---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All that evil requires is an absence of…"
description: "\"“All that evil requires is an absence of virtue, where somebody didn't make a stand.”\" — Terry Darlington"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg"
---

#  All that evil requires is an absence of virtue, where…

![“All that evil requires is an absence of virtue, where somebody didn't make a stand.” quote by Terry Darlington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg)

> ““All that evil requires is an absence of virtue, where somebody didn't make a stand.””

[Terry Darlington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-darlington/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Evil arises when virtue is absent and people fail to take a stand.

**In simple terms:** Lack of virtue allows evil to grow.

Key Takeaway

Stand up for what is right.

Themes

ethics virtue evil

Mood

serious determined

Type

opinion motivational

When to use this quote

- political activism
- personal integrity
- community leadership

Key Concepts

morality social responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “stand” mean in your context?
- How can you foster virtue around you?

A Different Perspective

Complex social factors also contribute to evil.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absence Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence-virtue-1842403/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Requires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-requires-790740/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-somebody-3429674/)

## Related quotes

> [The absence of temptation is the absence of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-absence-of-temptation-is-the-absence-of-virtue/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Evil requires no reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/evil-requires-no-reason/)

[Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/)

> [“Justice can be achieved only if one has the pertinent facts, and excusing evil requires that those facts be obscured; justice is thus precluded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-klepper/justice-can-be-achieved-only-if-one-has-the-pertinent-facts-and/)

[Mike Klepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-klepper/)

> [“For wicked people to do evil requires money, and good people superstition. Combining these elements gives us organized religion, but to achieve the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-kamali/for-wicked-people-to-do-evil-requires-money-and-good-people-2/)

[Sean Kamali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-kamali/)

> [“For wicked people to do evil requires money, and good people superstition. Combining these elements and we get organized religion, but to achieve the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-s-kamali/for-wicked-people-to-do-evil-requires-money-and-good-people/)

[Sean S Kamali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-s-kamali/)

> [A national evil requires a national remedy; let not this any longer be delayed: let your minds expand, free from every narrow principle, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/a-national-evil-requires-a-national-remedy-let-not-this-any-longer-be/)

[Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/)

> [“But opposing evil requires inspiration by what is sound rather than by what is resonant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/but-opposing-evil-requires-inspiration-by-what-is-sound-rather-than/)

[Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/)

> [Evil requires the sanction of the victim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/evil-requires-the-sanction-of-the-victim/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/humanity-is-not-perfect-in-any-fashion-no-more-in-the-case-of-evil/)

[Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/)

> [“Among wise men there is no place at all left for hatred. For no one except the greatest of fools would hate good men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/among-wise-men-there-is-no-place-at-all-left-for-hatred-for-no-one/)

[Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/)

> [Discordance is evil. Harmony is virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/discordance-is-evil-harmony-is-virtue/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [However great an evil immorality may be, we must not forget that it is not without its beneficial consequences. It is only through extremes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/however-great-an-evil-immorality-may-be-we-must-not-forget-that-it-is/)

[Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/)

> [We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/we-are-very-wrong-to-think-that-some-fault-or-other-can-exclude/)

[Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/)

> [The Western world needs to ally themselves against the evil that is political Islam. To unite with its practitioners would be to unite with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/the-western-world-needs-to-ally-themselves-against-the-evil-that-is/)

[Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

[David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“All that evil requires is an absence of virtue, where somebody didn't make a stand.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Darlington"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-darlington/all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of-virtue-where-somebody-didn-t/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-darlington/all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of-virtue-where-somebody-didn-t/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/terry-darlington-282065_character_all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of_1176193.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“All that evil requires is an absence of virtue, where somebody didn't make a stand.” — Terry Darlington",
                "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": "Terry Darlington",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-darlington/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“All that evil requires is an...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-darlington/all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of-virtue-where-somebody-didn-t/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-darlington/all-that-evil-requires-is-an-absence-of-virtue-where-somebody-didn-t/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
