--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not think men are good at all. I…" description: "\"“I do not think men are good at all. I have seen enough to know that humans are a wicked race from their very birth. Selfishness defines us. Greed and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/brondt-kamffer-153940_average-person_i-do-not-think-men-are-good-at-all-i-hav_2026061.jpg" --- # I do not think men are good at all. I have seen enough to… ![“I do not think men are good at all. I have seen enough to know that humans are a wicked race from their very birth. Selfishness defines us. Greed and lust motivate us. And even the best man who ever lived would lie to preserve his own life or beliefs. No, mankind is far from being essentially…” quote by Brondt Kamffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/brondt-kamffer-153940_average-person_i-do-not-think-men-are-good-at-all-i-hav_2026061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/brondt-kamffer-153940_average-person_i-do-not-think-men-are-good-at-all-i-hav_2026061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/brondt-kamffer-153940_average-person_i-do-not-think-men-are-good-at-all-i-hav_2026061.jpg) > ““I do not think men are good at all. I have seen enough to know that humans are a wicked race from their very birth. Selfishness defines us. Greed and lust motivate us. And even the best man who ever lived would lie to preserve his own life or beliefs. No, mankind is far from being essentially good. It takes exceptional individuals to change the world, to make a difference. Give the average person a choice, and he will make life miserable for others if only it will make his own life easier.”” [Brondt Kamffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brondt-kamffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature is inherently selfish and flawed; only exceptional individuals can drive positive change. **In simple terms:** Humans are selfish; heroes matter. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal virtue, seek role models. Themes human nature selfishness heroism change Mood cynical inspirational Type average person:1 best man:0 change the world:1 human nature:1 life:0 mankind:0 nature of man:0 selfish:1 selfishness:1 think men:0 men good:0 beliefs mankind:0 When to use this quote - personal development - social activism - community building Key Concepts psychology ethics leadership Questions to Reflect On - Can individuals truly change the world? - What responsibilities do ordinary people have? A Different Perspective Idealism may overlook collective responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) [Beliefs Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-mankind-2344154/) [Best man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-man/) [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Men Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-good/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Think Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-men/) ## Related quotes > [That is probable which for the most part usually comes to pass, or which is a part of the ordinary beliefs of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/that-is-probable-which-for-the-most-part-usually-comes-to-pass-or/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Ah, when shall all men's good Be each man's rule, and universal peace Lie like a shaft of light across the land, And like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/ah-when-shall-all-men-s-good-be-each-man-s-rule-and-universal-peace/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“No great country was ever saved by good men, because good men will not go the lengths that may be necessary. —HORACE WALPOLE,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elia-macneal/no-great-country-was-ever-saved-by-good-men-because-good-men-will-not/) [Susan Elia MacNeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elia-macneal/) > [Unjust attacks on public men do them more good than unmerited praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/unjust-attacks-on-public-men-do-them-more-good-than-unmerited-praise/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [“Men are always good to fools and perfect idiots,” cried Henny impatiently. “A man will run ten miles from a woman with sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/men-are-always-good-to-fools-and-perfect-idiots-cried-henny/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [I hear many condemn these men because they were so few. When were the good and the brave ever in a majority? Would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-hear-many-condemn-these-men-because-they-were-so-few-when-were-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better be alone than in bad company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/associate-yourself-with-men-of-good-quality-if-you-esteem-your-own/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Men are a good deal better collectively than they are individually. Many a man will do that privately which he will denounce in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/men-are-a-good-deal-better-collectively-than-they-are-individually/) [E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/) > [“The devil doesn't make plans, anyway, if men were good, he wouldn't even exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/the-devil-doesn-t-make-plans-anyway-if-men-were-good-he-wouldn-t-even/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [“War gives men good ignoring skills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/war-gives-men-good-ignoring-skills/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“What a sad thing men are. Can’t do nothing good without being so weak we have to mess it up. Can’t build something up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/what-a-sad-thing-men-are-can-t-do-nothing-good-without-being-so-weak/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [All men are good when free from passion, interest, or error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenio-maria-de-hostos/all-men-are-good-when-free-from-passion-interest-or-error/) [Eugenio Maria de Hostos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenio-maria-de-hostos/) > [The Gospel of Jesus Christ can make bad men good and good men better, can alter human nature, and can change human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-can-make-bad-men-good-and-good-men-better/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." "Men are no good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/when-i-saw-him-i-thought-i-could-curl-up-inside-him-and-go-to-sleep/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“We had learned on the North Face of the Eiger that men are good and the earth on which we were born is good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-harrer/we-had-learned-on-the-north-face-of-the-eiger-that-men-are-good-and/) [Heinrich Harrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-harrer/) ## More Average person quotes > [“She'd always been a little excitable, a little more passionate about books than your average person, but she was supposed to be -- she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-d-always-been-a-little-excitable-a-little-more-passionate-about/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [My dad was not a footballer. 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That’s why there have been many average men and only one Edison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-average-person-would-have-quit-at-the-first-failure-that-s-why/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [There's barely any aspect of our modern lives that hasn't had a mathematical contribution at some point and yet, if you asked the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/there-s-barely-any-aspect-of-our-modern-lives-that-hasn-t-had-a/) [Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/) > [I'd like to think that maybe the average person is rational, and they realise that I'm not this crazy monster that, at times, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-d-like-to-think-that-maybe-the-average-person-is-rational-and-they/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I know about Woodstock probably as much as your average person who is over 30, where I'd know Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-know-about-woodstock-probably-as-much-as-your-average-person-who-is/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [I get a little angry about this highhanded scrapping of the look of things. 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Most of them are made for personal satisfaction, to impress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/some-of-the-downbeat-pictures-in-my-opinion-should-never-be-made-at/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) [Browse all 443 Average person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I do not think men are good at all. I have seen enough to know that humans are a wicked race from their very birth. Selfishness defines us. Greed and lust motivate us. And even the best man who ever lived would lie to preserve his own life or beliefs. No, mankind is far from being essentially good. It takes exceptional individuals to change the world, to make a difference. 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