There are horrors beyond life's edge that we do not suspect, and once in a while man's evil prying calls them just within our range.
H. P. LovecraftRead
The sole ultimate factor in human decisions is physical force. This we must learn, however repugnant the idea may seem, if we are to protect ourselves and our institutions. Reliance on anything else is fallacious and ruinous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human decisions are ultimately influenced by physical force, despite the discomfort this idea may bring.
In this quote, H. P. Lovecraft emphasizes that at the core of human decisions lies the concept of physical force. He suggests that understanding this relationship is crucial for self-protection and the preservation of societal structures, and warns against reliance on intangible factors that can lead to downfall and despair.
Themes
ForceDecisionsHuman NatureProtectionInstitutions
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about the role of power in governance, this quote can be used to illustrate the importance of recognizing physical force in decision-making.
More from H. P. Lovecraft
All quotes →I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.
H. P. LovecraftRead
Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places.
H. P. LovecraftRead
The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.
H. P. LovecraftRead
No new horror can be more terrible than the daily torture of the commonplace.
H. P. LovecraftRead
I am, indeed, an absolute materialist so far as actual belief goes; with not a shred of credence in any form of supernaturalism—religion, spiritualism, transcendentalism, metempsychosis, or immortality.
H. P. LovecraftRead
Similar quotes
There are a lot of very brilliant people who believe that the nation-state is fast becoming a relic of the past.
William J. ClintonRead
In this constant battle which we call living, we try to set a code of conduct according to the society in which we are brought up, whether it be a Communist society or a so-called free society; we accept a standard of behaviour as part of our tradition as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or whatever we happen to be.
Jiddu KrishnamurtiRead
Religions have depended on the relative isolation and ignorance of their flocks, forever and this is all breaking down.
Daniel DennettRead
Society is just a structure with no soul. The soul is of the individual. One individual outweighs all societies. And, one individual's revolution outweighs all revolutions in the whole of history, because one man can become the womb for God to be reborn.
RajneeshRead
When God is our Holy Father, sovereignty, holiness, omniscience, and immutability do not terrify us; they leave us full of awe and gratitude. Sovereignty is only tyrannical if it is unbounded by goodness; holiness is only terrifying if it is untempered by grace; omniscience is only taunting if it is unaccompanied by mercy; and immutability is only torturous if there is no guarantee of goodwill.
Ravi ZachariasRead
If you look at history you'll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.
Desiderius ErasmusRead