No good deed goes unpunished
The phrase "No good deed goes unpunished" is a
Background
The phrase is first attested in Walter Map's 12th-century De nugis curialium, in whose fourth chapter the character Eudo adhered to inverted morality "left no good deed unpunished, no bad one unrewarded".[1][2]
Conventional moral wisdom holds that evil deeds are punished by divine providence and good deeds are rewarded by divine providence:[1]
For as punishment is to the evil act, so is reward to a good act. Now no evil deed is unpunished, by God the just judge. Therefore no good deed is unrewarded, and so every good deed merits some good.[a]
This is related to the concepts of Hell and of karma.
Modern expression
The modern expression "No good deed goes unpunished" is an ironic twist on this conventional morality.[1]
The ironic usage of the phrase appears to be[
In 2005, author
See also
Notes
References
- ^ a b c O'Toole, Garson (April 30, 2019). "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished". Quote Investigator. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
- ISBN 9788124107447.
- ^ Gill, Brendan (1950). The Trouble of One House. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 28. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ "My Routine: Christine Dwyer, actress". Courier-Journal. September 14, 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Holy Joe's". Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ David Helvarg (2005-01-03). "David Helvarg, marine activist, answers questions". Grist Magazine.
External links
- The dictionary definition of no good deed goes unpunished at Wiktionary