The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.
Havelock EllisRead
The prevalence of suicide, without doubt, is a test of height in civilization; it means that the population is winding up its nervous and intellectual system to the utmost point of tension and that sometimes it snaps.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the high rates of suicide reflect the limits of human endurance in a complex society.
Havelock Ellis points to the phenomenon of suicide as an indicator of the strains and pressures faced by individuals in a highly developed civilization. He implies that as societies become more complex and demanding, people's mental and emotional capacities can be pushed to their extremes, sometimes resulting in tragic outcomes. This serves as a reflection on the psychological toll that modern life can exert on individuals, emphasizing the importance of addressing mental health within the context of societal progress.
Themes
SuicideCivilizationPressureMental HealthSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a mental health awareness campaign to illustrate the impact of societal expectations.
More from Havelock Ellis
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The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw.
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Every man of genius sees the world at a different angle from his fellows, and there is his tragedy.
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It is on our failures that we base a new and different and better success.
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