Short of nuclear war itself, population growth is the gravest issue the world faces. If we do not act, the problem will be solved by famine, riots, insurrection and war.
Robert McnamaraRead
All the evidence of history suggests that man is indeed a rational animal, but with a near infinite capacity for folly. . . . He draws blueprints for Utopia, but never quite gets it built. In the end he plugs away obstinately with the only building material really ever at hand--his own part comic, part tragic, part cussed, but part glorious nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humans are rational yet prone to foolishness, striving for idealism but often falling short.
This quote reflects on the duality of human nature, acknowledging our capacity for rational thought alongside our tendency towards folly. It suggests that while humans aspire to create a perfect society or Utopia, they struggle with the imperfect realities of their own nature, which is both comic and tragic. Ultimately, it highlights the resilience of humanity as we continue to build and strive despite our shortcomings.
Themes
Human NatureFollyUtopiaRationalityStriving
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on human progress, one might use this quote to illustrate the complexities of human ambition.
More from Robert Mcnamara
All quotes →At my age, 85, I'm at age where I can look back and derive some conclusions about my actions. My rule has been try to learn, try to understand what happened. Develop the lessons and pass them on.
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Poor planning or poor execution of plans is simply to let some force other than reason shape reality.
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Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him.
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I want to say, and this is very important: at the end we lucked out. It was luck that prevented nuclear war. We came that close to nuclear war at the end. Rational individuals: Kennedy was rational; Khrushchev was rational; Castro was rational. Rational individuals came that close to total destruction of their societies. And that danger exists today.
Robert McnamaraRead
The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations.
Robert McnamaraRead
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