# Devils and Angels
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devils-and-angels/102306
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 7, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devils-and-angels/102306 "2002-04-07T12:09:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@heptapod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heptapod)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devils-and-angels/102306/1 "2002-04-07T12:09:10Z")
What is the origin of the symbolism in movies, cartoons, etc. where a person is wrestling with an issue and hears from an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other shoulder?
Also on which shoulder does each reside? My poor memory seems to tell me that their shoulder locations switch depending on the show.
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### Author:  [@Spiratu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiratu)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2002, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devils-and-angels/102306/2 "2002-04-07T17:37:41Z")
My guess would be that the devil’s on the left shoulder, what with the “sinister” connotation, tossing salt over your left shoulder, and all that. Although I wouldn’t expect to many movies to be mythologically correct (is that a term?) in this regard, devil-on-the-left seems correct to me.