--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone has a light and a dark side, but…" description: "\"“Everyone has a light and a dark side, but it’s the choices we make and the people we let into our lives that determines which side wins.”\" — S.J. West" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/s-j-west-45633_dark_everyone-has-a-light-and-a-dark-side-but_1558346.jpg" --- # Everyone has a light and a dark side, but it’s the choices… ![“Everyone has a light and a dark side, but it’s the choices we make and the people we let into our lives that determines which side wins.” quote by S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/s-j-west-45633_dark_everyone-has-a-light-and-a-dark-side-but_1558346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/s-j-west-45633_dark_everyone-has-a-light-and-a-dark-side-but_1558346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/s-j-west-45633_dark_everyone-has-a-light-and-a-dark-side-but_1558346.jpg) > ““Everyone has a light and a dark side, but it’s the choices we make and the people we let into our lives that determines which side wins.”” [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature contains both good and bad, but outcomes depend on choices and relationships. **In simple terms:** Choices and people shape our moral direction. Key Takeaway Choose wisely and surround yourself with positive influences. Themes morality choice relationships self‑development Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - friendship circles - family dynamics - personal growth Key Concepts ethical decision‑making social influence dualism Questions to Reflect On - What choices define your character? - Who influences your moral path? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex psychology to binary terms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Choices Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-make/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-choices-4982634/) [Dark side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-side/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Lives Determines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-determines-868537/) [People Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-let/) ## Related quotes > [Dark times call for dark choices. Choose me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/dark-times-call-for-dark-choices-choose-me/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [The high and low atmosphere in our lives determines what we go through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stankyrich/the-high-and-low-atmosphere-in-our-lives-determines-what-we-go-through/) [Stankyrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stankyrich/) > [“Our lives are all that really belong to us, so it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/our-lives-are-all-that-really-belong-to-us-so-it-is-how-we-use-our/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [When you are on the bright side of life, do not forget the people who are on the dark side and remember that man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-are-on-the-bright-side-of-life-do-not-forget-the-people-who/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The population at large is neither 'ordinary' or 'normal'. They seem to be bound together by a collective ignorance of themselves and what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-nilsen/the-population-at-large-is-neither-ordinary-or-normal-they-seem-to-be/) [Dennis Nilsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-nilsen/) > [You want my dark side? Have I ever stolen anything? Not so much intentionally. But I don't think it's so much stealing as... being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/you-want-my-dark-side-have-i-ever-stolen-anything-not-so-much/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [Beware the power of the dark side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-angleberger/beware-the-power-of-the-dark-side/) [Tom Angleberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-angleberger/) > [“The dark side of life has a way of finding us all anyway, so stop chasing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/the-dark-side-of-life-has-a-way-of-finding-us-all-anyway-so-stop/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Even when my every inclination is to be otherwise, I don't want to live my life on the dark side of things. Sometimes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/even-when-my-every-inclination-is-to-be-otherwise-i-don-t-want-to/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [I've always had a fascination with vampires. It's not that I'm exactly fascinated with the dark side. It's the human struggle with it. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-lee/i-ve-always-had-a-fascination-with-vampires-it-s-not-that-i-m-exactly/) [Sheryl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-lee/) > [Poetry is the dark side of the moon,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wright/poetry-is-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/) [Charles Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wright/) > [There are a lot of dark sides to success, but the light side of it is the ability to be opportunistic, and to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/there-are-a-lot-of-dark-sides-to-success-but-the-light-side-of-it-is/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [You don't know the power of the dark side!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-know-the-power-of-the-dark-side/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) ## More by S.J. West > [“How are we supposed to get over there?” Daniel says.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/how-are-we-supposed-to-get-over-there-daniel-says/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“He doesn’t pick and choose who is worthy of redemption, Anna. All He does is wait for those who want His forgiveness to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/he-doesn-t-pick-and-choose-who-is-worthy-of-redemption-anna-all-he/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“If you have a parent who doesn’t push you to be the best you can be, that is not a parent who is doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/if-you-have-a-parent-who-doesn-t-push-you-to-be-the-best-you-can-be/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“You can’t make someone love you just because you want them to. It has to be freely given or it doesn’t mean anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/you-can-t-make-someone-love-you-just-because-you-want-them-to-it-has/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“You need to stop doubting things and just accept them.  Accept the happiness you’ve found with me and stop questioning if you deserve it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/you-need-to-stop-doubting-things-and-just-accept-them-accept-the/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“People often ask for miracles because that’s what they want but bad things have to occur sometimes for good things to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/people-often-ask-for-miracles-because-that-s-what-they-want-but-bad/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“But what sort of population are we going to have, one which expects the government to take care of them for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/but-what-sort-of-population-are-we-going-to-have-one-which-expects/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) > [“His hand was a lot bigger than mine, but the gentle way he laced our fingers together made me feel cared for, almost treasured.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-west/his-hand-was-a-lot-bigger-than-mine-but-the-gentle-way-he-laced-our/) [S.J. West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) [Explore all 9 S.J. West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-west/) ## More Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) [Alison James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-james/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) [Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Everyone has a light and a dark side, but it’s the choices we make and the people we let into our lives that determines which side wins.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S.J. 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