---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more things are wrong the more we…"
description: "\"“The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all were right.”\" — Robert Louis Stevenson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg"
---

#  The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all…

![“The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all were right.” quote by Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg)

> ““The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all were right.””

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

## About This Quote

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

When many problems exist, people often pretend everything is fine to avoid confronting them.

**In simple terms:** Pretending all is well masks deeper issues.

Key Takeaway

Address problems directly rather than ignoring them.

Themes

denial illusion action truth

Mood

cautious thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- workplace conflicts
- public policy debates
- mental health coping

Key Concepts

cognitive dissonance social conformity avoidance

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we choose illusion over truth?
- How can honest acknowledgment improve situations?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring issues can worsen outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Act Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act-right-415192/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Things Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-wrong/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [Wrong Act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-act-891709/)

## Related quotes

> [Ask yourself is it right or wrong and act accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-graham/ask-yourself-is-it-right-or-wrong-and-act-accordingly/)

[Otto Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-graham/)

> [“Once a wrong act has been repented of and confessed, it should not be repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnabe-assohoto-and-samuel-ngewa/once-a-wrong-act-has-been-repented-of-and-confessed-it-should-not-be/)

[Barnabe Assohoto and Samuel Ngewa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barnabe-assohoto-and-samuel-ngewa/)

> [If a good person does you wrong, act as though you had not noticed it. They will make note of this and not remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-good-person-does-you-wrong-act-as-though-you-had-not-noticed-it-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We are rarely wrong when we act from impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/we-are-rarely-wrong-when-we-act-from-impulse/)

[Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/)

> [If a good person does you wrong, act as though you had not noticed it. If we practice and eye for an eye and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/if-a-good-person-does-you-wrong-act-as-though-you-had-not-noticed-it/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [If I have to go around telling everyone how great I am, then there's something wrong with my act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-paul/if-i-have-to-go-around-telling-everyone-how-great-i-am-then-there-s/)

[Les Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-paul/)

> [Morality: The theory that every human act must either be right or wrong, and that 99% of them are wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/morality-the-theory-that-every-human-act-must-either-be-right-or/)

[Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/)

> [“To live without any regret is to act right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-live-without-any-regret-is-to-act-right/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [If we permit flawed machines to make life-changing decisions on our behalf - by allowing them to pinpoint a murder suspect, to diagnose a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/if-we-permit-flawed-machines-to-make-life-changing-decisions-on-our/)

[Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/)

> [I always laugh when things go wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chirstina-aguilera/i-always-laugh-when-things-go-wrong/)

[Chirstina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chirstina-aguilera/)

> [You have to be as strong when things go wrong, but I don't get nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-de-gea/you-have-to-be-as-strong-when-things-go-wrong-but-i-don-t-get-nervous/)

[David de Gea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-de-gea/)

> [I tell myself that my body is not robotic and it doesn't behave perfectly, and... things can go wrong that are out of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-port/i-tell-myself-that-my-body-is-not-robotic-and-it-doesn-t-behave/)

[Whitney Port](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-port/)

> [When you get things wrong in life, it is important to talk about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/when-you-get-things-wrong-in-life-it-is-important-to-talk-about-them/)

[Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/)

> [I get angry if I do things wrong, but that's what keeps me going. I want to do my best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-manassero/i-get-angry-if-i-do-things-wrong-but-that-s-what-keeps-me-going-i/)

[Matteo Manassero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-manassero/)

> [There are a lot of things wrong with the country, and that doesn't mean America sucks. It means we should improve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/there-are-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-the-country-and-that-doesn-t/)

[Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/)

## More by Robert Louis Stevenson

> [You must suffer me to go my own dark way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/you-must-suffer-me-to-go-my-own-dark-way/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Nobody speaks of a beautifful view for 5 minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/nobody-speaks-of-a-beautifful-view-for-5-minutes/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we find is an honest friend. He is a fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/we-are-all-travelers-in-the-wilderness-of-this-world-and-the-best/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The little rift between the sexes is astonishingly widened by simply teaching one set of catchwords to the girls and another to the boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-little-rift-between-the-sexes-is-astonishingly-widened-by-simply/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The problem of education is twofold: first to know, and then to utter. Everyone who lives any semblance of an inner life thinks more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-problem-of-education-is-twofold-first-to-know-and-then-to-utter/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“For thirty years," he said, "I've sailed the seas and seen good and bad, better and worse, fair weather and foul, provisions running out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/for-thirty-years-he-said-i-ve-sailed-the-seas-and-seen-good-and-bad/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [“Mutiny, it was plain, hung over us like a thunder-cloud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/mutiny-it-was-plain-hung-over-us-like-a-thunder-cloud/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Jealousy is the most radical primeval and naked form of admiration in war paint, so to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/jealousy-is-the-most-radical-primeval-and-naked-form-of-admiration-in/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [It is the property of things seen for the first time, or for the first time after long, like the flowers in spring, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/it-is-the-property-of-things-seen-for-the-first-time-or-for-the-first/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [You have no idea, unless you have tried it, how endlessly long is a summer's day, that you measure out only by hunger, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/you-have-no-idea-unless-you-have-tried-it-how-endlessly-long-is-a/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Do not measure success by today's harvest. Measure success by the seeds you plant today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/do-not-measure-success-by-today-s-harvest-measure-success-by-the/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [To be idle requires a strong sense of personal identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/to-be-idle-requires-a-strong-sense-of-personal-identity/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Saints are sinners who kept on going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/saints-are-sinners-who-kept-on-going/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Loving God, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/loving-god-help-us-remember-the-birth-of-jesus-that-we-may-share-in/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The friendly cow, all red and white, I love with all my heart; She gives me cream with all her might, To eat with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-friendly-cow-all-red-and-white-i-love-with-all-my-heart-she-gives/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

[Explore all 701 Robert Louis Stevenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

## More Right quotes

> [That we have the vote means nothing. That we use it in the right way means everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-henry-hoover/that-we-have-the-vote-means-nothing-that-we-use-it-in-the-right-way/)

[Lou Henry Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-henry-hoover/)

> [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/)

[Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/)

> [I could program a 'fabulous, I love it' kind of hit season right now. I'm more interested in breaking boundaries, telling a story, defying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/i-could-program-a-fabulous-i-love-it-kind-of-hit-season-right-now-i-m/)

[George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/)

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/)

[John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/)

> [A lot of young guys coming up in this league, they're given the spotlight right away, depending on draft stature or whatever the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desean-jackson/a-lot-of-young-guys-coming-up-in-this-league-they-re-given-the/)

[DeSean Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desean-jackson/)

> [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/)

[Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/)

> [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/)

[Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/)

> [Leaders need to compromise, negotiate with members of both parties and ideologies, and reform health care the right way - by developing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/leaders-need-to-compromise-negotiate-with-members-of-both-parties-and/)

[Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/)

> [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [Right before the pandemic, 'Past Lives' came across to me as something to read and possibly put myself on tape for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/right-before-the-pandemic-past-lives-came-across-to-me-as-something/)

[Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/)

> [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/)

[Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/)

> [Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/susan-b-anthony-must-be-turning-in-her-grave-if-she-knew-that/)

[Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/)

> [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/)

[Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/)

> [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/)

[Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/)

[Browse all 15,243 Right quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all were right.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Louis Stevenson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-must-act-as-if-all-were-right/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Right"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-must-act-as-if-all-were-right/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ce/robert-louis-stevenson-289_quote_the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-mu_1674347.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The more things are wrong the more we must act as if all were right.” — Robert Louis Stevenson",
                "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": "Robert Louis Stevenson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The more things are wrong the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-must-act-as-if-all-were-right/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-more-things-are-wrong-the-more-we-must-act-as-if-all-were-right/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
