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Quote by Johan Huizinga

“Physical nature lies at our feet shackled with a hundred chains. What of the control of human nature? Do not point to the triumphsof psychiatry, social services or the war against crime. Domination of human nature can only mean the domination of every man by himself.”

Quote by Johan Huizinga

Author

Dutch historian known for his research in cultural and art history. Johan Huizinga was born on December 7, 1872, and died on February 1, 1945. His works have had a profound impact on subsequent historical and sociological studies. more

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“The things which can make life enjoyable remain the same. They are, now as before, reading, music, fine arts, travel, the enjoyment of nature, sports, fashion, social vanity (knightly orders, honorary offices, gatherings) and the intoxication of the senses.”

Art Order Reading Social Sports Music Fashion Fine Travel Office Senses Vanity Enjoyment Enjoy Life Gathering Enjoyable Fine Arts Intoxication Honorary Reading Music

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Without metaphor the handling of general concepts such as culture and civilization becomes impossible, and that of disease and disorder is the obvious one for the case in point. Is not crisis itself a concept we owe to Hippocrates? In the social and cultural domain no metaphor is more apt than the pathological one.”

Culture Social Cases Impossible Civilization Disease Concepts Crisis Metaphor Obvious Disorder Domain

Author:Johan Huizinga

“It's extraordinary how self-obsessed human beings are. The things that people always go on about is, 'tell us about us', 'tell us about the first human being'. We are so self-obsessed with our own history. There is so much more out there than what connects to us.”

People Firsts Humans Self Human Beings Goes On Extraordinary Obsessed Self Obsessed

Author:David Attenborough

“Nelson's famous signal before the Battle of Trafalgar was not: "England expects that every man will be a hero." It said: "Englandexpects that every man will do his duty." In 1805 that was enough. It should still be.”

Men Should Said Stills Enough Duty Hero Battle England Every Man Signals Nelson

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Without claiming superiority of intellectual over visual understanding, one is nevertheless bound to admit that the cinema allowsa number of æsthetic-intellectual means of perception to remain unexercised which cannot but lead to a weakening of judgment.”

Mean Understanding Numbers Judgment Perception Intellectual Bounds Cinema Visuals Nevertheless Superiority Weakening

Author:Johan Huizinga

“The art of watching has become mere skill at rapid apperception and understanding of continuously changing visual images. The younger generation has acquired this cinematic perception to an amazing degree.”

Art Understanding Generations Skills Degrees Perception Mere Cinema Visuals Rapids Younger Generation Cinematic Visual Images

Author:Johan Huizinga

“The more the specific feelings of being under obligation range themselves under a supreme principle of human dependence the clearer and more fertile will be the realization of the concept, indispensable to all true culture, of service; from the service of God down to the simple social relationship as between employer and employee.”

Humans Feelings Culture Social Simple Principles Concepts Supreme Obligation Realization Range Employee Dependence Indispensable Employers Fertile Social Relationships

Author:Johan Huizinga

“Whatever our creed or belief, we all know that there is no way back, that we must fight our way through.”

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Author:Johan Huizinga

“The slogan offers a counterweight to the general dispersion of thought by holding it fast to a single, utterly succinct and unforgettable expression, one which usually inspires men to immediate action. It abolishes reflection: the slogan does not argue, it asserts and commands.”

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Author:Johan Huizinga

“the rest of my days I spend wandering: wondering what, anyway, was that sticky infusion, that rank flavor of blood, that poetry, by which I lived?”

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Book:A New Selected Poems

Source: A New Selected Poems