Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no need of change.
H. G. WellsRead
We must be prepared to see an Association of Nations in conference growing into an organic system of world controls for world affairs and the keeping of the world’s peace, or we must be prepared for – a continuation of war.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the necessity of establishing a global governing body to maintain peace and prevent wars.
H. G. Wells argues that to maintain global peace, nations must collaborate to create an organized system that governs international relations. If such a structure is not developed, the world risks falling back into the chaos of continuous conflict. The quote reflects Wells's vision for a cooperative approach to peace, suggesting that without unity and a shared governance, humanity faces inevitable turmoil.
Themes
PeaceNationsAssociationWorld ControlCooperation
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech on international relations, one might refer to this quote to advocate for a strengthened United Nations.
More from H. G. Wells
All quotes →He spares no resource in telling of his dead inventions... Bare verbs he rarely tolerates. He splits infinitives and fills them up with adverbial stuffing. He presses the passing colloquialism into his service. His vast paragraphis sweat and struggle; the
H. G. WellsRead
It [a new world order] needs only that the governments of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, and Russia should get together in order to set up an effective control of currency, credit, production, and distribution – that is to say, an effective ‘dictatorship of prosperity,’ for the whole world. The other sixty odd States would have to join in or accommodate themselves to the over-ruling decisions of these major Powers.
H. G. WellsRead
Things that would have made fame of a less clever man seemed tricks in his hands. It is a mistake to do things too easily.
H. G. WellsRead
But I was too restless to watch long; I'm too Occidental for a long vigil. I could work at a problem for years, but to wait inactive for twenty-four hours - that's another matter.
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The greatest task of democracy, its ritual and feast - is choice.
H. G. WellsRead
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