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wherever you find the greatest good, you will find the greatest evil, because evil loves paradise as much as good.
Wallace Stegner
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Good and evil coexist in the world, with each influencing and reacting to the other.

This quote reflects the idea that within the realms of human experience, good and evil are interlinked. The presence of great goodness often draws out the potential for great wickedness, suggesting that they are two sides of the same coin. It implies a balance in the moral landscape, where the existence of one can illuminate the presence of the other, challenging us to recognize that paradise is not without its shadows.

Themes

GoodEvilBalanceParadiseMoral

In practice

Example use cases

In a philosophical discussion about morality, this quote can illustrate the complexity of human nature.

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That is all the National Parks are about. Use, but do no harm.
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Hope was always out ahead of fact, possibility obscured the outlines of reality.
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Young writers should be encouraged to write, and discouraged from thinking they are writers.
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I was shaped by the west and have lived most of my life in it, and nothing would gratify me more than to see it in all its subregions and subcultures both prosperous and environmentally healthy, with a civilization to match its scenery.
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Most things break, including hearts. The lessons of life amount not to wisdom, but to scar tissue and callus.
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