decided-that-christian-guilt-was-better-than-bad/) [rhoda janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/) [Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/) > [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) [Browse all 2,943 Guilt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“His sins seemed to be so few that he was alarmed and groped anxiously for more, knowing he could not be without guilt.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Morley Callaghan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was-alarmed-and-groped-anxiously/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guilt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was-alarmed-and-groped-anxiously/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5a/morley-callaghan-42243_guilt_his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was_1729985.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“His sins seemed to be so few that he was alarmed and groped anxiously for more, knowing he could not be…” — Morley Callaghan", "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": "Morley Callaghan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morley-callaghan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“His sins seemed to be so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was-alarmed-and-groped-anxiously/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morley-callaghan/his-sins-seemed-to-be-so-few-that-he-was-alarmed-and-groped-anxiously/#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 } } ] } ```