--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the…" description: "\"I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the bad guy. It just doesn't interest me; all it does is create more fences between people, I thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/sam-shepard-2232_bad_i-stay-away-from-heavy-handed-stuff-the_585828.jpg" --- # I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the… ![“I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the bad guy. It just doesn't interest me; all it does is create more fences between people, I think.” quote by Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/sam-shepard-2232_bad_i-stay-away-from-heavy-handed-stuff-the_585828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/sam-shepard-2232_bad_i-stay-away-from-heavy-handed-stuff-the_585828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/sam-shepard-2232_bad_i-stay-away-from-heavy-handed-stuff-the_585828.jpg) > “I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the bad guy. It just doesn't interest me; all it does is create more fences between people, I think.” [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prefers nuanced characters over simplistic moral binaries, seeing them as divisive. **In simple terms:** Avoid simple good vs evil labels. Key Takeaway Seek complexity in people. Themes complexity humanity division Mood reflective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - relationships - political discourse - media analysis - conflict resolution Key Concepts moral ambiguity character depth Questions to Reflect On - How do you navigate moral gray areas? - When is a clear stance necessary? A Different Perspective Simplifying can sometimes clarify issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Bad guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Create Fences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-fences-4723497/) [Fences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fences/) [Fences People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fences-people-2441440/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-guy/) [Heavy Handed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy-handed-1361627/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Some people build fences to keep people out; some people build fences to keep people in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hornsby/some-people-build-fences-to-keep-people-out-some-people-build-fences/) [Russell Hornsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hornsby/) > [If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-l-mcknight/if-you-put-fences-around-people-you-get-sheep-give-people-the-room/) [William L. McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-l-mcknight/) > [Friendship means only one thing: you don't create fences around you, but try to remove fences from the life of another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/friendship-means-only-one-thing-you-don-t-create-fences-around-you/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Some people build fences to keep people out and we also do things everyday to keep people close - when we play ball and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hornsby/some-people-build-fences-to-keep-people-out-and-we-also-do-things/) [Russell Hornsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hornsby/) > [Heavy-handed regulations hurt the very consumers they're supposed to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/heavy-handed-regulations-hurt-the-very-consumers-they-re-supposed-to/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [We are so different from each other. My brother is heavy-handed and my speed is more than his.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermell-charlo/we-are-so-different-from-each-other-my-brother-is-heavy-handed-and-my/) [Jermell Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermell-charlo/) > [Americans have carried the burden of our government's heavy-handed approach to environmental regulation for far too long - with rural and disadvantaged communities bearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-r-wheeler/americans-have-carried-the-burden-of-our-government-s-heavy-handed/) [Andrew R. Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-r-wheeler/) > [Why in general, when you're putting together a White House staff and putting together a good one, you're looking for someone there who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/why-in-general-when-you-re-putting-together-a-white-house-staff-and/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Why has it seemed that the only way to protect the environment is with heavy-handed government regulation?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-norton/why-has-it-seemed-that-the-only-way-to-protect-the-environment-is/) [Gale Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-norton/) > [I do not run my band like The Eagles, for sure. I've never had to be heavy handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-do-not-run-my-band-like-the-eagles-for-sure-i-ve-never-had-to-be/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [For some strange reason we don't go to charming, light movies anymore. People expect a movie to be heavy and turgid, like "American Beauty."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/for-some-strange-reason-we-don-t-go-to-charming-light-movies-anymore/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [There are atheists and Christians, and there are people in both groups who are a little too heavy-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/there-are-atheists-and-christians-and-there-are-people-in-both-groups/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) > [There are some actresses that can't do comedy; it's too heavy-handed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/there-are-some-actresses-that-can-t-do-comedy-it-s-too-heavy-handed/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [I can punch, I'm heavy-handed, and I can box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-fielding/i-can-punch-i-m-heavy-handed-and-i-can-box/) [Rocky Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-fielding/) > [And I was troubled by the heavy-handed prose of so much psychoanalytic writing, which seemed drowned in its own concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jay-lifton/and-i-was-troubled-by-the-heavy-handed-prose-of-so-much/) [Robert Jay Lifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jay-lifton/) ## More by Sam Shepard > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [You can write 16 plays and not make as much money as you did doing one movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/you-can-write-16-plays-and-not-make-as-much-money-as-you-did-doing/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [It's funny, in a way the actor is a writer. It's not like the two things are so separate as to be like apples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/it-s-funny-in-a-way-the-actor-is-a-writer-it-s-not-like-the-two/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Character is an essential tendency. It can be covered up, it can be messed with, it can be screwed around with, but it can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/character-is-an-essential-tendency-it-can-be-covered-up-it-can-be/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Why would you want to be be counseled in your grief? It's too private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/why-would-you-want-to-be-be-counseled-in-your-grief-it-s-too-private/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Farm country -- you know, hay, horses, cattle. It's the ideal situation for me. I like the physical endeavors that go with the farm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/farm-country-you-know-hay-horses-cattle-it-s-the-ideal-situation-for/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I think comedy's harder to pull off on the screen than on the stage, anyway. Tragedy is easier on the screen... oddly enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-think-comedy-s-harder-to-pull-off-on-the-screen-than-on-the-stage/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [“Those are the most monotonous fuckin' crickets I ever heard in my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/those-are-the-most-monotonous-fuckin-crickets-i-ever-heard-in-my-life/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [All good writing comes out of aloneness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/all-good-writing-comes-out-of-aloneness/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [When I first started in film, I was terrified of the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/when-i-first-started-in-film-i-was-terrified-of-the-camera/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'll develop my own image. I'm an original man. A one and only. I just need some help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-ll-develop-my-own-image-i-m-an-original-man-a-one-and-only-i-just/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [When I just sit around my house and work, I can work two, three hours, and then I go off and ride a horse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/when-i-just-sit-around-my-house-and-work-i-can-work-two-three-hours/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Hollywood is geared toward teenage idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/hollywood-is-geared-toward-teenage-idiocy/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [It's my private life, and it's not up for grabs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/it-s-my-private-life-and-it-s-not-up-for-grabs/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Keep away from fantasy. Shake off the image,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/keep-away-from-fantasy-shake-off-the-image/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) [Explore all 176 Sam Shepard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/) [Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [What people tend to forget is the journey that I had getting to Formula One. There were plenty of years where I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/what-people-tend-to-forget-is-the-journey-that-i-had-getting-to/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [“If any woman opens her legs for you, don't feel so lucky to be fed with nonsense, she has been a bitch for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-any-woman-opens-her-legs-for-you-don-t-feel-so-lucky-to-be-fed/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 7,973 Bad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I stay away from heavy-handed stuff, the good guy and the bad guy. 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