--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not interested in absolute moral…" description: "\"“I'm not interested in absolute moral judgments. Just think of what it means to be a good man or a bad one. What, after all, is the measure of differen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/norman-mailer-839_character_i-m-not-interested-in-absolute-moral-jud_2374563.png" --- # I'm not interested in absolute moral judgments. Just think… ![“I'm not interested in absolute moral judgments. Just think of what it means to be a good man or a bad one. What, after all, is the measure of difference? The good guy may be 65 per cent good and 35 per cent bad—that's a very good guy. The average decent fellow might be 54 per cent good, 46 per…” quote by Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/norman-mailer-839_character_i-m-not-interested-in-absolute-moral-jud_2374563.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/norman-mailer-839_character_i-m-not-interested-in-absolute-moral-jud_2374563.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/norman-mailer-839_character_i-m-not-interested-in-absolute-moral-jud_2374563.png) > ““I'm not interested in absolute moral judgments. Just think of what it means to be a good man or a bad one. What, after all, is the measure of difference? The good guy may be 65 per cent good and 35 per cent bad—that's a very good guy. The average decent fellow might be 54 per cent good, 46 per cent bad—and the average mean spirit is the reverse. So say I'm 60 per cent bad and 40 per cent good—for that, must I suffer eternal punishment? "Heaven and Hell make no sense if the majority of humans are a complex mixture of good and evil. There's no reason to receive a reward if you're 57/43—why sit around forever in an elevated version of Club Med? That's almost impossible to contemplate.”” [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral character is a blend of good and bad; judging by pure absolutes is unrealistic and unfair. **In simple terms:** People are mixes of good and bad; absolutes don’t work. Key Takeaway Accept moral complexity, avoid simplistic judgments. Themes morality complexity judgment fairness Mood thoughtful critical philosophical Type essay philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - legal decisions - parenting - community leadership Key Concepts ethical relativism human nature philosophy of good andevil Questions to Reflect On - Can we hold people accountable while acknowledging complexity? - Where is the line between good and evil? A Different Perspective It may excuse harmful behavior by over‑emphasizing nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average Decent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-decent-5859808/) [Bad Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-good/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Good evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-evil/) [Good guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-guy/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Guy Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-average-1280560/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heaven and hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven-and-hell/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) ## Related quotes > [Scorsese and De Niro taught me to bring out the natural side of myself. 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Just think of what it means to be a good man or a bad one. What, after all, is the measure of difference? The good guy may be 65 per cent good and 35 per cent bad—that's a very good guy. The average decent fellow might be 54 per cent good, 46 per cent bad—and the average mean spirit is the reverse. So say I'm 60 per cent bad and 40 per cent good—for that, must I suffer eternal punishment? \"Heaven and Hell make no sense if the majority of humans are a complex mixture of good and evil. There's no reason to receive a reward if you're 57/43—why sit around forever in an elevated version of Club Med? 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