--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Endeavor to have always in your hand a…" description: "\"Endeavor to have always in your hand a pious book, that with this shield you may defend yourself against bad thoughts.\" — St. Jerome" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png" --- # Endeavor to have always in your hand a pious book, that… ![“Endeavor to have always in your hand a pious book, that with this shield you may defend yourself against bad thoughts.” quote by St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png) > “Endeavor to have always in your hand a pious book, that with this shield you may defend yourself against bad thoughts.” [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holding a holy text as a mental shield protects against harmful thoughts. **In simple terms:** Sacred reading guards the mind. Key Takeaway Read inspiring texts to guard thoughts. Themes spirituality mental health literature protection discipline Mood contemplative serene inspirational Type spiritual educational When to use this quote - personal meditation - study groups - daily reading routines Key Concepts religious practice cognitive defense Questions to Reflect On - What book strengthens your mind? - How do you balance reading and thinking? A Different Perspective Overreliance on texts may limit personal reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thoughts/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Shield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-shield-5196814/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend/) [Defend Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend-bad-5196815/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Pious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pious/) [Pious Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pious-book-5196813/) [Shield Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shield-defend-5196816/) [Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shields/) ## Related quotes > [“Personally, I’m a mess of conflicting impulses—I’m independent and greedy and I also want to belong and share and be a part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/personally-i-m-a-mess-of-conflicting-impulses-i-m-independent-and/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [How many bad thoughts do you have to string together to end up having a bad day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kemp/how-many-bad-thoughts-do-you-have-to-string-together-to-end-up-having/) [Lee Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kemp/) > [“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/good-thoughts-and-actions-can-never-produce-bad-results-bad-thoughts/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [It doesn't matter what has Happened to You, it doesn't matter where you Came From or where you were Born. It also doesn't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-jenn/it-doesn-t-matter-what-has-happened-to-you-it-doesn-t-matter-where/) [Jenn Jenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-jenn/) > [“Sometimes people need a good person to listen to their bad thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/sometimes-people-need-a-good-person-to-listen-to-their-bad-thoughts/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [My dear heart, never think you are better than others. Listen to their sorrows with compassion. 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"Get those bad thoughts out of your head," he told her. "You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/when-he-went-through-the-kitchen-he-kissed-rebeca-on-the-forehead-get/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Assumptions result in bad thoughts, bad thoughts result in jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/assumptions-result-in-bad-thoughts-bad-thoughts-result-in-jealousy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-of-alaska/the-first-duty-of-a-christian-of-a-disciple-and-follower-of-jesus/) [Innocent of Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-of-alaska/) > [“Psychological thoughts are the ones that decide whether something is “good” or “bad”, and these are the thoughts that create our suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-elkrief/psychological-thoughts-are-the-ones-that-decide-whether-something-is/) [Noah Elkrief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-elkrief/) > [“No difference, good or bad. Thoughts like birds in mind. Some fly in. Some fly out. Some stay at water hole to drink. Beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-wright/no-difference-good-or-bad-thoughts-like-birds-in-mind-some-fly-in/) [Natalie Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-wright/) > [“Do you want me to get your back for you?” Cringe. “No, I’m fine.” “Okay, then could you get mine? I don’t really want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-rae/do-you-want-me-to-get-your-back-for-you-cringe-no-i-m-fine-okay-then/) [Kristin Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-rae/) > [“Never go to sleep with bad thoughts and torturing memories. They will not help you to wake up whole and fully serene—the two states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhan-gopal-mukerji/never-go-to-sleep-with-bad-thoughts-and-torturing-memories-they-will/) [Dhan Gopal Mukerji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhan-gopal-mukerji/) > [Assumptions result in bad thoughts and bad thoughts raises so many unanswered questions...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-mudau/assumptions-result-in-bad-thoughts-and-bad-thoughts-raises-so-many/) [Lawrence Mudau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-mudau/) > [My dear heart, never think you are better than others. Listen to their sorrows with compassion. If you want peace, don't harbor bad thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/my-dear-heart-never-think-you-are-better-than-others-listen-to-their/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Sometimes people need a good person to listen to their bad thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/sometimes-people-need-a-good-person-to-listen-to-their-bad-thoughts/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [It doesn't matter what has Happened to You, it doesn't matter where you Came From or where you were Born. It also doesn't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-jenn/it-doesn-t-matter-what-has-happened-to-you-it-doesn-t-matter-where/) [Jenn Jenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-jenn/) > [“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/good-thoughts-and-actions-can-never-produce-bad-results-bad-thoughts/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [How many bad thoughts do you have to string together to end up having a bad day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kemp/how-many-bad-thoughts-do-you-have-to-string-together-to-end-up-having/) [Lee Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kemp/) > [“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. PROVERBS 17:22 SEPTEMBER 18 I visited my old hometown and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/a-cheerful-heart-is-good-medicine-but-a-crushed-spirit-dries-up-the/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 85 Bad thoughts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thoughts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Endeavor to have always in your hand a pious book, that with this shield you may defend yourself against bad thoughts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "St. Jerome" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-pious-book-that-with-this/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad thoughts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-pious-book-that-with-this/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/st-jerome-3227_bad-thoughts_endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-p_2260113.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Endeavor to have always in your hand a pious book, that with this shield you may defend yourself against bad…” — St. Jerome", "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": "St. Jerome", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Endeavor to have always in your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-pious-book-that-with-this/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/endeavor-to-have-always-in-your-hand-a-pious-book-that-with-this/#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 } } ] } ```