--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great lesson of our time is that evil…" description: "\"The great lesson of our time is that evil still exists, and when evil is on the march, it must be confronted.\" — Stephen J. Solarz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/stephen-j-solarz-96967_evil_the-great-lesson-of-our-time-is-that-evi_2924541.png" --- # The great lesson of our time is that evil still exists… ![“The great lesson of our time is that evil still exists, and when evil is on the march, it must be confronted.” quote by Stephen J. Solarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/stephen-j-solarz-96967_evil_the-great-lesson-of-our-time-is-that-evi_2924541.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/stephen-j-solarz-96967_evil_the-great-lesson-of-our-time-is-that-evi_2924541.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/stephen-j-solarz-96967_evil_the-great-lesson-of-our-time-is-that-evi_2924541.png) > “The great lesson of our time is that evil still exists, and when evil is on the march, it must be confronted.” [Stephen J. Solarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-solarz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evil persists and must be confronted when it advances; complacency is unacceptable. **In simple terms:** Evil exists and must be confronted when it rises. Key Takeaway actively confront emerging threats Themes evil morality confrontation politics vigilance Mood serious urgent Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - human rights work - community organizing - public speaking - media commentary Key Concepts ethical responsibility social activism political urgency Questions to Reflect On - What steps can societies take to confront evil? - How to balance vigilance with fear? A Different Perspective May lack nuance about systemic causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-exists/) [Evil March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-march-246077/) [Exists Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exists-evil-1803396/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/march/) [March Confronted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/march-confronted-4279314/) [Our time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-time/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-evil-1736364/) ## Related quotes > [Evil exists. Evil is real. One of the hallmarks of evil is that it seeks to convince its victims that it exists 'out there.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/evil-exists-evil-is-real-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-evil-is-that-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“Now is not the time to grow weary in the face of evil. Now is not the time to allow our hunger for peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/now-is-not-the-time-to-grow-weary-in-the-face-of-evil-now-is-not-the/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [“Good at the wrong place and time becomes evil; evil in the right place and time becomes good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/good-at-the-wrong-place-and-time-becomes-evil-evil-in-the-right-place/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Dont trust in smile every time because evil always enters smiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/dont-trust-in-smile-every-time-because-evil-always-enters-smiling/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Since the beginning of time, evil has try to capture the magic of the Hardy Compound and the nucleus of its magic, Excalibur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/since-the-beginning-of-time-evil-has-try-to-capture-the-magic-of-the/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [We'll know for the first time If we're evil or divine We're the last in line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-james-dio/we-ll-know-for-the-first-time-if-we-re-evil-or-divine-we-re-the-last/) [Ronnie James Dio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-james-dio/) > [“The presence and love of the Word had called them into being; inevitably, therefore when they lost the knowledge of God, they lost existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athanasius-of-alexandria/the-presence-and-love-of-the-word-had-called-them-into-being/) [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athanasius-of-alexandria/) > [“Anything that exists has some goodness in it because God made it. And no matter how marred or broken or sinful that being is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/anything-that-exists-has-some-goodness-in-it-because-god-made-it-and/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [Every ignoramus imagines that all that exists, exists with a view to his individual sake; it is as if there were nothing that exists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/every-ignoramus-imagines-that-all-that-exists-exists-with-a-view-to/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [“If only you would go to the university," he said. "Only enlightened and holy people are interesting, it's only they who are wanted. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-only-you-would-go-to-the-university-he-said-only-enlightened-and/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are people in our world today and unfortunately in our political system, they do not believe in evil. They have the modern, western,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-c-rosenberg/there-are-people-in-our-world-today-and-unfortunately-in-our/) [Joel C. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-c-rosenberg/) > [The ability to choose is at the essential core of our grandeur. Even evil exists because God respects our ability to choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/the-ability-to-choose-is-at-the-essential-core-of-our-grandeur-even/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“The intellectual climate of the 1970s, for which the 1950s had already paved the way, contributed to this. A theory was even finally developed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-intellectual-climate-of-the-1970s-for-which-the-1950s-had-already/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [People are just afraid of things too much … Sure, evil exists, extremism exists. Somebody could commit a hate crime and hurt me. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/people-are-just-afraid-of-things-too-much-sure-evil-exists-extremism/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [“Sometimes I think it's only post-scarcity that evil exists. Before that, it could always be put down to want or fear. It was possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/sometimes-i-think-it-s-only-post-scarcity-that-evil-exists-before/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## More by Stephen J. Solarz > [Compared to Imelda Marcos, Marie Antoinette was a bag lady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-solarz/compared-to-imelda-marcos-marie-antoinette-was-a-bag-lady/) [Stephen J. Solarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-solarz/) [Explore all 2 Stephen J. Solarz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-solarz/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great lesson of our time is that evil still exists, and when evil is on the march, it must be confronted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen J. 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