---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or…"
description: "\"“You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or making people feel guilty, but only by revealing it toward it is, and then seeing the good as better.”\" — Ri..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png"
---

#  You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or making people…

![“You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or making people feel guilty, but only by revealing it toward it is, and then seeing the good as better.” quote by Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png)

> ““You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or making people feel guilty, but only by revealing it toward it is, and then seeing the good as better.””

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Evil cannot be suppressed by shame; confronting it openly reveals its nature and allows good to prevail.

**In simple terms:** Shame hides evil; confronting it reveals goodness.

Key Takeaway

Confront problems rather than shame.

Themes

morality spirituality psychology justice growth

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- social activism
- counseling

Key Concepts

confrontation revelation ethical development

Questions to Reflect On

- What does confronting evil look like for you?
- How can you transform shame into insight?

A Different Perspective

Shame can sometimes motivate change.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Contain Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contain-evil-1015048/) [Counseling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counseling/) [Discipleship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipleship/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Shaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-shaming-1015047/) [Guilty Revealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty-revealing-1015049/) [Sanctification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctification/) [Shaming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shaming/)

## Related quotes

> [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/)

[Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/)

> [I think sometimes people say a comment and don't realise they're body shaming. I don't think people are body-shamers, maybe just body-judgers. People will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-flack/i-think-sometimes-people-say-a-comment-and-don-t-realise-they-re-body/)

[Caroline Flack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-flack/)

> [The shaming of Washington, insofar as it is even possible, is a very noble pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/the-shaming-of-washington-insofar-as-it-is-even-possible-is-a-very/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [Public shaming is a blood sport that has to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/public-shaming-is-a-blood-sport-that-has-to-stop/)

[Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/)

> [It is also a warning. It is a warning that, if nobody reads the writing on the wall, man will be reduced to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-also-a-warning-it-is-a-warning-that-if-nobody-reads-the-writing/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [It's supposed to feel good to throw a brick at the right people. There is a long tradition of naming and ridiculing and shaming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/it-s-supposed-to-feel-good-to-throw-a-brick-at-the-right-people-there/)

[John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/)

> [“...research tells us that we judge people in areas where we're vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we're doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/research-tells-us-that-we-judge-people-in-areas-where-we-re/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [“The inner voice we sometimes hear shaming us is not that of the witness, which is indifferent to our ups and downs. Self-accusation is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-fuller/the-inner-voice-we-sometimes-hear-shaming-us-is-not-that-of-the/)

[Robert W. Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-fuller/)

> [Weight is a number you can change but shaming one self is damaging and toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-bhasin/weight-is-a-number-you-can-change-but-shaming-one-self-is-damaging/)

[Neha Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-bhasin/)

> [“A wronged person is still a wronged person even if they're an unfashionable wronged person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-jonson/a-wronged-person-is-still-a-wronged-person-even-if-they-re-an/)

[Ron Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-jonson/)

> [“It is shaming sometimes, how the body will not, or cannot, lie about emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/it-is-shaming-sometimes-how-the-body-will-not-or-cannot-lie-about/)

[Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/)

> [People have got to stop fat-shaming and writing bad stuff. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be around for a long time. Get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-collins/people-have-got-to-stop-fat-shaming-and-writing-bad-stuff-i-m-not/)

[Gemma Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-collins/)

> [Shaming happens every day online, it happens all the time. I can be skinny shamed and fat shamed in the same day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vogue-williams/shaming-happens-every-day-online-it-happens-all-the-time-i-can-be/)

[Vogue Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vogue-williams/)

> [Stop baby shaming people to make us feel like there's something wrong with us if we don't want children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannie-mai/stop-baby-shaming-people-to-make-us-feel-like-there-s-something-wrong/)

[Jeannie Mai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannie-mai/)

> [Age-shaming women is abhorrent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/age-shaming-women-is-abhorrent/)

[Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/)

## More by Richard Rohr

> [“We have become human doings more than human beings, and the verb “rest,” as Jesus uses it, is largely foreign to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-have-become-human-doings-more-than-human-beings-and-the-verb-rest/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [In my opinion, most organized religion does neither agentic service nor relational nurturance very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-my-opinion-most-organized-religion-does-neither-agentic-service/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-we-do-not-transform-our-pain-we-will-most-assuredly-transmit-it/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [In solitude, at last, we’re able to let God define us the way we are always supposed to be defined—by relationship: the I-thou relationship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-solitude-at-last-we-re-able-to-let-god-define-us-the-way-we-are/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [Pain and suffering that are not transformed are usually projected onto others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/pain-and-suffering-that-are-not-transformed-are-usually-projected/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“In the end, we do not so much reclaim what we have lost as discover a significantly new self in and through the process.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/in-the-end-we-do-not-so-much-reclaim-what-we-have-lost-as-discover-a/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain. If we do not transform our pain, we will transmit it to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/all-great-spirituality-is-about-what-we-do-with-our-pain-if-we-do-not/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“I would wonder if you could be a hero or heroine if you did not live in deep time, that is, Past, present, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/i-would-wonder-if-you-could-be-a-hero-or-heroine-if-you-did-not-live/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [Nature is the one song of praise that never stops singing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/nature-is-the-one-song-of-praise-that-never-stops-singing/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“I believe contemplation shows us that nothing inside us is as bad as our hatred and denial of the bad. Hating and denying it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/i-believe-contemplation-shows-us-that-nothing-inside-us-is-as-bad-as/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [We don't have much wisdom about the second half when things really open up and end up looking a lot more progressive. In my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/we-don-t-have-much-wisdom-about-the-second-half-when-things-really/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [If you do not transform your wounds you will transmit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/if-you-do-not-transform-your-wounds-you-will-transmit-them/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [The real spiritual journey is work. You can make a naïve assertion that you trust in Jesus, but until it is tested a good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-real-spiritual-journey-is-work-you-can-make-a-na-ve-assertion/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

> [“The soul needs meaning as much as the body needs food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-soul-needs-meaning-as-much-as-the-body-needs-food/)

[Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

[Explore all 443 Richard Rohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/)

## More Counseling quotes

> [“Author says her father was so diplomatic that when people came to him for solutions, people not only accepted them, but they believed they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immaculee-ilibagiza/author-says-her-father-was-so-diplomatic-that-when-people-came-to-him/)

[Immaculee Ilibagiza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immaculee-ilibagiza/)

> [The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-american-people-intuitively-understand-this-which-is-why-the/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“The Crucified is the One most traumatized. He has borne the World Trade Center. He has carried the Iraq war, the destruction in Syria,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-langberg/the-crucified-is-the-one-most-traumatized-he-has-borne-the-world/)

[Diane Langberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-langberg/)

> [The state of Indiana has also sought to make sure we expand alternatives in healthcare counseling for women, non-abortion alternatives, and I'm also very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-state-of-indiana-has-also-sought-to-make-sure-we-expand/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [“Nouthetic counseling, then, necessarily embodies involvement of the deepest sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-e-adams/nouthetic-counseling-then-necessarily-embodies-involvement-of-the/)

[Jay E. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-e-adams/)

> [“To establish a Scriptural counseling relationship, the speaker says we must know the person to the level that they feel like they are known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-welch/to-establish-a-scriptural-counseling-relationship-the-speaker-says-we/)

[Ed Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-welch/)

> [ The overall goal \[of counseling\] is to help family members become 'systems experts' who could know \[their\] family system so well that the family… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bowen/the-overall-goal-of-counseling-is-to-help-family-members-become/)

[Murray Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bowen/)

> [“Meditation is better than counseling. It keeps me sane in this crazy world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandt-legg/meditation-is-better-than-counseling-it-keeps-me-sane-in-this-crazy/)

[Brandt Legg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandt-legg/)

> [ That's part of what I touch on in my \[UN\] speech - when assaults happen on women and girls in these fragile countries, in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/that-s-part-of-what-i-touch-on-in-my-un-speech-when-assaults-happen/)

[Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/)

> [“ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) Counseling can break the cycle in your family. Did you parent your parents? Chaos seem normal? Unhappiness is expected?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiritual-healing/acoa-adult-children-of-alcoholics-counseling-can-break-the-cycle-in/)

[Spiritual Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spiritual-healing/)

> [“It wasn't uncommon to hear rationalizations of this sort--the longing to transform bad deeds into good ones. No one ever wanted to hear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/it-wasn-t-uncommon-to-hear-rationalizations-of-this-sort-the-longing/)

[Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/)

> [I went to a counselor for years, and it wasn't the kind of counseling to help you - it was the 'Let's make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-mua/i-went-to-a-counselor-for-years-and-it-wasn-t-the-kind-of-counseling/)

[Manny MUA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-mua/)

> [“Being divorced does not necessarily make one’s advice on marriage useless … or useful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/being-divorced-does-not-necessarily-make-one-s-advice-on-marriage/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Preaching is personal counseling on a group basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/preaching-is-personal-counseling-on-a-group-basis/)

[Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/)

> [ Given this president \[Donald Trump\] and his lack of military experience, I think it actually might be a good thing to have someone who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/given-this-president-donald-trump-and-his-lack-of-military-experience/)

[Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/)

[Browse all 165 Counseling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counseling/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or making people feel guilty, but only by revealing it toward it is, and then seeing the good as better.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Rohr"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or-making-people-feel-guilty/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Counseling"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or-making-people-feel-guilty/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/richard-rohr-618_counseling_you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or_2496170.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You cannot contain evil by shaming it, or making people feel guilty, but only by revealing it toward it is…” — Richard Rohr",
                "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": "Richard Rohr",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You cannot contain evil by shaming...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or-making-people-feel-guilty/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-contain-evil-by-shaming-it-or-making-people-feel-guilty/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
