We gain internal freedom through external actions.
Ram DassRead
The determination of the average man is not merely a matter of speculative curiosity; it may be of the most important service to the science of man and the social system. It ought necessarily to precede every other inquiry into social physics, since it is, as it were, the basis. The average man, indeed, is in a nation what the centre of gravity is in a body; it is by having that central point in view that we arrive at the apprehension of all the phenomena of equilibrium and motion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The average person's characteristics are crucial for understanding society and human behavior.
Adolphe Quetelet emphasizes the importance of studying the average man as a foundational aspect of social sciences. Just as the center of gravity helps in interpreting physical phenomena, understanding the average individual's traits and behaviors provides insight into the functioning of society and social systems.
Themes
Average ManSocietySocial PhysicsHuman BehaviorSocial Equilibrium
In practice
Example use cases
In a sociology class, when discussing societal structures, this quote can help to underscore the importance of studying the average individual.
Similar quotes
No man can attain to the knowledge of God but by humility. The way to mount high is to descend.
Giles Of AssisiRead
To reconcile conflicting parties, we must have the ability to understand the suffering of both sides.
Nhat HanhRead
The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.
C. S. LewisRead
Life, this anti-entropy, ceaselessly reloaded with energy, is a climbing force, toward order amidst chaos, toward light, among the darkness of the indefinite, toward the mystic dream of Love, between the fire which devours itself and the silence of the Cold.
Albert ClaudeRead
The words that come out of our mouths do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space, and they will come back to us in due time.
Elif SafakRead