--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: About the nature of human beings. I…" description: "\"About the nature of human beings. I discovered that confronted by temptation, we will always fall. Given the right circumstances, every human being on ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/paulo-coelho-10_circumstances_about-the-nature-of-human-beings-i-disco_773359.jpg" --- # About the nature of human beings. I discovered that… ![“About the nature of human beings. I discovered that confronted by temptation, we will always fall. Given the right circumstances, every human being on this earth would be willing to commit evil.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/paulo-coelho-10_circumstances_about-the-nature-of-human-beings-i-disco_773359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/paulo-coelho-10_circumstances_about-the-nature-of-human-beings-i-disco_773359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/paulo-coelho-10_circumstances_about-the-nature-of-human-beings-i-disco_773359.jpg) > “About the nature of human beings. I discovered that confronted by temptation, we will always fall. Given the right circumstances, every human being on this earth would be willing to commit evil.” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature is prone to temptation and evil, but circumstances influence actions. **In simple terms:** People can fall to evil under temptation. Key Takeaway Recognize and guard against temptation. Themes ethics human nature temptation Mood serious thoughtful Type ethical analytical When to use this quote - legal judgments - personal relationships - leadership decisions - social policy Key Concepts moral psychology free will Questions to Reflect On - What conditions reduce temptation? - How can societies foster moral behavior? A Different Perspective Not everyone will commit evil; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temptation/) ## Related quotes > [“Given the right circumstances, every human being n this earth would be willing to commit evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/given-the-right-circumstances-every-human-being-n-this-earth-would-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“A man, who does not commit an evil act either, has no opportunity or the stomach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/a-man-who-does-not-commit-an-evil-act-either-has-no-opportunity-or/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Man is, perhaps, no more prone to war than he used to be and no more inclined to commit other evil deeds. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/man-is-perhaps-no-more-prone-to-war-than-he-used-to-be-and-no-more/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [The worst people on earth are not only those who commit evil, but those who stand by and turn a blind eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-jal/the-worst-people-on-earth-are-not-only-those-who-commit-evil-but/) [Emmanuel Jal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-jal/) > [No man, perhaps, is so wicked as to commit evil for its own sake. Evil is generally committed under the hope of some advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/no-man-perhaps-is-so-wicked-as-to-commit-evil-for-its-own-sake-evil/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [Over the years I have come to believe that life is full of unchosen circumstances, that being human has to do with the evolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-shinoda-bolen/over-the-years-i-have-come-to-believe-that-life-is-full-of-unchosen/) [Jean Shinoda Bolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-shinoda-bolen/) > [Order always weighs on the individual. Disorder makes him wish for the police or for death. 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They commit their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/people-do-evil-things-because-they-are-evil-some-people-are-evil-in/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [Some people give themselves over to their most evil desires, and those people becomes evil. But in general, it's reductive to think of evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-james/some-people-give-themselves-over-to-their-most-evil-desires-and-those/) [Bill James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-james/) > [God is the solitude of men. There was only me: I alone decided to commit Evil; alone, I invented Good. I am the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/god-is-the-solitude-of-men-there-was-only-me-i-alone-decided-to/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/men-never-commit-evil-so-fully-and-joyfully-as-when-they-do-it-for/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“One doesn't commit evil actions in the belief that one is acting wrongly. What allows one to commit such acts is the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/una-mccormack/one-doesn-t-commit-evil-actions-in-the-belief-that-one-is-acting/) [Una McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/una-mccormack/) > [Later, with time, I learned that although all men are capable of good and evil, the worst among them are those who, when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/later-with-time-i-learned-that-although-all-men-are-capable-of-good/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. 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I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. 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There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Circumstances quotes > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. 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You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 4,560 Circumstances quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "About the nature of human beings. I discovered that confronted by temptation, we will always fall. 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