Poll: Is there any truth to this quote??

[Dark4ng3l]

1. Can you tell me where this quote was taken from(I know here it comes from, im just screwing with your minds)
2. Is there any truth to it, explain.



<< As my father used to say: The road to hell is paved with good intentions >>

 

[vi edit]

Was originally spoken by Samuel Johnson. Not sure on original context.

As for meaning, my interpretation is this: A lot of people start out doing something that they think is a good thing, but they end up falling away from the original intentions and wind up hurting those that they are there to help.

 

[db]

Intending to do good, w/o really doing good, is of no value.

 

[Zach]

It means that we all going to hell, even if we thought we were all religious and pure. Suckers, I'll see you there.

 

[goog40]

Like PETA

 

[Sophia]

An example, shown on 60 Minutes once upon a time:



<< Millions of Bangladeshis are slowly poisoning themselves with arsenic-tainted water from tube wells sunk over the last two decades in a massive government effort to provide safe drinking water to villagers. The wells, equipped with simple hand pumps and conveniently located near homes, successfully stopped the use of contaminated, disease-carrying pond water but tragically and unexpectedly exposed the population to the lethal threat of arsenic from the underground water table. >>



Source

 

[RayH]

I actually got that quote once in a fortune cookie.

I think the saying is based on the idea that &quot;good intentions&quot; is commonly used as an excuse when things go bad.

 

[StageLeft]

Well if the road to hell is paved with good intentions what do bad intentions bring you? This quote seems kind of meaningless to me.

 

[linuxboy]

yes, there is truth to it


the quote tries to make us realize the distinction between intentions and the actual actions we take and how those actions influence ourselves and others.

Some philosophical thought (deontological) places emphasis on one's intentions and states that as long as the intentions are noble, the outcome doesn't matter. Here, the quote tries to explain that even if the intentions are good, the outcomes may not be. Hence, only the end action and end result should be considered because good intentions are simply not enough because they are not necessarily correlated to correct actions and desirable consequences.

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

uh oh we have a philosopher in the house...

basically what that means is what the 1st reply said IMO. you start off with good intentions but veer away from your original goal.

 

[goshdarnindie]

I read it a little more literally,

I intended to do this, I intended to do that but I never got around to doing anything, and now its to late.

 

[bigd480]

function main()
{
var laziness=&quot;sinful&quot; //at least biblically

IF intentions=&quot;good&quot; AND actions=(null) THEN
user GOTO hell()
}

 

[monto]

<< function main()
{
var laziness=&quot;sinful&quot; //at least biblically

IF intentions=&quot;good&quot; AND actions=(null) THEN
user GOTO hell()
} >>



hahaha! made my day, thanks