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For at least two thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity, idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religious or political idols
Aldous Huxley
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Our suffering often stems from human foolishness and the extremes of our beliefs.

Aldous Huxley reflects on the origins of human misery, attributing a significant portion of it to the foolishness, malice, and rigid idealism that people exhibit. He suggests that this kind of fervent belief, whether in religion or politics, can lead to destructive behaviors and justifications for harmful actions, highlighting how such attitudes contribute to the darker aspects of human experience.

Themes

Human StupidityMaliceIdealismDogmatismHuman Suffering

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate about political ideologies, one might quote Huxley to emphasize the dangers of blind allegiance.

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To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
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The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
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