--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human nature must have come much nearer…" description: "\"Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it is now, or will be in many generations, to exclude from such a control prejudice, selfishnes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg" --- # Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it… ![“Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it is now, or will be in many generations, to exclude from such a control prejudice, selfishness, ambition, and injustice.” quote by Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg) > “Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it is now, or will be in many generations, to exclude from such a control prejudice, selfishness, ambition, and injustice.” [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) ## 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 imperfect; striving for fairness requires confronting selfish motives. **In simple terms:** People are flawed; fairness needs effort. Key Takeaway Recognize and mitigate selfish biases. Themes ethics human nature justice Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - conflict resolution - leadership - community building Key Concepts philosophy social psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions limit selfishness? - What role does ambition play in justice? A Different Perspective Achieving perfection is unrealistic; compromise may be necessary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [“The more you study, the more you subsequently know; naturally, the more you know, the nearer you get to perfection as a journalist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-more-you-study-the-more-you-subsequently-know-naturally-the-more/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Never stand in the way of letting God use people’s actions, in order to solve a greater issue in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/never-stand-in-the-way-of-letting-god-use-people-s-actions-in-order/) [Shannon L. 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With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/nothing-better-protects-a-human-being-against-the-stupidity-of/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [And I've never taken up a sport just because it was a social fad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-shore/and-i-ve-never-taken-up-a-sport-just-because-it-was-a-social-fad/) [Dinah Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-shore/) > [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“Don't let cycles of violent crimes, uncontrollable, rising cases of bloody impunity, evil puppets in a crippled judiciary, marionettes in a corrupted legislative system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-hopes/don-t-let-cycles-of-violent-crimes-uncontrollable-rising-cases-of/) [Angelica Hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-hopes/) ## More by Elihu Root > [I guess you will have to go to jail. If that is the result of not understanding the Income Tax Law, I will meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/i-guess-you-will-have-to-go-to-jail-if-that-is-the-result-of-not/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [Human life is held in much higher esteem, and the taking of it, whether in private quarrel or by judicial procedure, is looked upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/human-life-is-held-in-much-higher-esteem-and-the-taking-of-it-whether/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [The line of least resistance in the progress of civilization is to make that theoretical postulate real by the continually increasing force of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/the-line-of-least-resistance-in-the-progress-of-civilization-is-to/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [It is not uncommon in modern times to see governments straining every nerve to keep the peace, and the people whom they represent, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/it-is-not-uncommon-in-modern-times-to-see-governments-straining-every/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [Politics is the practical exercise of the art of self-government, and somebody must attend to it if we are to have self-government; somebody must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/politics-is-the-practical-exercise-of-the-art-of-self-government-and/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [Nobody knows through how many thousands of years fighting men have made a place for themselves while the weak and peaceable have gone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/nobody-knows-through-how-many-thousands-of-years-fighting-men-have/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [Prejudice and passion and suspicion are more dangerous than the incitement of self-interest or the most stubborn adherence to real differences of opinion regarding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/prejudice-and-passion-and-suspicion-are-more-dangerous-than-the/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [The attractive idea that we can now have a parliament of man with authority to control the conduct of nations by legislation or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/the-attractive-idea-that-we-can-now-have-a-parliament-of-man-with/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [The mere assemblage of peace loving people to interchange convincing reasons for their common faith, mere exhortation and argument to the public in favor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/the-mere-assemblage-of-peace-loving-people-to-interchange-convincing/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [The popular tendency is to listen approvingly to the most extreme statements and claims of politicians and orators who seek popularity by declaring their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/the-popular-tendency-is-to-listen-approvingly-to-the-most-extreme/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [In the first place, when there is a policy of intentional aggression, inspired by a desire to get possession of the territory or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/in-the-first-place-when-there-is-a-policy-of-intentional-aggression/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [The framers of the Constitution realized that . . . there needed to be some guardian of the sober second thought, and so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/the-framers-of-the-constitution-realized-that-there-needed-to-be-some/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [It is not a question of religion, or of creed, or of party; it is a question of declaring and maintaining the great American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/it-is-not-a-question-of-religion-or-of-creed-or-of-party-it-is-a/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [About half the practice of a decent lawyer is telling would-be clients that they are damned fools and should shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/about-half-the-practice-of-a-decent-lawyer-is-telling-would-be/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [Nothing is more important in the preservation of peace than to secure among the great mass of the people living under constitutional government a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/nothing-is-more-important-in-the-preservation-of-peace-than-to-secure/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) [Explore all 39 Elihu Root quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it is now, or will be in many generations, to exclude from such a control prejudice, selfishness, ambition, and injustice.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elihu Root" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer-perfection-than-it-is-now-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ambition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer-perfection-than-it-is-now-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/elihu-root-16522_ambition_human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer_877479.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Human nature must have come much nearer perfection than it is now, or will be in many generations, to…” — Elihu Root", "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": "Elihu Root", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Human nature must have come much...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer-perfection-than-it-is-now-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/human-nature-must-have-come-much-nearer-perfection-than-it-is-now-or/#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 } } ] } ```