--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wickedness may prosper for a while." description: "\"Wickedness may prosper for a while.\" — Roger L'Estrange" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png" --- # Wickedness may prosper for a while. ![“Wickedness may prosper for a while.” quote by Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png) > “Wickedness may prosper for a while.” [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Estrange notes that wickedness can seem successful temporarily, but its triumph is fleeting. **In simple terms:** Bad deeds may win for a short time. Key Takeaway Remember that short‑term gain often leads to long‑term loss. Themes morality justice impermanence Mood cautionary thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - business competition - political corruption - personal temptation Key Concepts ethics consequences karma Questions to Reflect On - What long‑term costs follow short‑term wrongdoing? - How can integrity be maintained under pressure? A Different Perspective Short success can hide deeper decay. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wickedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wickedness/) ## Related quotes > [Wickedness may prosper for awhile, but in the long run, he that sets all the knaves at work will pay them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/wickedness-may-prosper-for-awhile-but-in-the-long-run-he-that-sets/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Evil men by their own nature cannot ever prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/evil-men-by-their-own-nature-cannot-ever-prosper/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [“If you wish to prosper, seek peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/if-you-wish-to-prosper-seek-peace/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Among wise men there is no place at all left for hatred. For no one except the greatest of fools would hate good men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/among-wise-men-there-is-no-place-at-all-left-for-hatred-for-no-one/) [Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/) > [We desperately need to understand something of the magnitude of sin, of evil, and of gross wickedness in this world if we are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-hunt/we-desperately-need-to-understand-something-of-the-magnitude-of-sin/) [Dave Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-hunt/) > [The evils of popular government appear greater than they are; there is compensation for them in spirit and energy it awakens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-evils-of-popular-government-appear-greater-than-they-are-there-is/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“He made a pit and digged it. He was cunning in his plans and industrious in his labors. He stooped to the dirty work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/he-made-a-pit-and-digged-it-he-was-cunning-in-his-plans-and/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [A wicked mortal is not the idea of God. He is little else than the expression of error. To suppose that sin, lust, hatred,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/a-wicked-mortal-is-not-the-idea-of-god-he-is-little-else-than-the/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) > [The combative instinct is a savage prompting by which one man's good is found in another's evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/the-combative-instinct-is-a-savage-prompting-by-which-one-man-s-good/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [Only cheaters prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-tayler/only-cheaters-prosper/) [Howard Tayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-tayler/) > [Religions prosper in large part because of the communities that they create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wright/religions-prosper-in-large-part-because-of-the-communities-that-they/) [Lawrence Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wright/) > [“Go maire tu' I bhfad agus rath! 'Live long and prosper'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-duane/go-maire-tu-i-bhfad-agus-rath-live-long-and-prosper/) [Diane Duane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-duane/) > [We are a free and independent country and will prosper if given a proper chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priti-patel/we-are-a-free-and-independent-country-and-will-prosper-if-given-a/) [Priti Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priti-patel/) > [Success Consists Of Daily Efford. Every little efford you put in determines your latitude as you make your way to the top. Know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-phasane/success-consists-of-daily-efford-every-little-efford-you-put-in/) Brian Phasane > [He who ceases to pray ceases to prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurney-benham/he-who-ceases-to-pray-ceases-to-prosper/) [William Gurney Benham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurney-benham/) ## More by Roger L'Estrange > [He that would live clear of envy must lay his finger on his mouth, and keep his hand out of the ink-pot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/he-that-would-live-clear-of-envy-must-lay-his-finger-on-his-mouth-and/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Humor is the offspring of man; it comes forth like Minerva, fully armed from the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/humor-is-the-offspring-of-man-it-comes-forth-like-minerva-fully-armed/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Some people are all quality; you would think they are made up of nothing but title and genealogy. The stamp of dignity defaces in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/some-people-are-all-quality-you-would-think-they-are-made-up-of/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Men indulge those opinions and practices that favor their pretensions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/men-indulge-those-opinions-and-practices-that-favor-their-pretensions/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [It is one of the vexatious mortifications of a studious man to have his thoughts disordered by a tedious visit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/it-is-one-of-the-vexatious-mortifications-of-a-studious-man-to-have/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Figure-flingers and star-gazers pretend to foretell the fortunes of kingdoms, and have no foresight in what concerns themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/figure-flingers-and-star-gazers-pretend-to-foretell-the-fortunes-of/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [We never think of the main business of life till a vain repentance minds us of it at the wrong end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/we-never-think-of-the-main-business-of-life-till-a-vain-repentance/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [He that serves God for money will serve the Devil for better wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/he-that-serves-god-for-money-will-serve-the-devil-for-better-wages/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Nothing is so fierce but love will soften; nothing so sharp-sighted in other matters but it will throw a mist before its eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/nothing-is-so-fierce-but-love-will-soften-nothing-so-sharp-sighted-in/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [A universal applause is seldom less than two thirds of a scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/a-universal-applause-is-seldom-less-than-two-thirds-of-a-scandal/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Unruly ambition is deaf, not only to the advice of friends, but to the counsels and monitions of reason itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/unruly-ambition-is-deaf-not-only-to-the-advice-of-friends-but-to-the/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [There is no contending with necessity, and we should be very tender how we censure those that submit to it. It is one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/there-is-no-contending-with-necessity-and-we-should-be-very-tender/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Ingratitude is abhorred by God and man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/ingratitude-is-abhorred-by-god-and-man/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [The fairest blossoms of pleasantry thrive best where the sun is not strong enough to scorch, nor the soil rank enough to corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/the-fairest-blossoms-of-pleasantry-thrive-best-where-the-sun-is-not/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) > [Some natures are so sour and ungrateful that they are never to be obliged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/some-natures-are-so-sour-and-ungrateful-that-they-are-never-to-be/) [Roger L'Estrange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) [Explore all 57 Roger L'Estrange quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wickedness may prosper for a while.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roger L'Estrange" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/roger-l-estrange-11943_evil_wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while-18358_1835851.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wickedness may prosper for a while.” — Roger L'Estrange", "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": "Roger L'Estrange", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-l-estrange/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wickedness may prosper for a while.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-l-estrange/wickedness-may-prosper-for-a-while/#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 } } ] } ```