--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the…" description: "\"Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done.. almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks as though this may be his u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/daniel-quinn-1786_conquer_man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-th_109451.png" --- # Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this… ![“Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done.. almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks as though this may be his undoing. The problem is that man's conquest of the world has itself devastated the world. And in spite of all the mastery we've attained, we don't…” quote by Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/daniel-quinn-1786_conquer_man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-th_109451.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/daniel-quinn-1786_conquer_man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-th_109451.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/daniel-quinn-1786_conquer_man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-th_109451.png) > “Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done.. almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks as though this may be his undoing. The problem is that man's conquest of the world has itself devastated the world. And in spite of all the mastery we've attained, we don't have enough mastery to stop devastating the world.. or to repair the devastation we've already wrought.” [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human ambition to dominate has caused ecological collapse; mastery over technology does not guarantee stewardship of the planet. **In simple terms:** Our conquest harms the world we try to control. Key Takeaway Power without responsibility leads to self‑destruction. Themes environment hubris technology sustainability human nature Mood somber reflective Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - climate‑change negotiations - industrial expansion in fragile ecosystems - overfishing - deforestation debates Key Concepts anthropocentrism ecological ethics Practical Applications - Adopt circular‑economy practices - Invest in regenerative technologies Questions to Reflect On - What does true mastery of the world look like? - Can we reconcile ambition with planetary health? A Different Perspective Human progress can also create solutions that mitigate damage, not just cause it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquest/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Devastation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devastation/) [Mastery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastery/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Rule the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-the-world/) [Spite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spite/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done--almost. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“While we speak from within the Tao we can speak of Man having power over himself in a sense truly analogous to an individual’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/while-we-speak-from-within-the-tao-we-can-speak-of-man-having-power/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Man's conquest of Nature, if the dreams of some scientific planners are realized, means the rule of a few hundreds of men over billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/man-s-conquest-of-nature-if-the-dreams-of-some-scientific-planners-2/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Man’s conquest of Nature, if the dreams of some scientific planners are realized, means the rule of a few hundreds of men over billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/man-s-conquest-of-nature-if-the-dreams-of-some-scientific-planners/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [I feel that I am a man of destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/i-feel-that-i-am-a-man-of-destiny/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [Patience is the courage of the conqueror, the strength of man against destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patience-is-the-courage-of-the-conqueror-the-strength-of-man-against/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is man's destiny to ponder on the riddle of existence and, as a byproduct of his wonderment, to create a new life on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/it-is-man-s-destiny-to-ponder-on-the-riddle-of-existence-and-as-a/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [The saints thus receive qualities that are forbidden to man, and these qualities are owed precisely to the fact that man is capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/the-saints-thus-receive-qualities-that-are-forbidden-to-man-and-these/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [“A man’s destiny is not in the eyes of others. It’s in his own. And that, my young friend, is as good as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-evison/a-man-s-destiny-is-not-in-the-eyes-of-others-it-s-in-his-own-and-that/) [Jonathan Evison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-evison/) > [What do I know of man's destiny? I could tell you more about radishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-do-i-know-of-man-s-destiny-i-could-tell-you-more-about-radishes/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Each man's destiny is hung like a medallion around his neck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-le-gai-eaton/each-man-s-destiny-is-hung-like-a-medallion-around-his-neck/) [Charles le Gai Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-le-gai-eaton/) > [Man's destiny is nowhere spelled out, nor is his duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/man-s-destiny-is-nowhere-spelled-out-nor-is-his-duty/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [My surname certainly suggests a man whose destiny has always been injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/my-surname-certainly-suggests-a-man-whose-destiny-has-always-been/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) ## More by Daniel Quinn > [“Because we imagine that we are what humanity was divinely destined to become, we assume that our prehistoric ancestors were trying to be us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/because-we-imagine-that-we-are-what-humanity-was-divinely-destined-to/) [daniel quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The deer aren't our prey or our possessions -- they're us. They're us at one point in the cycle of life and we're them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-deer-aren-t-our-prey-or-our-possessions-they-re-us-they-re-us-at/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [ “\[N\]ow we have a clearer idea what this story is all about: The world was made for man, and man was made to rule… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/n-ow-we-have-a-clearer-idea-what-this-story-is-all-about-the-world/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The premise of the Taker story is 'the world belongs to man'. … The premise of the Leaver story is 'man belongs to the world'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-premise-of-the-taker-story-is-the-world-belongs-to-man-the/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Pharaohs It took Khufu twenty-three years to build his Great Pyramid at Giza, where some eleven hundred stone blocks, each weighing about two and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/pharaohs-it-took-khufu-twenty-three-years-to-build-his-great-pyramid/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Many peoples practiced agriculture, but they were never obsessed by the delusion that what they were doing was \*right\*, that everyone in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/many-peoples-practiced-agriculture-but-they-were-never-obsessed-by/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“No undesirable behavior has ever been eliminated by passing a law against it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/no-undesirable-behavior-has-ever-been-eliminated-by-passing-a-law/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“How easy it is first to leap to a false conclusion about someone and then to view everything he does in light of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/how-easy-it-is-first-to-leap-to-a-false-conclusion-about-someone-and/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Far and away the most futile admonition Christ ever offered was when he said, 'Have no care for tomorrow. Don't worry about whether you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/far-and-away-the-most-futile-admonition-christ-ever-offered-was-when/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [During your lifetime, the people of our culture are going to figure out how to live sustainably on this planet--or they're not. Either way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/during-your-lifetime-the-people-of-our-culture-are-going-to-figure/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Everyone in your culture knows this. Man was born to turn the world into a paradise, but tragically he was born flawed. And so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/everyone-in-your-culture-knows-this-man-was-born-to-turn-the-world/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Most beginning writers - and I was the same - are like chefs trying to cook great dishes that they've never tasted themselves. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/most-beginning-writers-and-i-was-the-same-are-like-chefs-trying-to/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Westereners often think that the East is one vast Buddhist temple, which is rather like thinking the West is one vast Carthusian monastery. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/westereners-often-think-that-the-east-is-one-vast-buddhist-temple/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done--almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-the-world-and-this-is-what-he-s-2/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The mythology of your culture hums in your ears so constantly that no one pays the slightest bit of attention to it. Of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-mythology-of-your-culture-hums-in-your-ears-so-constantly-that-no/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) [Explore all 208 Daniel Quinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) ## More Conquer quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Man will not always stay on Earth; the pursuit of light and space will lead him to penetrate the bounds of the atmosphere, timidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/man-will-not-always-stay-on-earth-the-pursuit-of-light-and-space-will/) [Konstantin Tsiolkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I'm ready to conquer anything thrown at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-pritchard/i-m-ready-to-conquer-anything-thrown-at-me/) [A. J. Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-pritchard/) > [“They had been dreamers. Her father always said that this was why they had been easy to conquer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/they-had-been-dreamers-her-father-always-said-that-this-was-why-they/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [The moment you conquer one fear is the minute you conquer many fears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/the-moment-you-conquer-one-fear-is-the-minute-you-conquer-many-fears/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“In quixotically trying to conquer death doctors all too frequently do no good for their patients’ “ease” but at the same time they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kevorkian/in-quixotically-trying-to-conquer-death-doctors-all-too-frequently-do/) [Jack Kevorkian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kevorkian/) > [Yet hold it more humane, more heav'nly, first, By winning words to conquer willing hearts, And make persuasion do the work of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/yet-hold-it-more-humane-more-heav-nly-first-by-winning-words-to/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [At the time when this famous historical battle was fought in Kosovo, the people were looking at the stars, expecting aid from them. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/at-the-time-when-this-famous-historical-battle-was-fought-in-kosovo/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [I can conquer the world with one hand, as long as you are holding the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-smith/i-can-conquer-the-world-with-one-hand-as-long-as-you-are-holding-the/) [Megan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-smith/) > [ To conquer \[our enemies\] we must dare, and dare again, and dare for ever; and thus will France be saved ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-danton/to-conquer-our-enemies-we-must-dare-and-dare-again-and-dare-for-ever/) [Georges Danton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-danton/) > [I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. Software…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/i-consider-that-the-golden-rule-requires-that-if-i-like-a-program-i/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) Browse all 1,557 Conquer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done.. almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks as though this may be his undoing. The problem is that man's conquest of the world has itself devastated the world. 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