--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We take comfort in the notion of an…" description: "\"“We take comfort in the notion of an unbridgeable gulf between good and evil, but maybe we should understand, as Zimbardo's work suggested, that evil i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg" --- # We take comfort in the notion of an unbridgeable gulf… ![“We take comfort in the notion of an unbridgeable gulf between good and evil, but maybe we should understand, as Zimbardo's work suggested, that evil is incremental - something we are all capable of, given the right circumstances.” quote by Shane Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg) > ““We take comfort in the notion of an unbridgeable gulf between good and evil, but maybe we should understand, as Zimbardo's work suggested, that evil is incremental - something we are all capable of, given the right circumstances.”” Shane Bauer ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evil is not a single monstrous act but a gradual process that anyone can partake in under certain conditions, as shown by Zimbardo’s studies. **In simple terms:** Evil can develop slowly in ordinary people. Key Takeaway Be vigilant of incremental harm. Themes ethics human nature evil psychology situational factors Mood thoughtful cautious Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - workplace dynamics - political movements - personal choices Key Concepts incremental corruption social influence Questions to Reflect On - How do circumstances enable wrongdoing? - Can small harms accumulate? A Different Perspective Evil may be overstated in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Good vs evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-vs-evil/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) ## Related quotes > [“If we believe that god is the creator of evil, maybe there is evil also in heaven, if that is the case, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-we-believe-that-god-is-the-creator-of-evil-maybe-there-is-evil/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Martin Buber suggested that evil prevailed because of the inability of man to imagine the real. Yet human beings do have that capacity. Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lown/martin-buber-suggested-that-evil-prevailed-because-of-the-inability/) [Bernard Lown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lown/) > [When I'm good. I'm good, when I'm evil. I'm better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-m-good-i-m-good-when-i-m-evil-i-m-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When goodness removes itself, the space it occupies corrodes and becomes evil, and maybe splits apart and multiplies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/when-goodness-removes-itself-the-space-it-occupies-corrodes-and-2/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Around me the beautiful windows, connecting me to other lives and other times, to things done and also deliberately left undone, stood dark. Rose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/around-me-the-beautiful-windows-connecting-me-to-other-lives-and/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [Evil is maybe lying to God. Or better, lying to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/evil-is-maybe-lying-to-god-or-better-lying-to-love/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [“You're only two handshakes away from evil… Maybe it's the same thing with goodness. We're never far from what's good… It doesn't seem like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-kazinski/you-re-only-two-handshakes-away-from-evil-maybe-it-s-the-same-thing/) [A.J. Kazinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-kazinski/) > [Some said the original evil was the vacuum caused by the Fairy Queen Lurline leaving us alone here. When goodness removes itself, the space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/some-said-the-original-evil-was-the-vacuum-caused-by-the-fairy-queen/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Evil isn’t the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it’s a hell of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/evil-isn-t-the-real-threat-to-the-world-stupid-is-just-as-destructive/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Not good vs evil. Only good vs evil is inside of you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-sterling/not-good-vs-evil-only-good-vs-evil-is-inside-of-you/) Mindy Sterling > [“But we are the good guys. Aren't we, Uncle?" "I hope so. I hope we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/but-we-are-the-good-guys-aren-t-we-uncle-i-hope-so-i-hope-we-are/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [“Envy: Instead of focusing on your own goals, your goal becomes throwing off the rails other people’s goals and at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/envy-instead-of-focusing-on-your-own-goals-your-goal-becomes-throwing/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“In a 2016 essay, the writer and former soldier Roy Scranton describes watching Star Wars while stationed in Baghdad. He is forced in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-el-akkad/in-a-2016-essay-the-writer-and-former-soldier-roy-scranton-describes/) [Omar El Akkad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-el-akkad/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“Socrates taught that No evil could come To a good man. How does that help me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-rhys/socrates-taught-that-no-evil-could-come-to-a-good-man-how-does-that/) Evan Rhys ## More Ethics quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [He who mistrusts most should be trusted least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theognis-of-megara/he-who-mistrusts-most-should-be-trusted-least/) [Theognis of Megara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theognis-of-megara/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/ethics-is-the-activity-of-man-directed-to-secure-the-inner-perfection/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [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/) > [Records, radio, television, movies, magazines-all are monopolized by the money managers who are guided by one ethic, the words wealth and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/records-radio-television-movies-magazines-all-are-monopolized-by-the/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [What our species needs, above all else, is a generally accepted ethical system that is compatible with the scientific knowledge we now possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-our-species-needs-above-all-else-is-a-generally-accepted-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ethics is not definable, is not implementable, because it is not conscious; it involves not only our thinking, but also our feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valdemar-w-setzer/ethics-is-not-definable-is-not-implementable-because-it-is-not/) Valdemar W Setzer > [Any time you give a man something he doesn't earn, you cheapen him. Our kids earn what they get, and that includes respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-hayes/any-time-you-give-a-man-something-he-doesn-t-earn-you-cheapen-him-our/) [Woody Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-hayes/) [Browse all 4,548 Ethics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We take comfort in the notion of an unbridgeable gulf between good and evil, but maybe we should understand, as Zimbardo's work suggested, that evil is incremental - something we are all capable of, given the right circumstances.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shane Bauer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bauer/we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbridgeable-gulf-between-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ethics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bauer/we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbridgeable-gulf-between-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b0/shane-bauer-277356_ethics_we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbr_691282.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We take comfort in the notion of an unbridgeable gulf between good and evil, but maybe we should understand…” — Shane Bauer", "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": "Shane Bauer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-bauer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We take comfort in the notion...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bauer/we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbridgeable-gulf-between-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bauer/we-take-comfort-in-the-notion-of-an-unbridgeable-gulf-between-good/#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 } } ] } ```