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Human nature is potentially aggressive and destructive and potentially orderly and constructive.
Margaret Mead
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Human beings have the capacity for both aggression and construction in their nature.

Margaret Mead's quote highlights the duality of human nature, suggesting that each person possesses the potential for both destructive aggression and productive orderliness. This duality reflects the choices individuals can make and emphasizes the importance of nurturing constructive tendencies over destructive ones in society.

Themes

Human NatureAggressionConstructiveDestructiveBehavior

In practice

Example use cases

In a psychology class discussing the complexities of human behavior.

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American society is very like a fish society. . . . Among certain species of fish, the only thing which determines order of dominance is length of time in the fishbowl. The oldest resident picks on the newest resident, and if the newest resident is removed to a new bowl, he, as oldest resident, will pick on the newcomers.
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Quote by Margaret Mead | QuoteProject