--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all originally came from the woods! it…" description: "\"We all originally came from the woods! it is hard to eradicate from any of us the old taste for the tattoo and the war-paint; and the moment that money..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg" --- # We all originally came from the woods! it is hard to… ![“We all originally came from the woods! it is hard to eradicate from any of us the old taste for the tattoo and the war-paint; and the moment that money gets into our pockets, it somehow or another breaks out in ornaments on our person, without always giving refinement to our manners.” quote by Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg) > “We all originally came from the woods! it is hard to eradicate from any of us the old taste for the tattoo and the war-paint; and the moment that money gets into our pockets, it somehow or another breaks out in ornaments on our person, without always giving refinement to our manners.” [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) ## 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 retains primal instincts; wealth often leads to superficial adornment rather than refined behavior. **In simple terms:** People keep wild habits, and money adds flashy ornaments. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner refinement over external show. Themes nature wealth refinement Mood critical observational Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - financial decisions - cultural observation - fashion choices - behavioral psychology Key Concepts primal instincts materialism social etiquette Questions to Reflect On - How does wealth affect your values? - What habits reflect true refinement? A Different Perspective Material focus can distract from deeper personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-out/) [Came Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-woods-2885152/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Manners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manners/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Originally Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originally-came-3462478/) [Ornaments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ornaments/) [Ornaments Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ornaments-person-3462479/) [Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Pockets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pockets/) [Refinement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refinement/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Taste Tattoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-tattoo-3462477/) [Tattoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tattoo/) [Tattoo War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tattoo-war-3462476/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-paint/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) ## Related quotes > [Going to the woods is going home, for I suppose we came from the woods originally. 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A black splash of war paint covered his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brom/peter-had-two-short-swords-strapped-on-his-back-the-belts/) [Brom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brom/) > [“This will hurt a bit.” The knife sliced my skin and I yelped. Blood beaded at the wound’s surface and Gareth took my hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebekah-l-purdy/this-will-hurt-a-bit-the-knife-sliced-my-skin-and-i-yelped-blood/) [Rebekah L. Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebekah-l-purdy/) > [“She wore her determination like war paint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/she-wore-her-determination-like-war-paint/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“The night candle on the bedside table burst into spontaneous flame. The golden glow revealed a creature whose pale white skin was marked with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-l-hawk/the-night-candle-on-the-bedside-table-burst-into-spontaneous-flame/) [Jordan L. Hawk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-l-hawk/) > [“My uniform felt like a costume. I put on a fresh coat of black nail polish. I twisted up a tube of Revlon Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-marr/my-uniform-felt-like-a-costume-i-put-on-a-fresh-coat-of-black-nail/) [Shirley Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-marr/) > [“Scars are war paint, there to prove how many times we survived battles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/scars-are-war-paint-there-to-prove-how-many-times-we-survived-battles/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [For some people, makeup is their war paint; that's putting their best foot forward. Others feel better with no makeup. It's so personal -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-brewer/for-some-people-makeup-is-their-war-paint-that-s-putting-their-best/) [Madeline Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-brewer/) > [“They wore their strange beauty like war paint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/they-wore-their-strange-beauty-like-war-paint/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [Jealousy is the most radical primeval and naked form of admiration in war paint, so to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/jealousy-is-the-most-radical-primeval-and-naked-form-of-admiration-in/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) ## More by Edwin Percy Whipple > [Cheerfulness in most cheerful people is the rich and satisfying result of strenuous discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/cheerfulness-in-most-cheerful-people-is-the-rich-and-satisfying/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [The minister's brain is often the "poor-box" of the church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/the-minister-s-brain-is-often-the-poor-box-of-the-church/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A true teacher should penetrate to whatever is vital in his pupil, and develop that by the light and heat of his own intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-true-teacher-should-penetrate-to-whatever-is-vital-in-his-pupil-and/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Felicity, not fluency of language, is a merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/felicity-not-fluency-of-language-is-a-merit/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A politician weakly and amiably in the right is no match for a politician tenaciously and pugnaciously in the wrong. You cannot, by tying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-politician-weakly-and-amiably-in-the-right-is-no-match-for-a/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A thought embodied and embrained in fit words walks the earth a living being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-thought-embodied-and-embrained-in-fit-words-walks-the-earth-a/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Nature and society are so replete with startling contrasts that wit often consists in the mere statement and comparison of facts, as when Hume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/nature-and-society-are-so-replete-with-startling-contrasts-that-wit/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [The bitterest satires and noblest eulogies on married life have come from poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/the-bitterest-satires-and-noblest-eulogies-on-married-life-have-come/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Genius is not a single power, but a combination of great powers. It reasons, but it is not reasoning; it judges, but it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/genius-is-not-a-single-power-but-a-combination-of-great-powers-it/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Nature does not capriciously scatter her secrets as golden gifts to lazy pets and luxurious darlings, but imposes tasks when she presents opportunities, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/nature-does-not-capriciously-scatter-her-secrets-as-golden-gifts-to/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [Even in social life, it is persistency which attracts confidence, more than talents and accomplishments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/even-in-social-life-it-is-persistency-which-attracts-confidence-more/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [A nation may be in a tumult to-day for a thought which the timid Erasmus placidly penned in his study more than two centuries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/a-nation-may-be-in-a-tumult-to-day-for-a-thought-which-the-timid/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [God is glorified, not by our groans, but by our thanksgivings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/god-is-glorified-not-by-our-groans-but-by-our-thanksgivings/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [As men neither fear nor respect what has been made contemptible, all honor to him who makes oppression laughable as well as detestable. Armies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/as-men-neither-fear-nor-respect-what-has-been-made-contemptible-all/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [What a man does with his wealth depends upon his idea of happiness. Those who draw prizes in life are apt to spend tastelessly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/what-a-man-does-with-his-wealth-depends-upon-his-idea-of-happiness/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) [Explore all 77 Edwin Percy Whipple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) [Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We all originally came from the woods! it is hard to eradicate from any of us the old taste for the tattoo and the war-paint; and the moment that money gets into our pockets, it somehow or another breaks out in ornaments on our person, without always giving refinement to our manners.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edwin Percy Whipple" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it-is-hard-to-eradicate-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it-is-hard-to-eradicate-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/edwin-percy-whipple-8845_break_we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it_2802908.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We all originally came from the woods! it is hard to eradicate from any of us the old taste for the tattoo…” — Edwin Percy Whipple", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edwin Percy Whipple", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We all originally came from the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it-is-hard-to-eradicate-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/we-all-originally-came-from-the-woods-it-is-hard-to-eradicate-from/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```