--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I may not be the devil, but I know just…" description: "\"I may not be the devil, but I know just how he feels.\" — Neil Young" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg" --- # I may not be the devil, but I know just how he feels. ![“I may not be the devil, but I know just how he feels.” quote by Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg) > “I may not be the devil, but I know just how he feels.” [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empathy allows one to understand even the darkest aspects of humanity, despite not being the source of that darkness. **In simple terms:** Understanding others' pain builds connection. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy for all perspectives. Themes empathy humanity darkness Mood reflective compassionate Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - conflict resolution - artistic storytelling Key Concepts psychology moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can empathy coexist with accountability? - How does understanding pain influence your actions? A Different Perspective Empathy may not change harmful behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-know-261643/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [I may not be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-may-not-be/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Just Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-feels/) [Know Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-just/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) ## Related quotes > [You don't trade in the devil you know for the one you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-rinaldi/you-don-t-trade-in-the-devil-you-know-for-the-one-you-don-t-know/) [Ann Rinaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-rinaldi/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) > [Does the devil know he is a devil?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/does-the-devil-know-he-is-a-devil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My mother used to say, better the devil you know than the one you don’t. I say, if you’re living with the devil, kick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/my-mother-used-to-say-better-the-devil-you-know-than-the-one-you-don/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [“Better the devil you know. I wonder why the only choice is twixt two devils, tho.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/better-the-devil-you-know-i-wonder-why-the-only-choice-is-twixt-two/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [Its the devil, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/its-the-devil-you-know/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [“How do I know you're not the devil?" I whisper to Noah, my lips touching his. I can feel his smile against my mouth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-doller/how-do-i-know-you-re-not-the-devil-i-whisper-to-noah-my-lips-touching/) [Trish Doller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-doller/) > [It is better to deal with the devil we know than the devil we dont know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/it-is-better-to-deal-with-the-devil-we-know-than-the-devil-we-dont/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The devil you know is better than the angel you dnt know!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-devil-you-know-is-better-than-the-angel-you-dnt-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Better the devil I know., than the saint I do not know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorcas/better-the-devil-i-know-than-the-saint-i-do-not-know/) [Dorcas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorcas/) > [Know who you are in Christ. Then stand on it and let the devil know that you are not for sell! Let him know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa/know-who-you-are-in-christ-then-stand-on-it-and-let-the-devil-know/) [Lisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa/) > [In every man's heart there is a devil, but we do not know the man as bad until the devil is roused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-oliver-curwood/in-every-man-s-heart-there-is-a-devil-but-we-do-not-know-the-man-as/) [James Oliver Curwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-oliver-curwood/) > [“Often times, none but the devil know your pain. I speak not of the fires of hell, but the fall from heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/often-times-none-but-the-devil-know-your-pain-i-speak-not-of-the/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [The devil you don't know is better than the devil you know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-devil-you-don-t-know-is-better-than-the-devil-you-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Better the devil you know than the angel you don't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hama-tuma/better-the-devil-you-know-than-the-angel-you-don-t/) [Hama Tuma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hama-tuma/) ## More by Neil Young > [A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realise that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl and that’s because the record companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/a-lot-of-people-that-buy-vinyl-today-don-t-realise-that-they-re/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Let's roll for justice, let's roll for truth. Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/let-s-roll-for-justice-let-s-roll-for-truth-let-s-not-let-our/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them. And I try to forgive them anyway I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/don-t-feel-like-satan-but-i-am-to-them-and-i-try-to-forgive-them/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I never knew a man could tell so many lies, he had a different story for every set of eyes. How can he remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-never-knew-a-man-could-tell-so-many-lies-he-had-a-different-story/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-s-the-woman-in-you-that-makes-you-want-to-play-this-game/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Keep it moving. Don't hoard. Money's no good, get rid of it. Turn it into people doing things. Turn it into jobs. Turn it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/keep-it-moving-don-t-hoard-money-s-no-good-get-rid-of-it-turn-it-into/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [My dad passed away...and suddenly I found myself at the top of the tree and looking at the sky instead of at my mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/my-dad-passed-away-and-suddenly-i-found-myself-at-the-top-of-the-tree/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [The Arabic states have to be integrated into the Iraqi reconstruction. We need the help of the Arabic community, which understands its culture. Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/the-arabic-states-have-to-be-integrated-into-the-iraqi-reconstruction/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Said the condor to the preying mantis, we're gonna lose this place just like we lost Atlantis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/said-the-condor-to-the-preying-mantis-we-re-gonna-lose-this-place/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [With Crazy Horse, it's all one big, growing, smoldering sound, and I'm part of it. It's like gliding, or some sort of natural surfing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/with-crazy-horse-it-s-all-one-big-growing-smoldering-sound-and-i-m/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [It doesn't mean that much to me to mean that much to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-doesn-t-mean-that-much-to-me-to-mean-that-much-to-you/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Cocaine eyes won't hide your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/cocaine-eyes-won-t-hide-your-face/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Now I'm livin' out here on the beach, but those seagulls are still out of reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/now-i-m-livin-out-here-on-the-beach-but-those-seagulls-are-still-out/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I've always been better moving than I am standing still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-ve-always-been-better-moving-than-i-am-standing-still/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Don't think. The worst songs I've ever written happen when I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/don-t-think-the-worst-songs-i-ve-ever-written-happen-when-i-think/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) [Explore all 317 Neil Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) [Michael Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arnold/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I may not be the devil, but I know just how he feels.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Young" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-how-he-feels/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-how-he-feels/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/neil-young-969_devil_i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-h_2521150.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I may not be the devil, but I know just how he feels.” — Neil Young", "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": "Neil Young", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I may not be the devil,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-how-he-feels/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-may-not-be-the-devil-but-i-know-just-how-he-feels/#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 } } ] } ```