Our Centers for Ethics:

Quotations: Human nature, human folly

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In nature a repulsive caterpillar turns into a lovely butterfly. But with human beings it is the other way round: a lovely butterfly turns into a repulsive caterpillar.
— Anton Chekhov, Russian dramatist and short story writer (1860-1904)

I believe a man is born first unto himself — for the happy developing of himself, while the world is a nursery, and the pretty things are to be snatched for, and pleasant things tasted; some people seem to exist thus right to the end. But most are born again on entering manhood; then they are born to humanity, to a consciousness of all the laughing, and the never-ceasing murmur of pain and sorrow that comes from the terrible multitudes of brothers.
— D.H. Lawrence, British author (1885-1930)

In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.
— Anne Frank, German-born diarist and Holocaust victim (1929-1945)

True goodness springs from a man's own heart. All men are born good.
— Confucius, Chinese philosopher (551-479 B.C.)

There are two levers for moving men — interest and fear.
— Napoleon Bonaparte, French general and emperor (1769-1821)

If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
— James Madison, American Founding Father, U.S. president (1751-1836)

Somebody does somethin' stupid, that's human. They don't stop when they see it's wrong, that's a fool.
— Elvis Presley, American rock 'n' roll icon (1935-1977)

The tendency of mans nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downward.
— Mencius (Meng-tzu), Chinese philosopher (c. 371-c. 289 B.C.)

People, like water, will run downhill, seeking their lowest level unless something interdicts them.
— Cal Thomas, American journalist (b. 1942)

In general, men are ungrateful and fickle, dissemblers, avoiders of danger and greedy of gain.
— Niccolo Machiavelli, Florentine dramatist, political analyst and adviser (1469-1527)

Hate traps us by binding us too tightly to our adversary.
— Milan Kundera, Czech novelist, poet and playwright (b. 1929)

Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
— Malachy McCourt, Irish-American writer and actor (b. 1931)

It is silly to go on pretending that under the skin we are brothers. The truth is more likely that under the skin we are all cannibals, assassins, traitors, liars and hypocrites.
— Henry Miller, American novelist (1891-1980)

There is no grief which time does not lessen and soften.
— Cicero, Roman orator, lawyer, politician and philosopher (106-43 B.C.)

Everyone can master a grief but he that has it.
— William Shakespeare, English playwright,(1564-1616)

Our joys as winged dreams do fly;
Why then should sorrow last?
Since grief but aggravates thy loss,
Grieve not for what is past.
— Thomas Percy, English poet (1729-1811)

Grief is the agony of an instant: the indulgence of grief the
blunder of a life.
— Benjamin Disraeli, British prime minister and author (1804-1881)

Ciceros Six Mistakes of Man (according to Arthur F. Lenehan):

• The delusion that individual advancement is made by crushing others
• The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected
• Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it
• Refusing to set aside trivial preferences
• Neglecting development and refinement of the mind and not acquiring the habit of reading and studying
• Attempting to compel other persons to believe and live as we do.

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