---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is an over-complicated organism. If…"
description: "\"Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to extinction he will die out for want of simplicity.\" — Ezra Pound"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png"
---

#  Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to…

![“Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to extinction he will die out for want of simplicity.” quote by Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png)

> “Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to extinction he will die out for want of simplicity.”

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

## About This Quote

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

Critiques humanity’s complexity, suggesting simplicity is essential for survival.

**In simple terms:** Complexity may doom us; simplicity is vital.

Key Takeaway

Simplify to endure.

Themes

complexity simplicity existential

Mood

analytical cautious

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- environmental policy
- technology design

Key Concepts

evolution systems theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance simplicity with necessary complexity?
- What areas need simplification now?

A Different Perspective

Simplification can oversimplify nuanced problems.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Complicated Organism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-organism-4655842/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed/) [Doomed Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doomed-extinction-4655840/) [Extinction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction/) [Extinction Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extinction-die-4655841/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Man Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-complicated-851022/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Organism Doomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organism-doomed-4655839/) [Organisms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organisms/) [Simple life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-life/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/)

## Related quotes

> [One animal or plant species may become extinct every hour. All species are doomed to extinction, but man through worldwide development/killing animals for food/profit/using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-p-eckholm/one-animal-or-plant-species-may-become-extinct-every-hour-all-species/)

[Erik P. Eckholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-p-eckholm/)

> [Many of us, utterly overcome by Tamas, the dark and heavy demon of inertia, are saying nowadays that it is impossible, that India is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/many-of-us-utterly-overcome-by-tamas-the-dark-and-heavy-demon-of/)

[Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/)

> [I’m a complicated man, with complicated taste buds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/i-m-a-complicated-man-with-complicated-taste-buds/)

[Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/)

> [“Man is so complicated a machine that it is impossible to get a clear idea of the machine beforehand, and hence impossible to define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-offray-de-la-mettrie/man-is-so-complicated-a-machine-that-it-is-impossible-to-get-a-clear/)

[Julien Offray de La Mettrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-offray-de-la-mettrie/)

> [Man, the most complicated of the animals, has a relatively short gestation period. Beyond that, he will be born, unlike most mammals, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-gaylin/man-the-most-complicated-of-the-animals-has-a-relatively-short/)

[Willard Gaylin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-gaylin/)

> [“He thinks I might leave if I know him. He thinks that I might leave if he’s himself. Oh, this man is so complicated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/he-thinks-i-might-leave-if-i-know-him-he-thinks-that-i-might-leave-if/)

[E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/)

> [After all, man is a complicated being, why should he be explainable by logic?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/after-all-man-is-a-complicated-being-why-should-he-be-explainable-by/)

[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/)

> [The mission of photography is to explain man to man and each to himself. And that is the most complicated thing on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-steichen/the-mission-of-photography-is-to-explain-man-to-man-and-each-to/)

[Edward Steichen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-steichen/)

> [Every article on these islands has an almost personal character, which gives this simple life, where all art is unknown, something of the artistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-millington-synge/every-article-on-these-islands-has-an-almost-personal-character-which/)

[John Millington Synge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-millington-synge/)

> [I grew up off 'The Simple Life' where they really made just being a personality a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-mongeau/i-grew-up-off-the-simple-life-where-they-really-made-just-being-a/)

[Tana Mongeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-mongeau/)

> [We Japanese enjoy the small pleasures, not extravagance. I believe a man should have a simple lifestyle - even if he can afford more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaru-ibuka/we-japanese-enjoy-the-small-pleasures-not-extravagance-i-believe-a/)

[Masaru Ibuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaru-ibuka/)

> [Live a simple life; you will own the most beautiful treasures of the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/live-a-simple-life-you-will-own-the-most-beautiful-treasures-of-the/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“Hurrah for Peace, Frenchy, and the simple life! Where a man can live comfortably and runs no danger of being killed for things he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-blasco-ib-ez/hurrah-for-peace-frenchy-and-the-simple-life-where-a-man-can-live/)

[Vicente Blasco Ibáñez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-blasco-ib-ez/)

> [Life is such unutterable hell, solely because it is sometimes beautiful. If we could only be miserable all the time, if there could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-such-unutterable-hell-solely-because-it-is-sometimes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“You understand now... how simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/you-understand-now-how-simple-life-becomes-when-things-like-mirrors/)

[Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/)

## More by Ezra Pound

> [“I once saw a small child go to an electric light switch as say, "Mamma, can I open the light?" She was using the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/i-once-saw-a-small-child-go-to-an-electric-light-switch-as-say-mamma/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [“Till now they send him dreams and no more deed; So doth he flame again with might for action, Forgetful of the council of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/till-now-they-send-him-dreams-and-no-more-deed-so-doth-he-flame-again/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [A great age of literature is perhaps always a great age of translations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/a-great-age-of-literature-is-perhaps-always-a-great-age-of/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [It would be about as easy for an American to become a Chinaman or a Hindoo as for him to acquire an Englishness or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/it-would-be-about-as-easy-for-an-american-to-become-a-chinaman-or-a/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [Poets who are not interested in music are, or become, bad poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/poets-who-are-not-interested-in-music-are-or-become-bad-poets/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [Anyone who is too lazy to master the comparatively small glossary necessary to understand Chaucer deserves to be shut out from the reading of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/anyone-who-is-too-lazy-to-master-the-comparatively-small-glossary/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [Mass ought to be in Latin, unless you could do it in Greek or Chinese. In fact, any abracadabra that no bloody member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/mass-ought-to-be-in-latin-unless-you-could-do-it-in-greek-or-chinese/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [where the dead walked and the living were made of cardboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/where-the-dead-walked-and-the-living-were-made-of-cardboard/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [Liberty is not a right but a duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/liberty-is-not-a-right-but-a-duty/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [The artist is always beginning. Any work of art which is not a beginning, an invention, a discovery is of little worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/the-artist-is-always-beginning-any-work-of-art-which-is-not-a/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [“Any general statement is like a cheque drawn on a bank. Its value depends on what is there to meet it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/any-general-statement-is-like-a-cheque-drawn-on-a-bank-its-value/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [The author's conviction on this day of New Year is that music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/the-author-s-conviction-on-this-day-of-new-year-is-that-music-begins/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [In case I conk out, this is provisionally what I have to do: I must clarify obscurities; I must make clearer definite ideas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/in-case-i-conk-out-this-is-provisionally-what-i-have-to-do-i-must/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [“Adolf Hitler was a Jeanne d'Arc, a saint. He was a martyr.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/adolf-hitler-was-a-jeanne-d-arc-a-saint-he-was-a-martyr/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

> [I could I trust starve like a gentleman. It's listed as part of the poetic training, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/i-could-i-trust-starve-like-a-gentleman-it-s-listed-as-part-of-the/)

[Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

[Explore all 273 Ezra Pound quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/)

## More Biology quotes

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [“Genetics is a science full of gods, Mr. Sanchez.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/genetics-is-a-science-full-of-gods-mr-sanchez/)

[Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/)

> [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/)

[Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/)

> [Evolution happens in jumps, very rapidly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/evolution-happens-in-jumps-very-rapidly/)

[Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/)

> [“Toshiaki learned that all living organisms were governed by their DNA. He was impressed by perfection of this system.Why did existence have the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideaki-sena/toshiaki-learned-that-all-living-organisms-were-governed-by-their-dna/)

[Hideaki Sena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideaki-sena/)

> [I'm all about evolution. I'm the first person to judge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-m-all-about-evolution-i-m-the-first-person-to-judge-myself/)

[The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/)

> [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/)

[Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/)

> [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/)

[Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/)

> [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/)

[Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/)

> [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/)

[Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/)

> [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/)

[Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/)

> [We are coming to a place where the road ends. From here on out, we will be making the road as we walk it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-atlee/we-are-coming-to-a-place-where-the-road-ends-from-here-on-out-we-will/)

[Tom Atlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-atlee/)

> [I've always been interested in medicine and was pleased when my brother became a doctor. But after thinking seriously about that field, I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-medicine-and-was-pleased-when-my/)

[Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/)

> [Evolution... is the most powerful and the most comprehensive idea that has ever arisen on Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-huxley/evolution-is-the-most-powerful-and-the-most-comprehensive-idea-that/)

[Julian Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-huxley/)

> [History employs evolution to structure biological events in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/history-employs-evolution-to-structure-biological-events-in-time/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

[Browse all 3,034 Biology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to extinction he will die out for want of simplicity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ezra Pound"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-he-is-doomed-to-extinction-he/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Biology"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-he-is-doomed-to-extinction-he/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a7/ezra-pound-1208_biology_man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-h_2172205.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Man is an over-complicated organism. If he is doomed to extinction he will die out for want of simplicity.” — Ezra Pound",
                "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": "Ezra Pound",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Man is an over-complicated organism. If...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-he-is-doomed-to-extinction-he/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/man-is-an-over-complicated-organism-if-he-is-doomed-to-extinction-he/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
