It becomes ever increasingly clear to many students of man…
““It becomes ever increasingly clear to many students of man and of the contemporary scene that the crucial difficulty with which we are confronted lies in the fact that the development of man's intellectual capacities has far outstripped the development of his emotions. Man's brain lives in the twentieth century; the heart of most men lives still in the Stone Age. The majority of men have not yet acquired the maturity to be independent, to be rational, to be objective. They need myths and idols to endure the fact that man is all by himself, that there is no authority which gives meaning to life except man himself. Man represses the irrational passions of destructiveness, hate, envy, revenge; he worships power, money, the sovereign state, the nation; while he pays lip service to the teachings of the great spiritual leaders of the human race, those of Buddha, the prophets, Socrates, Jesus, Mohammed—he has transformed these teachings into a jungle of superstition and idol-worship. How can mankind save itself from destroying itself by this discrepancy between intellectual-technical over-maturity and emotional backwardness?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Intellectual progress outpaces emotional development, causing a crisis where humanity lacks maturity and relies on myths for meaning.
In simple terms: Mind grows faster than heart, causing imbalance.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate emotional intelligence alongside intellect.
Themes
psychology
modernity
human nature
spirituality
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- mental health programs
- personal growth workshops
Key Concepts
emotional development
intellectual overreach
myth reliance
existential meaning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies foster emotional maturity?
- What role do myths play in modern life?
A Different Perspective
Emotional growth is slower and harder to measure.