the road to Hell is paved with good intentions

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English

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Proverb

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the road to Hell is paved with good intentions

  1. Alternative letter-case form of the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
    • 1846 February 5, W. N. M., “Original. The Temperance Meeting; or Night and Morning.”, in The New Era, volume I, number 149, Portsmouth, Va.: A. F. Cunningham, →ISSN, front page, column 5:
      Ever resolving that this should be his last frolic, (to call it by no harsher name) he but afforded another proof of the old saying, that “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” From drinking at night he soon began to take his morning dram, a morbid appetite was thus engendered, and the unnatural craving of his stomach, continually required a stimulus, until he became a noted tippler.
    • 1952, Charles Seltman, “Olympus”, in The Twelve Olympians, London: Pan Books Ltd., →OCLC, page 189:
      Fifth, there should be more trust in the frequent good intentions of mankind which do sometimes get implemented. There is no more vicious proverb than the one which asserts that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
    • 1990, Tim Lucas, “How to Read a [Jess] Franco Film”, in Video Watchdog, number 1, Cincinnati, Oh.: Tim and Donna Lucas, →ISSN, page 33, column 2:
      Europe is as ancient as history, and the world turns east to west, so it’s not to be unexpected that Jess Franco’s films are somewhat ahead of their time. And it’s hardly surprising that he has so often been condemned without first being understood because, as philosophers say, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.