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Human Nature Quotes

Browse 4693 quotes about Human Nature.

Human Nature Quotes

“There is a Destiny which has the control of our actions, not to be resisted by the strongest efforts of Human Nature.”

Humans Action Effort Destiny Human Nature Strongest Our Actions

Book:The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

“Enslave a man and you destroy his ambition, his enterprise, his capacity. In the constitution of human nature, the desire of bettering one's condition is the mainspring of effort. The first touch of slavery snaps this spring.”

Men Firsts Humans Desire Effort Conditions Human Nature Ambition Spring Capacity Constitution Slavery Enterprise Snaps

Book:Slavery

Source: Slavery

“Sometimes you read something and it's just -- it doesn't invite a reader....Sometimes you read something and it's not saying, 'oh come in, come in have a seat. I'm going to tell you what happened.' Perhaps my writing comes off as conversational...and that takes effort.”

Writing Sometimes Community Effort Happened Human Nature Reader Individuality Seats Invites

Author:David Sedaris

“Without any extraordinary effort of genius, I have discovered that nature was the same three thousand years ago as at present; that men were but men then as well as now; that modes and customs vary often, but that human nature is always the same. And I can no more suppose, that men were better, braver, or wiser, fifteen hundred or three thousand years ago, than I can suppose that the animals or vegetables were better than they are now.”

Men Years Humans Wells I Can Three Animal Effort Human Nature Genius Thousand Hundred Years Ago Extraordinary Customs Vegetables Fifteen Thousand Years Wiser Vary

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“My mother understood human nature better and never chided. She knew that a man cannot be saved from his own foolishness or vice by someone else's efforts or protests, but only by the use of his own will.”

Men Humans Use Mother Effort Human Nature Understood Vices Saved Protest Foolishness

Author:Nikola Tesla

“Most of one's life is one prolonged effort to prevent oneself thinking.”

Thinking Life Life Is Effort Education Human Nature Oneself

Author:Aldous Huxley

“Obama liberals, in their incalculable arrogance, believe they are smart enough to defy everything we know about human nature, economics and history by insisting on separating financial efforts from rewards and pretending this can bring prosperity.”

Knows Believe Humans Enough Effort Human Nature Smart Economics Rewards Financial Prosperity Arrogance Pretending Separating Insisting

Author:David Limbaugh

“He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts.”

Source: The beauties of Johnson: choice selections from his works

“I will smile at friend and foe alike and make every effort to find, in him or her, a quality to praise, now that I realize the deepest yearning of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

Inspirational Humans Realizing Effort Quality Human Nature Praise Yearning Appreciated Foe Craving

Book:The Greatest Salesman in the World: Featuring the Ten Vows of Success. The end of the story

Source: The Greatest Salesman in the World: Featuring the Ten Vows of Success. The end of the story

“Is not every action of Hamlet induced by a fanatical impulse, which tells him that duty consists in revenge alone? And dose it need superhuman efforts to recognize that revenge never can be duty? I say again that Hamlet thinks much, but that he is by no means wise.”

Thinking Needs Mean Action Effort Wise Human Nature Duty Revenge Impulse Dose Superhuman

Book:Wisdom and Destiny: Works of Maeterlinck

Source: Wisdom and Destiny: Works of Maeterlinck

“The best state for human nature is that in which, while no one is poor, no one desires to be richer, nor has any reason to fear from thrust back, by the efforts of others to push themselves forward.”

Humans States Reason Desire Poor Effort Human Nature Economics Thrust

Book:Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy

Source: Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy

“Psychology keeps trying to vindicate human nature. History keeps undermining the effort.”

Trying Humans Literature Effort History Psychology Human Nature Psychological Psychiatrist Keep Trying Undermining

Author:Mason Cooley

“When under the pretext of fraternity, the legal code imposes mutual sacrifices on the citizens, human nature is not thereby abrogated. Everyone will then direct his efforts toward contributing little to, and taking much from, the common fund of sacrifices. Now, is it the most unfortunate who gains from this struggle? Certainly not, but rather the most influential and calculating.”

Humans Littles Common Effort Struggle Sacrifice Human Nature Citizens Gains Direct Code Fund Mutual Unfortunate Influential Contributing Fraternity Pretext Life Struggle Calculating

Author:Frederic Bastiat

“To meditate for world peace, to pray for a better world, and to work for social justice and environmental protection while continuing to purchase the flesh, milk, and eggs of horribly abused animals exposes a disconnect that is so fundamental that it renders our efforts absurd, hypocritical, and doomed to certain failure.”

Source: The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony

“It is not human nature to enjoy what we get with no effort.”

Humans Enjoy Effort Human Nature Hard Work Effortless

Author:Sri Chinmoy