--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is an awful, an appalling thought…" description: "\"It is an awful, an appalling thought, that we may be, this moment and every moment, in the presence of malignant spirits.\" — Richard Whately" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/richard-whately-3892_appalling_it-is-an-awful-an-appalling-thought-that_835876.png" --- # It is an awful, an appalling thought, that we may be, this… ![“It is an awful, an appalling thought, that we may be, this moment and every moment, in the presence of malignant spirits.” quote by Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/richard-whately-3892_appalling_it-is-an-awful-an-appalling-thought-that_835876.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/richard-whately-3892_appalling_it-is-an-awful-an-appalling-thought-that_835876.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/richard-whately-3892_appalling_it-is-an-awful-an-appalling-thought-that_835876.png) > “It is an awful, an appalling thought, that we may be, this moment and every moment, in the presence of malignant spirits.” [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human experience may be haunted by unseen malevolent forces. **In simple terms:** Malignant spirits could be present constantly. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant and cultivate moral clarity. Themes spirituality morality fear Mood contemplative skeptical Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - daily life - religious practice - ethical decision making Key Concepts metaphysics evil Questions to Reflect On - Do you believe in unseen influences? - How does fear of the unknown shape behavior? A Different Perspective The claim lacks empirical evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appalling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling/) [Appalling Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling-thought-599122/) [Awful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful/) [Awful Appalling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful-appalling-599125/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Malignant Spirits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malignant-spirits-599123/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Presence Malignant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presence-malignant-599124/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“He knew he could devastate her and drive her from him with a handful of well-chosen sentences. 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Any or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/the-quality-of-writing-attracts-me-to-films-also-who-the-other-actors/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [All my friends' mothers were appalling women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/all-my-friends-mothers-were-appalling-women/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Every other writer's process is sort of vaguely scary and appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/every-other-writer-s-process-is-sort-of-vaguely-scary-and-appalling/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“Life is short and the number of books is appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/life-is-short-and-the-number-of-books-is-appalling/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [All of television's appalling, but this is hardly a new statement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/all-of-television-s-appalling-but-this-is-hardly-a-new-statement/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“I’m tired of the news. I’m tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren’t, and deals so simplistically with what’s truly appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/i-m-tired-of-the-news-i-m-tired-of-the-way-it-makes-things-2/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [New York is appalling, fantastically charmless and elaborately dire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/new-york-is-appalling-fantastically-charmless-and-elaborately-dire/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The economic and social decline of Zimbabwe is shocking and appalling. Life there is unrecognisable from that of the recent past. 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