--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What happens when good people are put…" description: "\"What happens when good people are put into an evil place? Do they triumph or does the situation dominate their past history and morality?\" — Philip Zim..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/philip-zimbardo-8654_character_what-happens-when-good-people-are-put-in_1429356.png" --- # What happens when good people are put into an evil place?… ![“What happens when good people are put into an evil place? Do they triumph or does the situation dominate their past history and morality?” quote by Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/philip-zimbardo-8654_character_what-happens-when-good-people-are-put-in_1429356.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/philip-zimbardo-8654_character_what-happens-when-good-people-are-put-in_1429356.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/863/philip-zimbardo-8654_character_what-happens-when-good-people-are-put-in_1429356.png) > “What happens when good people are put into an evil place? Do they triumph or does the situation dominate their past history and morality?” [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good people can be corrupted by hostile environments, losing moral clarity. **In simple terms:** Evil settings can erode goodness. Key Takeaway Guard against toxic surroundings. Themes morality environment psychology Mood concerned reflective Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - prison work - military service - corporate culture - political regimes Key Concepts social influence ethical erosion situational power Questions to Reflect On - How do you preserve integrity in a hostile workplace? - Can institutions protect individuals from moral decay? A Different Perspective Even strong values may be compromised under extreme pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-people/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Triumph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/triumph/) ## Related quotes > [“One of the greatest tragedies in mankind's entire history may be that morality was hijacked by religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/one-of-the-greatest-tragedies-in-mankind-s-entire-history-may-be-that/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [I try to ignore the Internet. It's an evil, evil place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-segall/i-try-to-ignore-the-internet-it-s-an-evil-evil-place/) [Ty Segall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-segall/) > [We like to think there is this core of human nature – that good people can't do bad things, and that good people will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/we-like-to-think-there-is-this-core-of-human-nature-that-good-people/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [Whoever has the power to label others as evil is automatically, or reflexively, the good person. Good people label bad people as evil. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/whoever-has-the-power-to-label-others-as-evil-is-automatically-or/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [For years I've been interested in a fundamental question concerning what I call the psychology of evil: Why is it that good people do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/for-years-i-ve-been-interested-in-a-fundamental-question-concerning/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/for-good-people-to-do-evil-things-it-takes-religion/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“What have you done to help society out today? Have you educated someone today on what's really going on in the world? Have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-g-ortiz/what-have-you-done-to-help-society-out-today-have-you-educated/) [Kenneth G. Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-g-ortiz/) > [“It's an unholy crusade against good people everywhere, all in my name. If I had a stomach, I'd be sick to it. You see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick-brennan/it-s-an-unholy-crusade-against-good-people-everywhere-all-in-my-name/) [Sean Patrick Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick-brennan/) > [Good does not triumph unless good people rise to the challenges around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/good-does-not-triumph-unless-good-people-rise-to-the-challenges/) [Alister E. 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Only some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/not-all-private-equity-people-are-evil-only-some/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Justice for some people is an evil for others. 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He didn't do a good job of keeping it there though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-zimbardo/it-was-god-who-created-hell-as-a-place-to-store-evil-he-didn-t-do-a/) [Philip Zimbardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-zimbardo/) > [That human behavior is more influenced by things outside of us than inside. The 'situation' is the external environment. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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