--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How much wickedness could you do in the…" description: "\"“How much wickedness could you do in the service of good before it turned into pure evil?”\" — Nancy Farmer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png" --- # How much wickedness could you do in the service of good… ![“How much wickedness could you do in the service of good before it turned into pure evil?” quote by Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png) > ““How much wickedness could you do in the service of good before it turned into pure evil?”” [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) ## 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 become corrupt when the means used become harmful, blurring moral lines. **In simple terms:** Good can turn evil if methods are bad. Key Takeaway Question the ethics of your actions. Themes morality corruption intent vs. outcome ethical dilemmas Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political activism - scientific research - military interventions - personal decisions Key Concepts utilitarianism moral relativism means‑and‑ends Questions to Reflect On - When have you justified a harmful act for a good cause? - Can ends ever justify means? A Different Perspective Sometimes evil is unintended, not always deliberate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Pure evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-evil/) [Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness/) ## Related quotes > [You hide your instinctive self and instead create a social self with lies. That's how people are able to get along with each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/you-hide-your-instinctive-self-and-instead-create-a-social-self-with/) [Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/) > [The combative instinct is a savage prompting by which one man's good is found in another's evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/the-combative-instinct-is-a-savage-prompting-by-which-one-man-s-good/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“Among wise men there is no place at all left for hatred. For no one except the greatest of fools would hate good men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/among-wise-men-there-is-no-place-at-all-left-for-hatred-for-no-one/) [Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/) > [We desperately need to understand something of the magnitude of sin, of evil, and of gross wickedness in this world if we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hunt/we-desperately-need-to-understand-something-of-the-magnitude-of-sin/) [Dave Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hunt/) > [The evils of popular government appear greater than they are; there is compensation for them in spirit and energy it awakens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-evils-of-popular-government-appear-greater-than-they-are-there-is/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“He made a pit and digged it. He was cunning in his plans and industrious in his labors. He stooped to the dirty work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/he-made-a-pit-and-digged-it-he-was-cunning-in-his-plans-and/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [A wicked mortal is not the idea of God. He is little else than the expression of error. To suppose that sin, lust, hatred,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/a-wicked-mortal-is-not-the-idea-of-god-he-is-little-else-than-the/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) > [I like my villains clever, deep, and driven by pure evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-barton/i-like-my-villains-clever-deep-and-driven-by-pure-evil/) [Fiona Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-barton/) > [“Talaith leaned forward, studied her youngest daughter. “You think you’re evil?” “Pure evil,” Izzy clarified, which got her a rather vicious glare from Rhi.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/talaith-leaned-forward-studied-her-youngest-daughter-you-think-you-re/) [G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/) > [“Of course, apologies are rarely acceptable to true believers - or to anyone who believes in \*pure\* good, or in pure evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/of-course-apologies-are-rarely-acceptable-to-true-believers-or-to/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“We can't sit around discussing pure evil without tea and biscuits, Iz. It's just not done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/we-can-t-sit-around-discussing-pure-evil-without-tea-and-biscuits-iz/) [G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/) > [“The acceptable is unacceptable. The truth is a lie. The good is pure evil. Even freedom has become a prison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-acceptable-is-unacceptable-the-truth-is-a-lie-the-good-is-pure/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“My heart is pure. Pure evil!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/my-heart-is-pure-pure-evil/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [“price. There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil, least of all in people. In the best of us there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/price-there-is-no-such-thing-as-pure-good-or-pure-evil-least-of-all/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“Chad stared at his publicist/babysitter/daughter of Satan. “Jesus, woman, I do not envy the man you end up with.” Miss Gore’s smile was pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/chad-stared-at-his-publicist-babysitter-daughter-of-satan-jesus-woman/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) ## More by Nancy Farmer > [No one can tell the difference between a clone and a human. That's because there isn't any difference. The idea of clones being inferior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/no-one-can-tell-the-difference-between-a-clone-and-a-human-that-s/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [After all, what is suffering but an awareness of suffering?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/after-all-what-is-suffering-but-an-awareness-of-suffering/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“Do your zombies eat brains? Are they horrible and scary? They're only sad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/do-your-zombies-eat-brains-are-they-horrible-and-scary-they-re-only/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“I am one for whom dangers are play- things One who empties men of their strength as a nut from its shell The charms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/i-am-one-for-whom-dangers-are-play-things-one-who-empties-men-of/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“He's a scientist, and they know everything. Religion is crap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/he-s-a-scientist-and-they-know-everything-religion-is-crap/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“The brain is shaped by the experiences of the body, and the body is shaped by the brain. Changing one part results in lethal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/the-brain-is-shaped-by-the-experiences-of-the-body-and-the-body-is/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [Heroes, well, they don't live so long. But they're muy suave, and we all admire them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/heroes-well-they-don-t-live-so-long-but-they-re-muy-suave-and-we-all/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“I think that people have an instinct for a family. You look until you find a mother, a father, a sister, a brother. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/i-think-that-people-have-an-instinct-for-a-family-you-look-until-you/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [The other girls in the village never felt restless. Nhamo was like a pot of boiling water. 'I want...I want...,' she whispered to herself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/the-other-girls-in-the-village-never-felt-restless-nhamo-was-like-a/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“Life and death are in constant battle. There is no way in this world for happiness to exist alone...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/life-and-death-are-in-constant-battle-there-is-no-way-in-this-world/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [Slow people are just paying close attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/slow-people-are-just-paying-close-attention/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“I am she who lifts the mountains When she goes to hunt, Who wears mamba for a headband And a lion for a belt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/i-am-she-who-lifts-the-mountains-when-she-goes-to-hunt-who-wears/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“She took to reading with a fervor so extreme, Baba Joseph had to take the books from her hands by force. 'Your eyes are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/she-took-to-reading-with-a-fervor-so-extreme-baba-joseph-had-to-take/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [A little extra forgiveness never hurts," said Matt, quoting one of Celia's favorite sayings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/a-little-extra-forgiveness-never-hurts-said-matt-quoting-one-of-celia/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“Once, he'd been satisfied by the music alone. Now he had learned about friendship...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/once-he-d-been-satisfied-by-the-music-alone-now-he-had-learned-about/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) [Explore all 57 Nancy Farmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [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/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“How much wickedness could you do in the service of good before it turned into pure evil?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Farmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the-service-of-good-before-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the-service-of-good-before-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/nancy-farmer-12001_evil_how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the_667441.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How much wickedness could you do in the service of good before it turned into pure evil?” — Nancy Farmer", "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": "Nancy Farmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“How much wickedness could you do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the-service-of-good-before-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/how-much-wickedness-could-you-do-in-the-service-of-good-before-it/#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 } } ] } ```