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I take up the standpoint that the tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man, and I come back now to the statement that it constitutes the most powerful obstacle to culture.
Sigmund Freud
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Aggression is an inherent trait in humans that hinders cultural development.

Sigmund Freud suggests that aggression is not just a reaction but a fundamental part of human nature. This instinctive disposition towards aggression poses significant challenges to the development of culture, as it can lead to conflicts and hinder communal progress and understanding.

Themes

AggressionCultureHuman NatureInstinctObstacles

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the challenges of social development, one might quote Freud to emphasize the struggle against inherent human aggression.

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The tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man... it constitutes the powerful obstacle to culture.
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We know that the great majority of people have a strong need for authority which it can admire, to which it can submit, and which dominates and sometimes even ill-treats it.
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