--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: when you try to get payment through…" description: "\"“when you try to get payment through revenge the evil does not disappear. Instead it spreads, and it spreads most tragically of all into you and your o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/timothy-j-keller-3733_evil_when-you-try-to-get-payment-through-reve_2458656.jpg" --- # when you try to get payment through revenge the evil does… ![“when you try to get payment through revenge the evil does not disappear. Instead it spreads, and it spreads most tragically of all into you and your own character.” quote by Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/timothy-j-keller-3733_evil_when-you-try-to-get-payment-through-reve_2458656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/timothy-j-keller-3733_evil_when-you-try-to-get-payment-through-reve_2458656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/timothy-j-keller-3733_evil_when-you-try-to-get-payment-through-reve_2458656.jpg) > ““when you try to get payment through revenge the evil does not disappear. Instead it spreads, and it spreads most tragically of all into you and your own character.”” [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeking revenge for wrongs only deepens personal harm and corrupts character. **In simple terms:** Revenge harms you. Key Takeaway Avoid revenge. Themes ethics justice character Mood thoughtful cautionary Type advice ethical When to use this quote - Conflict resolution - personal growth - justice seeking Key Concepts Moral philosophy psychology of anger Questions to Reflect On - Can forgiveness replace the urge for revenge? - What are healthier ways to address injustice? A Different Perspective Revenge may feel justified in the moment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-does/) [Payment Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/payment-revenge-631144/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Revenge Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge-evil-631143/) [Tragically Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragically-character-631145/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [And does man simply choose evil, or does he create it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/and-does-man-simply-choose-evil-or-does-he-create-it/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [One does evil enough when one does nothing good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/german-proverb/one-does-evil-enough-when-one-does-nothing-good/) [German Proverb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/german-proverb/) > [“I hold no evil in my heart...This evil does not touch me. More may come, but not this. Not here. Not now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-hold-no-evil-in-my-heart-this-evil-does-not-touch-me-more-may-come/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can and does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/either-god-wants-to-abolish-evil-and-cannot-or-he-can-and-does-not/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Blessed ... is he who has it in his power to do evil, yet does it not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-de-navarre/blessed-is-he-who-has-it-in-his-power-to-do-evil-yet-does-it-not/) [Marguerite de Navarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-de-navarre/) > [“Evil does not fight against evil, rather it struggles against Good. Where as, Good does not struggle against evil, rather it overwhelmingly defeats it".…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/evil-does-not-fight-against-evil-rather-it-struggles-against-good/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [No man is clever enough to know all the evil he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-man-is-clever-enough-to-know-all-the-evil-he-does/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [If money the root of all evil,so what does that make me???](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clue/if-money-the-root-of-all-evil-so-what-does-that-make-me/) [Clue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clue/) > [Many of you would like to take evil and step on it, destroying it like you would a bug. Squish, smash! Begone into another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-marciniak/many-of-you-would-like-to-take-evil-and-step-on-it-destroying-it-like/) [Barbara Marciniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-marciniak/) > [As the mind of each man is conscious of good or evil, so does he conceive within his breast hope or fear, according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/as-the-mind-of-each-man-is-conscious-of-good-or-evil-so-does-he/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/evil-does-exist-in-the-world-a-non-violent-movement-could-not-have/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I face the world as it is and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-face-the-world-as-it-is-and-cannot-stand-idle-in-the-face-of/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Some people misunderstand evil and believe it will relent, and because their misplaced hope inspires dark hearts to dream darker dreams, they are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/some-people-misunderstand-evil-and-believe-it-will-relent-and-because/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Hatred of evil does not diminish evil, it increases it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/hatred-of-evil-does-not-diminish-evil-it-increases-it/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) ## More by Timothy J. Keller > [“The choice is ours. If we want to be sure to experience this vision by sight hereafter, we must know it by faith now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-choice-is-ours-if-we-want-to-be-sure-to-experience-this-vision-by/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It is worth asking ourselves: Where am I saying “I can’t” but God is saying “You won’t”? Israel’s failure to obey was based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-is-worth-asking-ourselves-where-am-i-saying-i-can-t-but-god-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.” In other words, what makes a life “good” is not a particular set of circumstances, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-same-sun-that-melts-wax-hardens-clay-in-other-words-what-makes-a/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Tremendous freedom comes when we can laugh at ourselves and whisper to him, "So! It's been you all along!" In some ways that day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/tremendous-freedom-comes-when-we-can-laugh-at-ourselves-and-whisper/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Is there anyone or anything that can separate me from Christ’s love for me? And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/is-there-anyone-or-anything-that-can-separate-me-from-christ-s-love/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Then, suddenly, the defense comes in with a new witness who can be proved to have been at the scene of the crime! The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/then-suddenly-the-defense-comes-in-with-a-new-witness-who-can-be/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“God’s call to his people (then and now) is to combine spirituality with bravery. True discipleship is radical and risk-taking, because true disciples rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/god-s-call-to-his-people-then-and-now-is-to-combine-spirituality-with/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“It needs to be said that faith-journeys are never simply intellectual exercises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-needs-to-be-said-that-faith-journeys-are-never-simply-intellectual/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“The only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-only-way-to-doubt-christianity-rightly-and-fairly-is-to-discern/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Paul is not saying that I must have nothing to do with the people and things of the world. Ironically, if I must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/paul-is-not-saying-that-i-must-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-people-and/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Religion is not the place where the problem of man’s egotism is automatically solved. Rather, it is there that the ultimate battle between human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/religion-is-not-the-place-where-the-problem-of-man-s-egotism-is/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Atheists and agnostics ask for this kind of “proof” for God, but are not alone in holding to strong rationalism. Many Christians claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/atheists-and-agnostics-ask-for-this-kind-of-proof-for-god-but-are-not/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Without socially shared discovered meaning we have no basis for saying to somebody else: “You need to stop doing that!” Created meanings cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/without-socially-shared-discovered-meaning-we-have-no-basis-for/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Christianity does not agree with the optimistic thinkers who say, “We can fix things if we try hard enough.” Nor does it agree with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/christianity-does-not-agree-with-the-optimistic-thinkers-who-say-we/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [“Everything we know in this world is “contingent,” has a cause outside of itself. Therefore the universe, which is just a huge pile of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/everything-we-know-in-this-world-is-contingent-has-a-cause-outside-of/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) [Explore all 119 Timothy J. Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) ## 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. 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