---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people are screw-ups, and even…"
description: "\"I think people are screw-ups, and even our greatest heroes are deeply flawed human beings. People make bad decisions for all the wrong reasons, and the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/ronald-d-moore-11322_bad-decision_i-think-people-are-screw-ups-and-even-ou_887242.jpg"
---

#  I think people are screw-ups, and even our greatest heroes…

![“I think people are screw-ups, and even our greatest heroes are deeply flawed human beings. People make bad decisions for all the wrong reasons, and then somehow they'll do the right thing, and then somehow they'll save somebody, or they'll be compassionate. Horrible people can do wonderful things…” quote by Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/ronald-d-moore-11322_bad-decision_i-think-people-are-screw-ups-and-even-ou_887242.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/ronald-d-moore-11322_bad-decision_i-think-people-are-screw-ups-and-even-ou_887242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/051/ronald-d-moore-11322_bad-decision_i-think-people-are-screw-ups-and-even-ou_887242.jpg)

> “I think people are screw-ups, and even our greatest heroes are deeply flawed human beings. People make bad decisions for all the wrong reasons, and then somehow they'll do the right thing, and then somehow they'll save somebody, or they'll be compassionate. Horrible people can do wonderful things, and wonderful people can do horrible things.”

[Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/)

## About This Quote

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

Even heroes and villains possess deep flaws; moral actions arise despite imperfect motives.

**In simple terms:** Flawed people can still do good things.

Key Takeaway

Recognize complexity in others.

Themes

morality human nature heroism

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- leadership decisions
- personal crises
- public policy

Key Concepts

ethical ambiguity psychology of redemption

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we reconcile a person's bad choices with their good deeds?
- What factors enable flawed individuals to act compassionately?

A Different Perspective

Assuming all actions stem from pure intent ignores situational pressures.

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[Bad decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-decision/) [Bad decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-decisions/) [Compassionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassionate/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Horrible People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-people/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Wonderful people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-people/) [Wonderful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-things/)

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> [Good people can do bad things, make bad decisions. It doesn't make them bad people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-people-can-do-bad-things-make-bad-decisions-it-doesn-t-make-them/)

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

> [So much of what I've learned, so much of what's good in my life, was learned because something bad happened, or from making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/so-much-of-what-i-ve-learned-so-much-of-what-s-good-in-my-life-was/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [Even the simplest things, I'm guilty of making really bad decisions a lot of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-williams/even-the-simplest-things-i-m-guilty-of-making-really-bad-decisions-a/)

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> [But with your life you make a few bad decisions, get unlucky a few times, whatever, but you have to keep going, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/but-with-your-life-you-make-a-few-bad-decisions-get-unlucky-a-few/)

[Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/)

> [You need to be empathetic in your own personal life and we help our neighbors and our friends out who are struggling in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/you-need-to-be-empathetic-in-your-own-personal-life-and-we-help-our/)

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[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [Don't mourn over your bad decisions. Just start overcoming them with good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/don-t-mourn-over-your-bad-decisions-just-start-overcoming-them-with/)

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[Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/)

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[Paul Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-walker/)

## More by Ronald D. Moore

> [There are some good space battles in some of the later series, but that wasn't why you were tuning in every week. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-d-moore/there-are-some-good-space-battles-in-some-of-the-later-series-but/)

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[Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/)

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[Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/)

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[Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/)

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[Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/)

[Explore all 60 Ronald D. Moore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/)

## More Bad decision quotes

> [Taking chances for the people you care most about is easy. It's hard to take chances that might mean making bad decisions. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-walker/taking-chances-for-the-people-you-care-most-about-is-easy-it-s-hard/)

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Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Sr

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Lauren Roberts

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[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

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