Body Quote by Bram Stoker
“It is something like the way dame Nature gathers round a foreign body an envelope of some insensitive tissue which can protect from evil that which it would otherwise harm by contact. If this be an ordered selfishness, then we should pause before we condemn any one for the vice of egoism, for there may be deeper root for its causes than we have knowledge of.”
About This Quote
The passage suggests that protective mechanisms—whether biological or psychological—may arise from self‑interest, urging caution before labeling them purely selfish.
In simple terms: Self‑interest can manifest as protective behavior.
Key Takeaway
Egoism may have hidden, beneficial origins.
Themes
Self‑interest
Protection
Nature
Moral judgment
Complex causality
Mood
thoughtful
cautious
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- medical ethics debates
- psychological self‑care
- environmental conservation
- social policy design
Key Concepts
defensive adaptation
ethical relativism
Practical Applications
- reframing self‑interest as a protective instinct in counseling
- informing policy that balances individual incentives with collective safety
Questions to Reflect On
- When does self‑interest become harmful?
- How can we distinguish protective egoism from destructive selfishness?
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
