Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
You cannot reshape human nature without mutilating human beings.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human nature is intrinsic and cannot be changed without harming individuals.
This quote by Edward Abbey highlights the belief that human nature is fundamentally ingrained and cannot be altered without causing significant harm or distortion to individuals. It suggests that attempts to change essential human traits may lead to negative consequences, indicating a respect for the inherent qualities of humanity.
Themes
Human NatureChangePhilosophyIdentityHumanism
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about ethics and psychology, this quote could illustrate the limitations of altering human behavior.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes →I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
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If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
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The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
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I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
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Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
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