the nature of man Quotes

“I own to you that when I cast an eye on this globe, or rather on this little ball, I cannot help thinking that God has abandoned it to some malignant being. I except, always, El Dorado. I scarcely ever knew a city that did not desire the destruction of a neighbouring city, nor a family that did not wish to exterminate some other family. Everywhere the weak execrate the powerful, before whom they cringe; and the powerful beat them like sheep whose wool and flesh they sell. A million regimented assassins, from one extremity of Europe to the other, get their bread by disciplined depredation and murder, for want of more honest employment. Even in those cities which seem to enjoy peace, and where the arts flourish, the inhabitants are devoured by more envy, care, and uneasiness than are experienced by a besieged town. Secret griefs are more cruel than public calamities. In a word I have seen so much, and experienced so much that I am a Manichean.”

“The villainy of mankind presented itself before his imagination in all its deformity, and his mind was filled with gloomy ideas.”

“’It is more likely,’ said he, ‘mankind have a little corrupted nature, for they were not born wolves, and they have become wolves; God has given them neither cannon of four-and-twenty pounders, nor bayonets; and yet they have made cannon and bayonets to destroy one another. Into this account I might throw not only bankrupts, but Justice which seizes on the effects of bankrupts to cheat the creditors.’”

“I am the best-natured creature in the world, and yet I have already killed three men, and of these three two were priests.”

“You reckon you are to-day going to feast upon a Jesuit. It is all very well, nothing is more unjust than thus to treat your enemies. Indeed, the law of nature teaches us to kill our neighbour, and such is the practice all over the world. If we do not accustom ourselves to eating them, it is because we have better fare.”

“Sometimes I lose faith in human nature for a time; I am assailed by doubt.”

“The passions that incline men to peace are: fear of death; desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a hope by their industry to obtain them. And reason suggesteth convenient articles of peace upon which men may be drawn to agreement.”

“In the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory.”

“I am the chosen of the Lord, for who He love, so doeth He chastiseth. But I be firm if He dont take some curious ways to show it, seems like.”

“Only man wants always God should be there to condemn this one and save that one. Always it is man who wants to make heaven and hell. Good is too busy training the bees to make honey and every morning opening up all the new flowers for business.”

“We aimed for no more than to have dominion over every creature that moved upon the earth.”

“The belly is the reason why man does not so readily take himself for a God.”

“God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.”

“Of his own choice, he came in to sit by man’s fire and to be ruled by him.”

“Though ne’er to true perfection may arrive This race accurs’d, yet nearer then than now They shall approach it.”

“No…I should have listened to you. That’s all human beings are! Just blind people.”