--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never use the words HUMANIST or…" description: "\"I never use the words HUMANIST or HUMANITARIAN, as it seems to me that to be human is to be capable of the most heinous crimes in nature.\" — Gregory Ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png" --- # I never use the words HUMANIST or HUMANITARIAN, as it… ![“I never use the words HUMANIST or HUMANITARIAN, as it seems to me that to be human is to be capable of the most heinous crimes in nature.” quote by Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png) > “I never use the words HUMANIST or HUMANITARIAN, as it seems to me that to be human is to be capable of the most heinous crimes in nature.” [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rejects labels “humanist” and “humanitarian” arguing humanity can commit extreme evil. **In simple terms:** Humanity can be capable of great evil. Key Takeaway Question the assumptions behind moral labels. Themes philosophy morality human nature Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - ethical debates - philosophical discussions - literary analysis Key Concepts ethical relativism evil human capacity Questions to Reflect On - Do labels help or hinder moral discourse? - Can humanity be both good and evil? A Different Perspective Labels can inspire positive action despite flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Heinous crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heinous-crimes/) [Humanist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanist/) [Humanitarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanitarian/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [A person who has sympathy for mankind in the lump, faith in its future progress, and desire to serve the great cause of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-babbitt/a-person-who-has-sympathy-for-mankind-in-the-lump-faith-in-its-future/) [Irving Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-babbitt/) > [“Give me your soul and I will give you a unified humanity replete with courage, conscience and compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/give-me-your-soul-and-i-will-give-you-a-unified-humanity-replete-with/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Sentiments speak louder than language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/sentiments-speak-louder-than-language/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Arise O lion-heart! Awake, O great soldier! Misery has come upon the world. It is wailing for help. It is wailing for redemption. Won’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/arise-o-lion-heart-awake-o-great-soldier-misery-has-come-upon-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“You may be James the American, or Mary the British, or anything else, but before all that, you are a human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/you-may-be-james-the-american-or-mary-the-british-or-anything-else/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“My Cosmic Soldiers (The Sonnet) Bloodline is of no consequence, We gotta pass on galvanizing ideas. I may quite easily die without heir, World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/my-cosmic-soldiers-the-sonnet-bloodline-is-of-no-consequence-we-gotta/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Service over selfies, helping over hogging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/service-over-selfies-helping-over-hogging/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“My priority is not to be called an atheist or believer, but to be human.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/my-priority-is-not-to-be-called-an-atheist-or-believer-but-to-be-human/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Liberty is my religion and Humans are my God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/liberty-is-my-religion-and-humans-are-my-god/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“O my brave Almighty Human, with the ever-effulgent flow of courage, conscience and compassion, turn yourself into a vivacious humanizer, and start walking with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/o-my-brave-almighty-human-with-the-ever-effulgent-flow-of-courage/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“We've evolved from the jungle, violence is in our DNA. That's not up for debate, it's a biological fact. Question is, will we continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/we-ve-evolved-from-the-jungle-violence-is-in-our-dna-that-s-not-up/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Only truth in the cosmos is love, All else is but lie. Life's only truth is love, All else is but death in disguise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/only-truth-in-the-cosmos-is-love-all-else-is-but-lie-life-s-only/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Afterlight Sonnet Forget about afterlife, focus on afterlight, light that is left behind, by your deeds of life. We need to paint the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/afterlight-sonnet-forget-about-afterlife-focus-on-afterlight-light/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Failing to be American (The Sonnet) I've tried to rekindle the American sentiment of my early days of writing, but in vain. Once you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/failing-to-be-american-the-sonnet-i-ve-tried-to-rekindle-the-american/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“They say, love God, for it is the greatest virtue. I say, love humans, for there is no greater virtue, no greater religion, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/they-say-love-god-for-it-is-the-greatest-virtue-i-say-love-humans-for/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Gregory Maguire > [“By so giving up, of course, it renews itself- that is the secret”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/by-so-giving-up-of-course-it-renews-itself-that-is-the-secret/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“There are two kinds of anger: hot and cold. Boys and girls experience both, but as they grow up the anger separates according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/there-are-two-kinds-of-anger-hot-and-cold-boys-and-girls-experience/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Very few things in the world are certain, but morning is one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/very-few-things-in-the-world-are-certain-but-morning-is-one-of-them/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [No one survives in times of war unless they make war their home. How did I get so old and wise, but for welcoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/no-one-survives-in-times-of-war-unless-they-make-war-their-home-how/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“I care as much as I can, but I don’t spend energy caring about things I cannot resolve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-care-as-much-as-i-can-but-i-don-t-spend-energy-caring-about-things/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“How many times in a life, he thought, will I lie down in a darkness whose character I cannot imagine, to see what daybreak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/how-many-times-in-a-life-he-thought-will-i-lie-down-in-a-darkness/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Old Flossie settle down on the other side of What-the-Dickens and dragged some handiwork out of a sack. She armed herself with two thorns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/old-flossie-settle-down-on-the-other-side-of-what-the-dickens-and/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I shall pray for your soul,' promised Nessarose. I shall wait for your shoes,' Elphie answered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-shall-pray-for-your-soul-promised-nessarose-i-shall-wait-for-your/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [My first job was scooping ice cream at Friendly's in Albany, New York. I hated the work, most of my colleagues, and the uniform,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/my-first-job-was-scooping-ice-cream-at-friendly-s-in-albany-new-york/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“At its most elemental, a spell is no more than a recipe for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/at-its-most-elemental-a-spell-is-no-more-than-a-recipe-for-change/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I write because I admire the act of rationalization, of seeking clarity in one's understanding of the complexities of life, and I'm bad at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-write-because-i-admire-the-act-of-rationalization-of-seeking/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Do good though, will you?" She blinked brightly at the green girl. "If not for your parents or your grandmother, then for me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/do-good-though-will-you-she-blinked-brightly-at-the-green-girl-if-not/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You always had an eye for the fellow with a decent helping of sausage and hard-boiled eggs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-always-had-an-eye-for-the-fellow-with-a-decent-helping-of-sausage/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You need my help? What for? Bread, cash, a fake identity to help you slip sideways through the cracks? Tell me what you need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-need-my-help-what-for-bread-cash-a-fake-identity-to-help-you-slip/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) [Explore all 470 Gregory Maguire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## More Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/everybody-is-different-some-writers-can-write-reams-of-great-books/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“If you not yet try How to know you can or not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/if-you-not-yet-try-how-to-know-you-can-or-not/) Sopharat > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [How difficult the task to quench the fire and the pride of private ambition, and to sacrifice ourselves and all our hopes and expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/how-difficult-the-task-to-quench-the-fire-and-the-pride-of-private/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) Browse all 3,861 Capable quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never use the words HUMANIST or HUMANITARIAN, as it seems to me that to be human is to be capable of the most heinous crimes in nature.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gregory Maguire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humanitarian-as-it-seems-to-me-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humanitarian-as-it-seems-to-me-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/815/gregory-maguire-547_capable_i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humani_1602127.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never use the words HUMANIST or HUMANITARIAN, as it seems to me that to be human is to be capable of the…” — Gregory Maguire", "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": "Gregory Maguire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never use the words HUMANIST...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humanitarian-as-it-seems-to-me-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-never-use-the-words-humanist-or-humanitarian-as-it-seems-to-me-that/#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 } } ] } ```