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
But there are times when the little cloud spreads, until it obscures the sky. And those times I look around at my fellow men and I am reminded of some likeness of the beast-people, and I feel as though the animal is surging up in them. And I know they are neither wholly animal nor holy man, but an unstable combination of both.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the duality of human nature, suggesting that people have both beast-like instincts and noble traits.
H. G. Wells highlights the complexity of human nature, portraying individuals as not purely civilized or barbaric, but as a blend of both characteristics. The imagery of a 'little cloud' symbolizes the darker aspects that can emerge and obscure one's better nature, prompting a reflection on the primal instincts that lie beneath the surface of humanity.
Themes
Human NatureDualityInstinctsBeastManPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the complexities of human behavior, this quote illustrates the balance between our primal instincts and higher aspirations.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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