--- title: "The nature of a narrow and malevolent spirit is so essentially incomp… — Percy Bysshe Shelley Quote #185 | QuotesBy.net" description: "The nature of a narrow and malevolent spirit is so essentially incompatible with happiness as to render it inaccessible to the influences of the beni… — a quote by Percy Bysshe Shelley." image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png" --- > # The nature of a narrow and malevolent spirit is so essentially incompatible with happiness as to render it inaccessible to the influences of the benignant God. All that his own perverse propensities will permit him to receive, that God abundantly pours forth upon him. If there is the slightest overbalance of happiness, which can be allotted to the most atrocious offender, consistently with the nature of things, that is rigidly made his portion by the ever-watchful Power of God. In every case, the human mind enjoys the utmost pleasure which it is capable of enjoying. God is represented by Jesus Christ as the Power from which, and through which, the streams of all that is excellent and delightful flow; the Power which models, as they pass, all the elements of this mixed universe to the purest and most perfect shape which it belongs to their nature to assume [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley)\#185 [Spirituality](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/spirituality/)[Ethics](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/ethics/)[Happiness](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/happiness/)[Spirit](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/spirit/)[Divine](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/divine/) [WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CThe%20nature%20of%20a%20narrow%20and%20malevolent%20spirit%20is%20so%20essentially%20incompatible%20with%20happiness%20as%20to%20render%20it%20inaccessible%20to%20the%20influences%20of%20the%20benignant%20God.%20All%20that%20his%20own%20perverse%20propensities%20will%20permit%20him%20to%20receive%2C%20that%20God%20abundantly%20pours%20forth%20upon%20him.%20If%20there%20is%20the%20slightest%20overbalance%20of%20happiness%2C%20which%20can%20be%20allotted%20to%20the%20most%20atrocious%20offender%2C%20consistently%20with%20the%20nature%20of%20things%2C%20that%20is%20rigidly%20made%20his%20portion%20by%20the%20ever-watchful%20Power%20of%20God.%20In%20every%20case%2C%20the%20human%20mind%20enjoys%20the%20utmost%20pleasure%20which%20it%20is%20capable%20of%20enjoying.%20God%20is%20represented%20by%20Jesus%20Christ%20as%20the%20Power%20from%20which%2C%20and%20through%20which%2C%20the%20streams%20of%20all%20that%20is%20excellent%20and%20delightful%20flow%3B%20the%20Power%20which%20models%2C%20as%20they%20pass%2C%20all%20the%20elements%20of%20this%20mixed%20universe%20to%20the%20purest%20and%20most%20perfect%20shape%20which%20it%20belongs%20to%20their%20nature%20to%20assume%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Percy%20Bysshe%20Shelley%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FPercy-Bysshe-Shelley%2F185%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CThe%20nature%20of%20a%20narrow%20and%20malevolent%20spirit%20is%20so%20essentially%20incompatible%20with%20happiness%20as%20to%20render%20it%20inaccessible%20to%20the%20influences%20of%20the%20benignant%20God.%20All%20that%20his%20own%20perverse%20propensities%20will%20permit%20him%20to%20receive%2C%20that%20God%20abundantly%20pours%20forth%20upon%20him.%20If%20there%20is%20the%20slightest%20overbalance%20of%20happiness%2C%20which%20can%20be%20allotted%20to%20the%20most%20atrocious%20offender%2C%20consistently%20with%20the%20nature%20of%20things%2C%20that%20is%20rigidly%20made%20his%20portion%20by%20the%20ever-watchful%20Power%20of%20God.%20In%20every%20case%2C%20the%20human%20mind%20enjoys%20the%20utmost%20pleasure%20which%20it%20is%20capable%20of%20enjoying.%20God%20is%20represented%20by%20Jesus%20Christ%20as%20the%20Power%20from%20which%2C%20and%20through%20which%2C%20the%20streams%20of%20all%20that%20is%20excellent%20and%20delightful%20flow%3B%20the%20Power%20which%20models%2C%20as%20they%20pass%2C%20all%20the%20elements%20of%20this%20mixed%20universe%20to%20the%20purest%20and%20most%20perfect%20shape%20which%20it%20belongs%20to%20their%20nature%20to%20assume%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Percy%20Bysshe%20Shelley&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FPercy-Bysshe-Shelley%2F185%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FPercy-Bysshe-Shelley%2F185%2F) ## About this quote What does it mean?A malicious spirit cannot be happy because it rejects God's goodness, receiving only what its nature allows.In plain termsMean people cannot be happy because they reject goodness.What can you take from it?Malice prevents happiness by rejecting divine goodness. ### Where it applies - ethical reflection - religious study - psychological analysis ### Putting it to work - reflect on personal malice - cultivate benevolence - study spiritual well-being ### Questions to consider - Is happiness blocked by our own choices? - How does malice affect inner peace? ### Another view The quote attributes all human emotion to divine will which may ignore psychological complexity. ## More from Percy Bysshe Shelley 1. > This, and no other, is justice: - to consider, under all the circumstances and consequences of a particular case, how the greatest quantity and purest quality … [Permalink to quote \#184](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/184/ "Permalink to quote 184") 2. > This much is certain, that Jesus Christ represents God as the fountain of all goodness, the eternal enemy of pain and evil, the uniform and unchanging motive o… [Permalink to quote \#186](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/186/ "Permalink to quote 186") 3. > My neighbour, or my servant, or my child, has done me an injury, and it is just that he should suffer an injury in return. Such is the doctrine which Jesus Chr… [Permalink to quote \#183](https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/183/ "Permalink to quote 183") ## Related quotes 1. > Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures. [Thomas Aquinas](https://quotesby.net/Thomas-Aquinas)[Thomas Aquinas quote \#14](https://quotesby.net/Thomas-Aquinas/14/ "Permalink to quote 14") 2. > Now while we speak, the sun speeds forth: can I Or thou assure him of his goal? God's breath Even at this moment haply quickeneth The air to a flame; till spir… [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://quotesby.net/Dante-Gabriel-Rossetti)[Dante Gabriel Rossetti quote \#18](https://quotesby.net/Dante-Gabriel-Rossetti/18/ "Permalink to quote 18") 3. > Happiness is not an end - it is only a means, and adjunct, a consequence. The Omnipotent Himself could never be supposed by any, save those who out of their ow… [Dinah Craik](https://quotesby.net/Dinah-Craik)[Dinah Craik quote \#30](https://quotesby.net/Dinah-Craik/30/ "Permalink to quote 30") ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The nature of a narrow and malevolent spirit is so essentially incompatible with happiness as to render it inaccessible to the influences of the benignant God. All that his own perverse propensities will permit him to receive, that God abundantly pours forth upon him. If there is the slightest overbalance of happiness, which can be allotted to the most atrocious offender, consistently with the nature of things, that is rigidly made his portion by the ever-watchful Power of God. In every case, the human mind enjoys the utmost pleasure which it is capable of enjoying. God is represented by Jesus Christ as the Power from which, and through which, the streams of all that is excellent and delightful flow; the Power which models, as they pass, all the elements of this mixed universe to the purest and most perfect shape which it belongs to their nature to assume", "url": "https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/185/", "spokenByCharacter": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Percy Bysshe Shelley" } } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://quotesby.net/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Authors", "item": "https://quotesby.net/authors/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Percy Bysshe Shelley", "item": "https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Quote #185", "item": "https://quotesby.net/Percy-Bysshe-Shelley/185/" } ] } ```