--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The demon's target is not the possessed…" description: "\"“The demon's target is not the possessed; it is us the observers..everyone in this house. I think the point is to make us despair..to reject our humani..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_the-demon-s-target-is-not-the-possessed_2947326.jpg" --- # The demon's target is not the possessed; it is us the… ![“The demon's target is not the possessed; it is us the observers..everyone in this house. I think the point is to make us despair..to reject our humanity: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial, vile and putrescent; without dignity; ugly; unworthy.” quote by William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_the-demon-s-target-is-not-the-possessed_2947326.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_the-demon-s-target-is-not-the-possessed_2947326.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_the-demon-s-target-is-not-the-possessed_2947326.jpg) > ““The demon's target is not the possessed; it is us the observers..everyone in this house. I think the point is to make us despair..to reject our humanity: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial, vile and putrescent; without dignity; ugly; unworthy.”” [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The demon seeks to corrupt observers, causing despair and dehumanization. **In simple terms:** It tries to make us lose hope and see ourselves as vile. Key Takeaway Recognize and resist despairing narratives. Themes fear despair humanity evil Mood ominancholy intense Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - religious rituals - mental health support - community solidarity - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology spiritual warfare existential dread Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain dignity when faced with darkness? - What practices help you resist despair? A Different Perspective The quote may overstate supernatural influence, ignoring personal agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Demon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon/) [Demon Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon-target-571798/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Possessed Observers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessed-observers-4424281/) [Psychological warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological-warfare/) [Reject Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reject-humanity-571799/) [Target Possessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/target-possessed-4424282/) ## Related quotes > [Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is us . . . the observers . . . every person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/yet-i-think-the-demon-s-target-is-not-the-possessed-it-is-us-the/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“And I think—I think the point is to make us despair; to reject our own humanity, Damien: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial, vile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/and-i-think-i-think-the-point-is-to-make-us-despair-to-reject-our-own/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I belong to a generation - assuming that this generation includes others besides me - that lost its faith in the gods of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-belong-to-a-generation-assuming-that-this-generation-includes/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Everyone knows this, don’t they?” Cohen gaped at him in astonishment. “Blood-sucking ghosts, as a matter of fact,” said Rincewind. “After all, everyone knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/everyone-knows-this-don-t-they-cohen-gaped-at-him-in-astonishment/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The People’s Daily summoned the language of another era and warned that constitutionalism, the call to put the Party under the rule of law,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-osnos/the-people-s-daily-summoned-the-language-of-another-era-and-warned/) [Evan Osnos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-osnos/) > [In this war, which was total in every sense of the word, we have seen many great changes in military science. 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Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) > [The GRU is used for both tactical intelligence collection in the battlefield in support of Russian military operations and also strategic active measures or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-alperovitch/the-gru-is-used-for-both-tactical-intelligence-collection-in-the/) [Dmitri Alperovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-alperovitch/) > [There was no point in seeking to convert the intellectuals. For intellectuals would never be converted and would anyway always yield to the stronger,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/there-was-no-point-in-seeking-to-convert-the-intellectuals-for/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [We have no right ever to forget that psychological warfare is a struggle for winning people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-gorbachev/we-have-no-right-ever-to-forget-that-psychological-warfare-is-a/) [Mikhail Gorbachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-gorbachev/) > [We plan to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a purely Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by psychological warfare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasser-arafat/we-plan-to-eliminate-the-state-of-israel-and-establish-a-purely/) [Yasser Arafat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasser-arafat/) ## More by William Peter Blatty > [“Henri Bergson thought the principal function of the brain was to filter out most of reality so that we could focus on the tasks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/henri-bergson-thought-the-principal-function-of-the-brain-was-to/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“Ah, well … at last I realized that God would never ask of me that which I know to be psychologically impossible; that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/ah-well-at-last-i-realized-that-god-would-never-ask-of-me-that-which/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“We have familiar experience of the order, the constancy, the perpetual renovation of the material world which surrounds us. Frail and transitory as is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/we-have-familiar-experience-of-the-order-the-constancy-the-perpetual/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“More rooted in logic was the silence of God. 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His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/the-demon-is-a-liar-he-will-lie-to-confuse-us-but-he-will-also-mix/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“Abruptly sagging, Chris stared at the floor. “Go ahead,” she said softly. “Do whatever you have to. Just make her well.” “May”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/abruptly-sagging-chris-stared-at-the-floor-go-ahead-she-said-softly/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I didn't read The Haunting of Hill House until sometime early in the 1990's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/i-didn-t-read-the-haunting-of-hill-house-until-sometime-early-in-the/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“Well, what’s wrong?” “I don’t know, Doc, I just can’t describe it! Please come over right away! Come now!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-what-s-wrong-i-don-t-know-doc-i-just-can-t-describe-it-please/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“They Said, "what sign can you give us to see, so that we may believe you?" - John 6: 30 - 31 You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/they-said-what-sign-can-you-give-us-to-see-so-that-we-may-believe-you/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I lived in Georgetown in the late 70s about four houses down from the steps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/i-lived-in-georgetown-in-the-late-70s-about-four-houses-down-from-the/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“He thought of death in its infinite groanings, of Aztecs ripping out living hearts and of cancer and three-year-olds buried alive and he wondered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/he-thought-of-death-in-its-infinite-groanings-of-aztecs-ripping-out/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [“We mourn the blossoms of May because they are to wither; but we know that May is one day to have its revenge upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/we-mourn-the-blossoms-of-may-because-they-are-to-wither-but-we-know/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) [Explore all 92 William Peter Blatty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) ## More Demon quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [I believe that on any trip to heaven, there are always detours through hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-finney/i-believe-that-on-any-trip-to-heaven-there-are-always-detours-through/) [Richard Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-finney/) > [I wonder what disgusts you more, the fact that I’m a demon, or the fact that when I touch you, it doesn’t matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larissa-ione/i-wonder-what-disgusts-you-more-the-fact-that-i-m-a-demon-or-the-fact/) [Larissa Ione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larissa-ione/) > [“The demon stopped its frantic attempts to escape. It stared at the glitter and began to pant, fingers twitching in anticipation. More twitching. Faster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-oliver/the-demon-stopped-its-frantic-attempts-to-escape-it-stared-at-the/) [Jana Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-oliver/) > [“He curled his claw into a fist. "I'd like to shove a stake up that bastard's ass." Adam's lip curled. "Remind me not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaye-wells/he-curled-his-claw-into-a-fist-i-d-like-to-shove-a-stake-up-that/) [Jaye Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaye-wells/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I’m getting all warm and fuzzy inside at the prospect of these demon things roaming the street, preying on us. 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