--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To claim that theft or adultery or lying…" description: "\"To claim that theft or adultery or lying are \"evil\" simply reflects our degraded idea of good-—that it has something to do with respect for property, r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg" --- # To claim that theft or adultery or lying are "evil" simply… ![“To claim that theft or adultery or lying are "evil" simply reflects our degraded idea of good-—that it has something to do with respect for property, respectability, and sincerity.” quote by Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg) > “To claim that theft or adultery or lying are "evil" simply reflects our degraded idea of good-—that it has something to do with respect for property, respectability, and sincerity.” [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labeling theft, adultery, and lying as evil reflects a narrow view of morality tied to property and social respect. **In simple terms:** Moral judgments often hinge on property and reputation. Key Takeaway Expand moral thinking beyond material respect. Themes morality property respect ethics Mood thought‑provoking critical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - legal systems - personal relationships - philosophical debate Key Concepts social contract integrity human dignity Questions to Reflect On - What defines true goodness? - Can morality exist without property? A Different Perspective Focusing only on property overlooks deeper ethical principles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adultery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adultery/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respectability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respectability/) [Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity/) [Theft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theft/) ## Related quotes > [You foul, lying, evil little cockroach!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-foul-lying-evil-little-cockroach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The evils of the body are murder, theft, and adultery; of the tongue, lying, slander, abuse and idle talk; of the mind, covetousness, hatred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/the-evils-of-the-body-are-murder-theft-and-adultery-of-the-tongue/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“Evil? What is that? ...You said you were death itself. Are you evil, then, or are you simply stronger and more awake than others?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-luceno/evil-what-is-that-you-said-you-were-death-itself-are-you-evil-then-or/) [James Luceno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-luceno/) > [What we call evil, it seems to me, is simply ignorance bumping its head in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/what-we-call-evil-it-seems-to-me-is-simply-ignorance-bumping-its-head/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“Tell me, is it evil to simply try to control your own life?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/tell-me-is-it-evil-to-simply-try-to-control-your-own-life/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [People do evil simply because they do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheng-yi/people-do-evil-simply-because-they-do-not-know/) Cheng Yi > [Yes, of course it's fun to play evil, but it's simply fun to play any different characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-cassidy/yes-of-course-it-s-fun-to-play-evil-but-it-s-simply-fun-to-play-any/) [Katie Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-cassidy/) > [“God never cooperates with evil. He simply offers us the opportunity to transform the painful experiences in our lives into advantages and blessings. (Fr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyriacos-c-markides/god-never-cooperates-with-evil-he-simply-offers-us-the-opportunity-to/) [Kyriacos C. Markides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyriacos-c-markides/) > [There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/there-were-moments-when-he-looked-on-evil-simply-as-a-mode-through/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Evil is simply the word for what someone else won't do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/evil-is-simply-the-word-for-what-someone-else-won-t-do/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [Evil is simply a grammatical error: a failure to leap the precipice between "he" and "I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-pastan/evil-is-simply-a-grammatical-error-a-failure-to-leap-the-precipice/) [Linda Pastan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-pastan/) > [Intellectual respectability required mental health, and it was becoming evident to me by then that "mental health" consisted of trusting everyone about everything as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-thornley/intellectual-respectability-required-mental-health-and-it-was/) [Kerry Thornley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-thornley/) > [What I need to do is have a great positive attitude and a great work ethic. Those two things validate me. Yes, it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-robinson/what-i-need-to-do-is-have-a-great-positive-attitude-and-a-great-work/) [David Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-robinson/) > [“The entrepreneurs are only about my age, probably younger, but they don't seem so. Their tailored clothes and unbending hairdos, their clipboards and laser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-baume/the-entrepreneurs-are-only-about-my-age-probably-younger-but-they-don/) [Sara Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-baume/) > [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More by Simone Weil > [Oppression that is clearly inexorable and invincible does not give rise to revolt but to submission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/oppression-that-is-clearly-inexorable-and-invincible-does-not-give/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [One should identify oneself with the universe itself. Everything that is less than the universe is subjected to suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/one-should-identify-oneself-with-the-universe-itself-everything-that/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [What a country calls its vital economic interests are not the things which enable its citizens to live, but the things which enable it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/what-a-country-calls-its-vital-economic-interests-are-not-the-things/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-intelligent-man-who-is-proud-of-his-intelligence-is-like-the/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [The highest ecstasy is the attention at its fullest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-highest-ecstasy-is-the-attention-at-its-fullest/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [To be innocent is to bear the weight of the entire universe. It is to throw away the counterweight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/to-be-innocent-is-to-bear-the-weight-of-the-entire-universe-it-is-to/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Equality is the public recognition, effectively expressed in institutions and manners, of the principle that an equal degree of attention is due to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/equality-is-the-public-recognition-effectively-expressed-in/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [The entire universe is nothing but a great metaphor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-entire-universe-is-nothing-but-a-great-metaphor/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [A beautiful woman looking at her image in the mirror may very well believe the image is herself. An ugly woman knows it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/a-beautiful-woman-looking-at-her-image-in-the-mirror-may-very-well/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Only he who has measured the dominion of force, and knows how not to respect it, is capable of love andjustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/only-he-who-has-measured-the-dominion-of-force-and-knows-how-not-to/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Every time that I think of the crucifixion of Christ, I commit the sin of envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/every-time-that-i-think-of-the-crucifixion-of-christ-i-commit-the-sin/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [A Pharisee is someone who is virtuous out of obedience to the Great Beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/a-pharisee-is-someone-who-is-virtuous-out-of-obedience-to-the-great/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Joy is being fully aware of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/joy-is-being-fully-aware-of-reality/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) [Explore all 443 Simone Weil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## More Adultery quotes > [A hundred years ago Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter was given an A for adultery; today she would rate no better than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/a-hundred-years-ago-hester-prynne-of-the-scarlet-letter-was-given-an/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [“Reality has a way of bursting the bubble of illusion, and an affair is one of the biggest illusions that anyone can experience in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-has-a-way-of-bursting-the-bubble-of-illusion-and-an-affair-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once a cheater always remain's a cheater, if you love your partner, why cheat? That dosent makes any sense, that can tell that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittannia-calder/once-a-cheater-always-remain-s-a-cheater-if-you-love-your-partner-why/) [Brittannia Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittannia-calder/) > [Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if-so-wherefore-should/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [L'adulte' re introduit l'esprit dans la lettre quebien souvent le mariage e u" t laisse e morte. Adultery breathes new life into marriages which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/l-adulte-re-introduit-l-esprit-dans-la-lettre-quebien-souvent-le/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [“I shan't make a fuss over the babe's father.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-e-pearson/i-shan-t-make-a-fuss-over-the-babe-s-father/) [Mary E. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-e-pearson/) > [When adultery walks in, everything worth having walks out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-m-kroll/when-adultery-walks-in-everything-worth-having-walks-out/) [Woodrow M. Kroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-m-kroll/) > [Splendid couple - slept with both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-bowra/splendid-couple-slept-with-both-of-them/) Maurice Bowra > [“I was thinking of murder, mutilation and dessert like Ignacia Sandoval’s instructions for delectable empanadas made of minced mother-in-law’s tongue (said to induce peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-ramos-o-briant/i-was-thinking-of-murder-mutilation-and-dessert-like-ignacia-sandoval/) Sandra Ramos O'Briant > [Adultery is an image of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-swedenborg/adultery-is-an-image-of-hell/) [Emanuel Swedenborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-swedenborg/) > [Adolescence: A stage between infancy and adultery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/adolescence-a-stage-between-infancy-and-adultery/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if it has its own way it will go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/sin-aims-always-at-the-utmost-every-time-it-rises-up-to-tempt-or/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [“Next to Joel on the beach was Martha. Two years back in time she had been Joel’s bimbo. That’s because Joel was still married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-deck/next-to-joel-on-the-beach-was-martha-two-years-back-in-time-she-had/) Stephen Deck > [Homer and Hesiod attributed to the gods all things which are disreputable and worthy of blame when done by men; and they told of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xenophanes/homer-and-hesiod-attributed-to-the-gods-all-things-which-are/) [Xenophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xenophanes/) > [I was growing tired of all the fussing and prevaricating, of the stolen hours and the secret rendez-vous; of the small indignities and broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-baum/i-was-growing-tired-of-all-the-fussing-and-prevaricating-of-the/) [Vicki Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-baum/) [Browse all 426 Adultery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adultery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To claim that theft or adultery or lying are \"evil\" simply reflects our degraded idea of good-—that it has something to do with respect for property, respectability, and sincerity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Simone Weil" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying-are-evil-simply-reflects-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adultery" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying-are-evil-simply-reflects-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/simone-weil-544_adultery_to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying_2041067.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To claim that theft or adultery or lying are \"evil\" simply reflects our degraded idea of good-—that it has…” — Simone Weil", "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": "Simone Weil", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To claim that theft or adultery...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying-are-evil-simply-reflects-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/to-claim-that-theft-or-adultery-or-lying-are-evil-simply-reflects-our/#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 } } ] } ```