--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mankind's ability to understand and…" description: "\"Mankind's ability to understand and control the forces of nature greatly exceeds our ability to govern ourselves\" — George Soros" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg" --- # Mankind's ability to understand and control the forces of… ![“Mankind's ability to understand and control the forces of nature greatly exceeds our ability to govern ourselves” quote by George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg) > “Mankind's ability to understand and control the forces of nature greatly exceeds our ability to govern ourselves” [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human mastery of natural forces outpaces our capacity for self‑governance, creating societal risk. **In simple terms:** We control nature better than we control ourselves. Key Takeaway Improve collective decision‑making. Themes governance technology risk human nature societal development Mood concerned reflective Type analytical warning philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - environmental regulation - corporate governance - public health - education reforms Key Concepts systems thinking ethical responsibility collective intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can societies align technological progress with moral development? - What structures can better manage collective action problems? A Different Perspective Our technological power can exacerbate inequality if not matched by ethical governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Forces of nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forces-of-nature/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in the America people's ability to govern themselves. 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If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/measurement-is-the-first-step-that-leads-to-control-and-eventually-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People fear what they can not understand and what they can not control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/people-fear-what-they-can-not-understand-and-what-they-can-not-control/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [As I've gotten older, I've become much more effective at seeking and accepting help and bringing other people into the discussion. You start to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-coles/as-i-ve-gotten-older-i-ve-become-much-more-effective-at-seeking-and/) [Joanna Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-coles/) > [Hope is a force of nature. Don't let anyone tell you different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/hope-is-a-force-of-nature-don-t-let-anyone-tell-you-different/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [No. He says when you're dealing with any kids of supernatural beings, Gods and Devils and angels, you tend to think about them like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/no-he-says-when-you-re-dealing-with-any-kids-of-supernatural-beings/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [I've always wanted to work with Elizabeth Banks. She's so talented and funny, and she's become this force of nature - directing, producing. Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/i-ve-always-wanted-to-work-with-elizabeth-banks-she-s-so-talented-and/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [The greenhouse crisis is the bill coming due for the Industrial Revolution. It's not an accident. It's the logical outcome of our world view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/the-greenhouse-crisis-is-the-bill-coming-due-for-the-industrial/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [The Gods are but names for the forces of Nature themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/the-gods-are-but-names-for-the-forces-of-nature-themselves/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“A row of daffodils and red tulips nestled against the walkway beneath my feet. Stray weeds peeked up through the cracks in the concrete,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/a-row-of-daffodils-and-red-tulips-nestled-against-the-walkway-beneath/) Pamela Crane > [Death is natural and necessary, but not just. It is a random force of nature; survival is equally accidental. Each loss is an occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-mcbryde-johnson/death-is-natural-and-necessary-but-not-just-it-is-a-random-force-of/) Harriet McBryde Johnson > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. The forces of nature discriminate for no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/fishing-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-democracy-of-life-of-humility/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“I understand that you are claiming it is almost impossible to forgive, but only easier to forget. The truth is that, you can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-understand-that-you-are-claiming-it-is-almost-impossible-to-forgive/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) ## More by George Soros > [Merkel has realized that the euro is not working, but she cannot change the narrative she has created because that narrative has caught the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/merkel-has-realized-that-the-euro-is-not-working-but-she-cannot/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It's really a great invention and I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-designed-to-allow-individuals-to-look-after-their-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [We must not forget; but we must forgive. Suffering often such compassion from the Jewish community. It was Jewish groups in the US who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/we-must-not-forget-but-we-must-forgive-suffering-often-such/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I very often used to get backaches due to the fact that I was wrong. Whenever you are wrong you have to fight or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/i-very-often-used-to-get-backaches-due-to-the-fact-that-i-was-wrong/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [We are the most powerful nation on earth. No external power, no terrorist organization can defeat us. But we can defeat ourselves by getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/we-are-the-most-powerful-nation-on-earth-no-external-power-no/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux and money is made by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-constantly-in-a-state-of-uncertainty-and-flux-and-money/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [What works for Germany can't work for the rest of Europe: No country can run a chronic surplus without others running deficits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/what-works-for-germany-can-t-work-for-the-rest-of-europe-no-country/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [If truth be known, I carried some rather potent messianic fantasies with me from childhood which I felt I had to control, otherwise I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/if-truth-be-known-i-carried-some-rather-potent-messianic-fantasies/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Find the trend whose premise is false, and bet against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/find-the-trend-whose-premise-is-false-and-bet-against-it/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [ We \[at Soros Fund Management\] use options and more exotic derivatives sparingly. We try to catch new trends early and in later stages we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/we-at-soros-fund-management-use-options-and-more-exotic-derivatives/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [“On the abstract level, I have turned the belief in my own fallibility into the cornerstone of an elaborate philosophy. On a personal level,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/on-the-abstract-level-i-have-turned-the-belief-in-my-own-fallibility/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [The main difference between me and other people who have amassed this kind of money is that I am primarily interested in ideas, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/the-main-difference-between-me-and-other-people-who-have-amassed-this/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [By creating the European Central Bank, the member states exposed their own government bonds to the risk of default. Developed countries that issue bonds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/by-creating-the-european-central-bank-the-member-states-exposed-their/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [Every bubble has two components: something - some real trend, and a misconception about that trend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/every-bubble-has-two-components-something-some-real-trend-and-a/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) [Explore all 225 George Soros quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. 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I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mankind's ability to understand and control the forces of nature greatly exceeds our ability to govern ourselves", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Soros" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-control-the-forces-of-nature/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-control-the-forces-of-nature/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/061/george-soros-1593_ability_mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-cont_1946899.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mankind's ability to understand and control the forces of nature greatly exceeds our ability to govern…” — George Soros", "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": "George Soros", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mankind's ability to understand and control...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-control-the-forces-of-nature/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/mankind-s-ability-to-understand-and-control-the-forces-of-nature/#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 } } ] } ```