---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the world is - allow us the homely…"
description: "\"“For the world is - allow us the homely figure - the human being turned inside out. All that moves in the mind is symbolized in Nature. Or, to use anot..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/george-macdonald-295_human-mind_for-the-world-is-allow-us-the-homely-fig_2243464.jpg"
---

#  For the world is - allow us the homely figure - the human…

![“For the world is - allow us the homely figure - the human being turned inside out. All that moves in the mind is symbolized in Nature. Or, to use another more philosophical, and certainly not less poetic figure, the world is a sensuous analysis of humanity, and hence an inexhaustible wardrobe for…” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/george-macdonald-295_human-mind_for-the-world-is-allow-us-the-homely-fig_2243464.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/george-macdonald-295_human-mind_for-the-world-is-allow-us-the-homely-fig_2243464.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/george-macdonald-295_human-mind_for-the-world-is-allow-us-the-homely-fig_2243464.jpg)

> ““For the world is - allow us the homely figure - the human being turned inside out. All that moves in the mind is symbolized in Nature. Or, to use another more philosophical, and certainly not less poetic figure, the world is a sensuous analysis of humanity, and hence an inexhaustible wardrobe for the clothing of human thought. Take any word expressive of emotion - take the word 'emotion' itself - and you will find that its primary meaning is of the outer world. In the swaying of the woods, in the unrest of the "wavy plain" the imagination saw the picture of a well-known condition of the human mind; and hence the word 'emotion'. The man who cannot invent will never discover. Wisdom as well as folly will serve a fool's purpose; he turns all into folly.””

[George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/)

## About This Quote

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

Human experience is reflected in nature; emotions are externalized concepts, and imagination translates natural phenomena into mental states.

**In simple terms:** Nature mirrors our feelings.

Key Takeaway

Observe nature to understand emotions.

Themes

nature emotion philosophy imagination language

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive analytical

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- writing
- teaching
- personal reflection
- artistic creation

Key Concepts

symbolic representation psychology metaphor creative thought

Questions to Reflect On

- How does nature influence your emotional vocabulary?
- Can you find a natural metaphor for a current feeling?

A Different Perspective

May overlook cultural differences in emotional expression.

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[Human mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mind/) [Human thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-thought/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

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