---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man's natural and inevitable urge to deny…"
description: "\"Man's natural and inevitable urge to deny mortality and achieve a heroic self-image are the root causes of human evil.\" — Ernest Becker"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/ernest-becker-7036_achieve_man-s-natural-and-inevitable-urge-to-den_735557.jpg"
---

#  Man's natural and inevitable urge to deny mortality and…

![“Man's natural and inevitable urge to deny mortality and achieve a heroic self-image are the root causes of human evil.” quote by Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/ernest-becker-7036_achieve_man-s-natural-and-inevitable-urge-to-den_735557.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/ernest-becker-7036_achieve_man-s-natural-and-inevitable-urge-to-den_735557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da1/ernest-becker-7036_achieve_man-s-natural-and-inevitable-urge-to-den_735557.jpg)

> “Man's natural and inevitable urge to deny mortality and achieve a heroic self-image are the root causes of human evil.”

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Denial of mortality drives people to construct heroic identities, which can lead to harmful behavior.

**In simple terms:** Fear of death makes us act selfishly.

Key Takeaway

Question your motivations.

Themes

mortality identity evil psychology

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- political leadership
- corporate culture
- personal ambition

Key Concepts

existentialism self‑image heroic myth

Questions to Reflect On

- What heroic narratives do you hold?
- How does fear shape your actions?

A Different Perspective

Human nature also seeks meaning, not just evil.

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[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Existential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existential/) [Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Root cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/root-cause/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/)

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