--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fine thing about pacts with the devil…" description: "\"“The fine thing about pacts with the devil is that when you sign them you are well aware of their conditions. Otherwise, why would you be recompensed w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/591/umberto-eco-313_choices_the-fine-thing-about-pacts-with-the-devi_3018178.jpg" --- # The fine thing about pacts with the devil is that when you… ![“The fine thing about pacts with the devil is that when you sign them you are well aware of their conditions. Otherwise, why would you be recompensed with hell?” quote by Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/591/umberto-eco-313_choices_the-fine-thing-about-pacts-with-the-devi_3018178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/591/umberto-eco-313_choices_the-fine-thing-about-pacts-with-the-devi_3018178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/591/umberto-eco-313_choices_the-fine-thing-about-pacts-with-the-devi_3018178.jpg) > ““The fine thing about pacts with the devil is that when you sign them you are well aware of their conditions. Otherwise, why would you be recompensed with hell?”” [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pacts with malevolent forces are entered knowingly, making the consequences inevitable and self‑inflicted. **In simple terms:** Know the terms before making deals. Key Takeaway Beware of dangerous agreements. Themes ethics danger contracts consequences Mood cautious serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - legal negotiations - personal relationships - creative writing Key Concepts Moral responsibility risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you accept knowingly? - How do you ensure informed consent? A Different Perspective Ignorance can be willful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Conditions Recompensed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions-recompensed-4871513/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Pacts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacts-341377/) [Pacts Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacts-devil-4267519/) [Recompensed Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recompensed-hell-4871511/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Self deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-deception/) [Thing Pacts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-pacts-4871512/) ## Related quotes > [“Pacts with the devil have been made many times. There is no other way to explain the popularity of the book Fifty Shades of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/pacts-with-the-devil-have-been-made-many-times-there-is-no-other-way/) [Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Wagers and pacts are made with angels - or with devils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/wagers-and-pacts-are-made-with-angels-or-with-devils/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Sometimes, though, you make a pact with yourself. I'll pretend there's nothing wrong if you pretend there's nothing wrong. It's called denial, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/sometimes-though-you-make-a-pact-with-yourself-i-ll-pretend-there-s/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I am against any pact with the Nationalists because I am against pacts in principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steel/i-am-against-any-pact-with-the-nationalists-because-i-am-against/) [David Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steel/) > [“Swimbos,” Rök said with an aggrieved shrug. Swimbos —Rök’s play on “She Who Must Be Obeyed”. “Can I help it?” “Yeah, you can, Rök.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/swimbos-r-k-said-with-an-aggrieved-shrug-swimbos-r-k-s-play-on-she/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [The Pacts and Covenants, by which the parts of this Body Politique were at first made, set together, and united, resemble that Fiat, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/the-pacts-and-covenants-by-which-the-parts-of-this-body-politique/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [That's the thing with suicide pacts. Sometimes they only really work if they catch you by surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/that-s-the-thing-with-suicide-pacts-sometimes-they-only-really-work/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [I hold to my conviction that, once this path of mutual understanding and consideration has been taken, more will come of it in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-hold-to-my-conviction-that-once-this-path-of-mutual-understanding/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“The failure of every one of these long line of “Pacts” is always attributable to the many divisions among the Sinhalese. When one party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-navaratnam/the-failure-of-every-one-of-these-long-line-of-pacts-is-always/) [V. Navaratnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-navaratnam/) > [The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-visionary-lies-to-himself-the-liar-only-to-others/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“We all practice self-deception to a degree; no man can handle complete honesty without being cut at each turn. There's not enough room in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/we-all-practice-self-deception-to-a-degree-no-man-can-handle-complete/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [If we can but tear the blindfold of self-deception from our eyes and loosen the gag of self-denial from our voices, we can restore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-c-sorensen/if-we-can-but-tear-the-blindfold-of-self-deception-from-our-eyes-and/) [Theodore C. Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-c-sorensen/) ## More by Umberto Eco > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Followers of the occult believe in only what they already know, and in those things that confirm what they have already learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/followers-of-the-occult-believe-in-only-what-they-already-know-and-in/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“This has nothing to do with realism (even if it explains also realism). 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Anything, however trifling, may be of use one day. What matters is to know something that others don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/listening-doesn-t-mean-trying-to-understand-anything-however-trifling/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [They say that a cat, if it falls from a window and hits its nose, can lose its sense of smell and then, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/they-say-that-a-cat-if-it-falls-from-a-window-and-hits-its-nose-can/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are magic moments, involving great physical fatigue and intense motor excitement, that produce visions of people known in the past. As I learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-magic-moments-involving-great-physical-fatigue-and-intense/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [All poets write bad poetry. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. 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I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The fine thing about pacts with the devil is that when you sign them you are well aware of their conditions. 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