Faustian bargains
Deals with devils
Faustian bargains are deals in which someone trades away something precious—typically their soul, integrity, or long-term wellbeing—for immediate gain.
The term comes from the legend of Faust, a scholar who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power.
The phrase implies the price will eventually come due: She made a Faustian bargain when she took the promotion, sacrificing her principles for career advancement.
- temptationUrge toward the unwise
- pactFormal agreement between parties
- consequencesResults of actions taken
- dealAgreement or distribution
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
too good to be true · tragic flaw · contract · agreement · unholy alliance · mortality · hubris · Mephistopheles · moral ambiguity · moral corruption · moral compromise · sacrifices · ambitions · regrets · ethical dilemmas · Dorian Gray · forbidden knowledge · Robert Johnson
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