--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Knowing how bad you could be is a great…" description: "\"Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to being good.\" — Terry Pratchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg" --- # Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to… ![“Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to being good.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg) > “Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to being good.” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing your worst potential can motivate you to choose better behavior. **In simple terms:** Fear of being bad pushes you to be good. Key Takeaway Use that fear as a guide to act well. Themes morality self-awareness motivation Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - daily decisions - leadership - parenting - team dynamics Key Concepts ethical choice personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What bad habits scare you most? - How can you channel that fear constructively? A Different Perspective It may cause anxiety if over‑focused on negative self‑image. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Encouragement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encouragement/) ## Related quotes > [Raj has always been a great encouragement to me. We have gone through some really rough patches as well. There was a time when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandira-bedi/raj-has-always-been-a-great-encouragement-to-me-we-have-gone-through/) [Mandira Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandira-bedi/) > [It isn't bad judgment to make a man believe he is something. He is by nature inclined to it, and a little encouragement is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-langley-bosher/it-isn-t-bad-judgment-to-make-a-man-believe-he-is-something-he-is-by/) [Kate Langley Bosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-langley-bosher/) > [Consider how great is the encouragement which all the world gives to the lover; neither is he supposed to be doing anything dishonourable; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/consider-how-great-is-the-encouragement-which-all-the-world-gives-to/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Speaking to the Heart is a great encouragement to men who want to be better husbands and fathers. It is both a practical job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/speaking-to-the-heart-is-a-great-encouragement-to-men-who-want-to-be/) James Stenson > [And here at our Anglican Consultative Council, we have many reports of growth and great encouragement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carey/and-here-at-our-anglican-consultative-council-we-have-many-reports-of/) [George Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carey/) > [“Speak Positive Words of Encouragement and Be a Good Role Model for this and future generations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/speak-positive-words-of-encouragement-and-be-a-good-role-model-for/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-better-than-the-encouragement-of-a-good-friend/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/may-our-lord-jesus-christ-himself-and-god-our-father-who-loved-us-and/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good old friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-butler-hathaway/there-is-nothing-better-than-the-encouragement-of-a-good-old-friend/) [Katharine Butler Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-butler-hathaway/) > [All my shows are great. Some of them are bad. But they are all great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grade/all-my-shows-are-great-some-of-them-are-bad-but-they-are-all-great/) Michael Grade > [“Being yourself really isn't that bad; It's rather great actually...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-c/being-yourself-really-isn-t-that-bad-it-s-rather-great-actually/) Kayla C > [I can swim I'm not bad, but not great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-radcliffe/i-can-swim-i-m-not-bad-but-not-great/) [Paula Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-radcliffe/) > [I have often felt bad that I am not great at any one thing. Like just a super super singer. Or the Gregory Hines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-guy/i-have-often-felt-bad-that-i-am-not-great-at-any-one-thing-like-just/) [Jasmine Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-guy/) > [The show was bad, but I was great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/the-show-was-bad-but-i-was-great/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Isn't it too bad that the great truths are all such lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/isn-t-it-too-bad-that-the-great-truths-are-all-such-lies/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) > [What's good for the very rich might not be good for anybody but them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/what-s-good-for-the-very-rich-might-not-be-good-for-anybody-but-them/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“Living in the middle of beauty like this, we've no call to have puny ideas about God. Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to being good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terry Pratchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great-encouragement-to-being-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be good" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great-encouragement-to-being-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/terry-pratchett-19_be-good_knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great_2032863.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Knowing how bad you could be is a great encouragement to being good.” — Terry Pratchett", "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 Pratchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Knowing how bad you could be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great-encouragement-to-being-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/knowing-how-bad-you-could-be-is-a-great-encouragement-to-being-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 } } ] } ```