--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But mankind is a dead tree, covered with…" description: "\"“But mankind is a dead tree, covered with fine brilliant galls of people.[..]And if it is so, why is it? she asked, hostile.They were rousing each othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/d-h-lawrence-2-1397_nature-of-man_but-mankind-is-a-dead-tree-covered-with_1078393.jpg" --- # But mankind is a dead tree, covered with fine brilliant… ![“But mankind is a dead tree, covered with fine brilliant galls of people.[..]And if it is so, why is it? she asked, hostile.They were rousing each other to a fine passion of opposition. Why, why are people all balls of bitter dust?Because they won't fall off the tree when they're ripe.They hang on…” quote by D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/d-h-lawrence-2-1397_nature-of-man_but-mankind-is-a-dead-tree-covered-with_1078393.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/d-h-lawrence-2-1397_nature-of-man_but-mankind-is-a-dead-tree-covered-with_1078393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39a/d-h-lawrence-2-1397_nature-of-man_but-mankind-is-a-dead-tree-covered-with_1078393.jpg) > ““But mankind is a dead tree, covered with fine brilliant galls of people.\[..\]And if it is so, why is it? she asked, hostile.They were rousing each other to a fine passion of opposition. Why, why are people all balls of bitter dust?Because they won't fall off the tree when they're ripe.They hang on to their old positions when the position is over-past, till they become infested with little worms and dry-rot.”” [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People cling to outdated beliefs, becoming decayed like rotting fruit. **In simple terms:** Clinging to old ideas leads to decay. Key Takeaway Question and update your beliefs. Themes stagnation change human nature Mood critical contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - organizational change - cultural shifts Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs are you holding onto? - How does decay manifest in society? A Different Perspective Changing beliefs can be painful and resisted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-tree-403924/) [Hostile Rousing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostile-rousing-2723929/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Opposition People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition-people-430126/) [People Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-asked/) [Ripe Hang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripe-hang-2723928/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [Why, why are people all balls of bitter dust? Because they won't fall off the tree when they're ripe. They hang on to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/why-why-are-people-all-balls-of-bitter-dust-because-they-won-t-fall/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [They were trying to run, trying to hide. But the rock would not hide them; the dead tree gave no shelter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/they-were-trying-to-run-trying-to-hide-but-the-rock-would-not-hide/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“The lamb came forth at last, draggled and spindly, black as a dead tree in the rain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-arden/the-lamb-came-forth-at-last-draggled-and-spindly-black-as-a-dead-tree/) [Katherine Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-arden/) > [Do you call the people in Los Angeles in the nineties - do you call them rebels or opposition ? They are rebels. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/do-you-call-the-people-in-los-angeles-in-the-nineties-do-you-call/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Everybody is struggling to refine their views in opposition to the other people. 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Lawrence > [“It all had to be squeezed and squeezed again, to provide a thrill, to provide enjoyment. What did people mean, with their simply determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/it-all-had-to-be-squeezed-and-squeezed-again-to-provide-a-thrill-to/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [“I WANT her though, to take the same from me. She touches me as if I were herself, her own. She has not realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/i-want-her-though-to-take-the-same-from-me-she-touches-me-as-if-i/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [“His body was urgent against her, and she didn't have the heart anymore to fight...She saw his eyes, tense and brilliant, fierce, not loving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/his-body-was-urgent-against-her-and-she-didn-t-have-the-heart-anymore/) [D.H. 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And then, if we have the courage of our own feelings, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/art-has-two-great-functions-first-it-provides-an-emotional-experience/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [“A new degree of anger came over him. What did it all matter? What did it matter if the mother talked Polish and cried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/a-new-degree-of-anger-came-over-him-what-did-it-all-matter-what-did/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [“But I will have it. I will love — it is my birthright. I will love the man I marry — that is all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/but-i-will-have-it-i-will-love-it-is-my-birthright-i-will-love-the/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) [Explore all 235 D.H. Lawrence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) ## More Nature of man quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. 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