"It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost"

Stephen King's words suggest the simple distinction between good and evil is far less straightforward in real life than stories often lead us to believe. Doing good may seem preferable and morally superior, yet it rarely comes without sacrifice. Genuine goodness demands hard choices, self-denial, and sometimes personal suffering. It calls for individuals to stand up against wrong, to take unpopular stances, and to risk loss, whether that's loss of comfort, reputation, safety, or something dearer.

Choosing to act with kindness, integrity, and compassion in a world that may reward deceit or cruelty often places a person at a disadvantage. There is a social and psychological burden to consistently striving for what is right. This can mean enduring criticism, alienation, or misunderstanding from others who do not share the same values or are threatened by someone who refuses to compromise. Goodness requires continuous vigilance and accountability, a willingness to confront one's own failings as well as those of society. There is a constant reckoning with temptation, apathy, or despair.

King may also be recognizing the emotional toll inherent in being good. Empathy and conscience make people vulnerable to pain. To honestly face and address suffering, whether in oneself or in others, is uprooting. It involves making oneself open to the weight of the world and not turning away from injustice or sorrow. Many who aspire to goodness struggle with guilt or anxiety over not doing enough, or become weary from standing against the current.

Achievement of real goodness is transformative but costly, because it goes against the grain of easy options and self-interest. It asks for courage and resilience, sustained not by hope for reward but by the intrinsic value of right action. Through this, King elevates the pursuit of goodness beyond a simple, gratifying choice to a profound and challenging journey.