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.
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Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places.
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The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.
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No new horror can be more terrible than the daily torture of the commonplace.
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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.
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