The road to hell is paved with good intentions
Encyclopedia
The road to hell is paved with good intentions is a proverb
or aphorism
.
An alternative form of the proverb is "hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works".
who wrote, "L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs" (hell is full of good wishes and desires).
things even though they intend the results to be good. An example is the economic policies
of the 1920s
and 1930s
. These were intended to be a prudent response to the economic turmoil following World War I
and the Wall Street Crash respectively, but they were one of the causes of the Great Depression
and World War II
in which millions of people suffered and died.
Another interpretation is that good intentions may not result in a good outcome because of inaction due to procrastination
, laziness
or other subversive vice.
Quite simply, it could also mean that good ideas or thoughts lead to negative consequences that were unintended.
A person begins with good thoughts, promising to themselves to do the right thing, however, priorities in life change, time becomes a limiting factor, and alas, the good intentions go astray.
studies of the effect of intention upon task completion by professors Peter Gollwitzer
, Paschal Sheeran and Sheina Orbell indicate that there is some truth in the proverb. Perfectionists
are especially prone to have their intention
s backfire in this way. When judging intentions, people are more likely to interpret good intentions for their own actions than they are for those of others.
Attempts to improve the ethical
behaviour of groups are often counter-productive. If legislation is used then people will observe the letter of the law rather than improving the desired behaviour. During negotiation
, groups that are encouraged to understand the point of view
of the other parties do worse than those whose perspective
is not enlightened. The threat of punishment
may worsen ethical behaviour rather than improving it. Studies of business ethics
indicate that most wrongdoing is not due directly to wickedness but is performed by people who did not plan to err.
Stephen Garrard Post, writing about altruism
, suggests that good intentions are often not what they seem and that mankind normally acts from less worthy, selfish motives — "If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it is partly because that is the road they generally start out on."
, Madonna
, Billy Joel
, Coleridge
, Sir Walter Scott, Søren Kierkegaard
, and Karl Marx
.
In the movie, Highway to Hell
, the phrase is taken literally to create its funniest scene. The Good Intentions Paving Company has a team of Andy Warhol
s who grind good-intentioned souls into pavement. "I was only sleeping with my husband's boss to advance his career", says one.
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
or aphorism
Aphorism
An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic and memorable form.The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates...
.
An alternative form of the proverb is "hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works".
Origin
The saying is thought to have originated with Saint Bernard of ClairvauxBernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
who wrote, "L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs" (hell is full of good wishes and desires).
Meaning
The meaning of the phrase is that individuals may do badEvil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
things even though they intend the results to be good. An example is the economic policies
Economic policy
Economic policy refers to the actions that governments take in the economic field. It covers the systems for setting interest rates and government budget as well as the labor market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the economy.Such policies are often...
of the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
and 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
. These were intended to be a prudent response to the economic turmoil following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Wall Street Crash respectively, but they were one of the causes of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in which millions of people suffered and died.
Another interpretation is that good intentions may not result in a good outcome because of inaction due to procrastination
Procrastination
In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time...
, laziness
Laziness
Laziness is a disinclination to activity or exertion despite having the ability to do so. It is often used as a pejorative; related terms for a person seen to be lazy include couch potato, slacker, and bludger....
or other subversive vice.
Quite simply, it could also mean that good ideas or thoughts lead to negative consequences that were unintended.
A person begins with good thoughts, promising to themselves to do the right thing, however, priorities in life change, time becomes a limiting factor, and alas, the good intentions go astray.
Studies
PsychologicalPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
studies of the effect of intention upon task completion by professors Peter Gollwitzer
Peter Gollwitzer
Peter Max Gollwitzer is a Professor of Psychology.- External links :* Wikipedia German page for Peter M. Gollwitzer* *...
, Paschal Sheeran and Sheina Orbell indicate that there is some truth in the proverb. Perfectionists
Perfectionism (psychology)
Perfectionism, in psychology, is a belief that a state of completeness and flawlessness can and should be attained. In its pathological form, perfectionism is a belief that work or output that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable...
are especially prone to have their intention
Implementation intention
An implementation intention is a self-regulatory strategy in the form of an if-then-plan that can lead to better goal attainment. It is subordinate to goal intentions as it specifies the when, where and how of a goal-directed behavior...
s backfire in this way. When judging intentions, people are more likely to interpret good intentions for their own actions than they are for those of others.
Attempts to improve the ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
behaviour of groups are often counter-productive. If legislation is used then people will observe the letter of the law rather than improving the desired behaviour. During negotiation
Negotiation
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy...
, groups that are encouraged to understand the point of view
Point of view
Point of view, sometimes used interchangeably with viewpoint, may refer to:* Point of view or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronoun used in narration* Point of view , the angle of painter vision...
of the other parties do worse than those whose perspective
Perspective (cognitive)
Perspective in theory of cognition is the choice of a context or a reference from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, cohesively forming a coherent belief, typically for comparing with another...
is not enlightened. The threat of punishment
Punishment
Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
may worsen ethical behaviour rather than improving it. Studies of business ethics
Business ethics
Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.Business...
indicate that most wrongdoing is not due directly to wickedness but is performed by people who did not plan to err.
Stephen Garrard Post, writing about altruism
Altruism
Altruism is a concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures, and a core aspect of various religious traditions, though the concept of 'others' toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism is the opposite of...
, suggests that good intentions are often not what they seem and that mankind normally acts from less worthy, selfish motives — "If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it is partly because that is the road they generally start out on."
Artistic references
Authors who have used the phrase include Samuel JohnsonSamuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
, Sir Walter Scott, Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
, and Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
.
In the movie, Highway to Hell
Highway to Hell (film)
Highway to Hell is a 1992 horror comedy film directed by Ate de Jong starring Chad Lowe and Kristy Swanson. Charlie Sykes and his girlfriend Rachel Clark run away to Las Vegas to get married. Along the way Rachel is kidnapped by a Hellcop and taken to Hell to become one of Satan's brides, and...
, the phrase is taken literally to create its funniest scene. The Good Intentions Paving Company has a team of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
s who grind good-intentioned souls into pavement. "I was only sleeping with my husband's boss to advance his career", says one.