--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet I think the demon's target is not the…" description: "\"Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is us . . . the observers . . . every person in this house. And I think---I think the point is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_yet-i-think-the-demon-s-target-is-not-th_1641495.jpg" --- # Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is… ![“Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is us . . . the observers . . . every person in this house. And I think---I think the point is to make us despair; to reject our own humanity, Damien: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial; as ultimately vile and putrescent; without dignity…” quote by William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_yet-i-think-the-demon-s-target-is-not-th_1641495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_yet-i-think-the-demon-s-target-is-not-th_1641495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/william-peter-blatty-6688_demon_yet-i-think-the-demon-s-target-is-not-th_1641495.jpg) > “Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is us . . . the observers . . . every person in this house. And I think---I think the point is to make us despair; to reject our own humanity, Damien: to see ourselves as ultimately bestial; as ultimately 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, making them despise their humanity and feel degraded. **In simple terms:** The demon wants us to lose hope and see ourselves as vile. Key Takeaway Guard your humanity against despair. Themes fear despair humanity evil Mood anxious reflective Type cautionary philosophical When to use this quote - family gatherings - religious rituals - mental health crises - media consumption Key Concepts psychology existentialism spiritual warfare Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain dignity when confronted with evil? - What practices keep you grounded? A Different Perspective It may also empower the demon by giving it attention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Demon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon/) [Demon Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon-target-571798/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humanity Damien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity-damien-571796/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Reject Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reject-humanity-571799/) [Rejects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejects/) [Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/target/) [Think Demon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-demon-571797/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly/) [Unworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unworthy/) ## Related quotes > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/the-demon-s-target-is-not-the-possessed-it-is-us-the-observers/) [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/) > [Every parent has those moments where they look at their child and think, 'There's a demon in those eyes and no one can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/every-parent-has-those-moments-where-they-look-at-their-child-and/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [“Oh, goodie. 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But I do think there's a demon in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peele/i-don-t-think-that-humans-are-in-our-nature-we-re-evil-or-anything/) [Jordan Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peele/) > [“Don't think,demon girl.Just feel.Feel and come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wright/don-t-think-demon-girl-just-feel-feel-and-come/) [Laura Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wright/) > [“Let them think you a demon or a god,” she said. “Let them fear you. It does not matter.” “It matters a great deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/let-them-think-you-a-demon-or-a-god-she-said-let-them-fear-you-it/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Had Elijah Muhammad tried to introduce an orthodox form of Arab-oriented Islam, I doubt if he would have attracted 500 people, but he introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/had-elijah-muhammad-tried-to-introduce-an-orthodox-form-of-arab/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [You cannot will yourself to be happy while believing that you have no right to happiness, or that you are unworthy of it. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-roberts/you-cannot-will-yourself-to-be-happy-while-believing-that-you-have-no/) [Jane Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-roberts/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Everyone is leaving me... nobody wants me around... am I worse than a dog then... why everything is this way? Perhaps I don't deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dari-a-malaunt/everyone-is-leaving-me-nobody-wants-me-around-am-i-worse-than-a-dog/) [Dari A. Malaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dari-a-malaunt/) ## 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. In the world there was evil and much of it resulted from doubt, from an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/more-rooted-in-logic-was-the-silence-of-god-in-the-world-there-was/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [As far as God goes, I \_am\_ a nonbeliever. Still am. But when it comes to a devil---well, that's something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/as-far-as-god-goes-i-am-a-nonbeliever-still-am-but-when-it-comes-to-a/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [Well, the research into it affected me. And the novel, it very much strengthened my faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/well-the-research-into-it-affected-me-and-the-novel-it-very-much/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us; but he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. 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. (Tate)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-m-getting-all-warm-and-fuzzy-inside-at-the-prospect-of-these-demon/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [For many people it's Facebook, or sports on TV, whatever it is. I have my own demons that I battle. But whatever they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/for-many-people-it-s-facebook-or-sports-on-tv-whatever-it-is-i-have/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [In an attempt to hinder, if not altogether halt, the next move of God, Satan has sent forth an army of faultfinding demons against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-frangipane/in-an-attempt-to-hinder-if-not-altogether-halt-the-next-move-of-god/) [Francis Frangipane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-frangipane/) > [Having an eating disorder doesn't show ‘strength.’ Strength is when are able to overcome your demons after being sick and tired for so long.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/having-an-eating-disorder-doesn-t-show-strength-strength-is-when-are/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/i-think-we-should-be-very-careful-about-artificial-intelligence-if-i/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [Evil is the shadow of angel. Just as there are angels of light, support, guidance, healing and defense, so we have experiences of shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/evil-is-the-shadow-of-angel-just-as-there-are-angels-of-light-support/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [“I assure you; while I look like a ghost, I'm no spirit or demon. I'm nothing but a girl struggling to make her way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leanna-renee-hieber/i-assure-you-while-i-look-like-a-ghost-i-m-no-spirit-or-demon-i-m/) [Leanna Renee Hieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leanna-renee-hieber/) > [A rollicking good read-THE HUNTER is steampunk with a Wild West feel. Theresa Meyers is an entertaining and witty writer with a fresh, new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-galenorn/a-rollicking-good-read-the-hunter-is-steampunk-with-a-wild-west-feel/) [Yasmine Galenorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmine-galenorn/) [Browse all 1,462 Demon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yet I think the demon's target is not the possessed; it is us . . . the observers . . . every person in this house. 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