--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is it, what nameless, inscrutable…" description: "\"“What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/herman-melville-162_control_what-is-it-what-nameless-inscrutable-une_420284.jpg" --- # What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is… ![“What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural loving and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what…” quote by Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/herman-melville-162_control_what-is-it-what-nameless-inscrutable-une_420284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/herman-melville-162_control_what-is-it-what-nameless-inscrutable-une_420284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee2/herman-melville-162_control_what-is-it-what-nameless-inscrutable-une_420284.jpg) > ““What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against all natural loving and longings, I so keep pushing, and crowding, and jamming myself on all the time; recklessly making me ready to do what in my own proper, natural heart, I durst not so much as dare?”” [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A deep internal conflict drives a person to act against their natural desires, spurred by an unseen, relentless force. **In simple terms:** Inner turmoil pushes us to act irrationally. Key Takeaway Recognize and question hidden motivations. Themes conflict obsession inner struggle Mood intense brooding Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career ambition - creative projects - personal relationships Key Concepts psychology existential dread Questions to Reflect On - What unseen force drives your actions? - Can you align your desires with your true self? A Different Perspective The focus on inner conflict may neglect external factors influencing behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Cruel Remorseless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel-remorseless-3727217/) [Inscrutable Unearthly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inscrutable-unearthly-2998282/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [Remorseless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remorseless/) [Remorseless Emperor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remorseless-emperor-2998280/) [Thing Cozening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-cozening-3727218/) ## Related quotes > [“What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/what-is-it-what-nameless-inscrutable-unearthly-thing-is-it-what-3/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“What is it, what nameless, inscrutable, unearthly thing is it; what cozening, hidden lord and master, and cruel, remorseless emperor commands me; that against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/what-is-it-what-nameless-inscrutable-unearthly-thing-is-it-what-2/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/consider-the-subtleness-of-the-sea-how-its-most-dreaded-creatures-2/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [When beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean’s skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it; and would not willingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/when-beholding-the-tranquil-beauty-and-brilliancy-of-the-ocean-s-skin/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“Aye, aye, it must be so. 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Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [fishing teaches a stern morality; inculcates a remorseless honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fishing-teaches-a-stern-morality-inculcates-a-remorseless-honesty/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Capitalism, at its most remorseless, is a physical manifestation of psychopathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/capitalism-at-its-most-remorseless-is-a-physical-manifestation-of/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [The book, as it stands, seems to me to be one of the most frightful muddles I have ever read, with scarcely a sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/the-book-as-it-stands-seems-to-me-to-be-one-of-the-most-frightful/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [Now the pessimist proper is the most modest of men. ... under no circumstances does he presume to imagine that he, a mere unit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/now-the-pessimist-proper-is-the-most-modest-of-men-under-no/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [Politics is never a victory, it's just the remorseless grinding forward of events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/politics-is-never-a-victory-it-s-just-the-remorseless-grinding/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [The essence of dramatic tragedy is not unhappiness. It resides in the solemnity of the remorseless working of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-dramatic-tragedy-is-not-unhappiness-it-resides-in-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Uncertain way of gain. But I am in So far in blood that sin will pluck on sin. Tear-falling pity dwells not in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/uncertain-way-of-gain-but-i-am-in-so-far-in-blood-that-sin-will-pluck/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“It was quiet in the room. Only the clock ticked on in the remorseless, mechanical minutes that men have made for themselves to measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-dick/it-was-quiet-in-the-room-only-the-clock-ticked-on-in-the-remorseless/) [R.A. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-dick/) > [How remorseless life is!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/how-remorseless-life-is/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More by Herman Melville > [“and man, though idiotic, and knowing not what he does, yet full of the sweet things of love and gratitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-man-though-idiotic-and-knowing-not-what-he-does-yet-full-of-the/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“But were the coming narrative to reveal in any instance, the complete abasement of poor Starbuck's fortitude, scarce might I have the heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/but-were-the-coming-narrative-to-reveal-in-any-instance-the-complete/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“(On Ralph Waldo Emerson)I love all men who dive. 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For hardly have we mortals by long toilings extracted from this world's vast bulk its small but valuable sperm; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/yet-this-is-life-for-hardly-have-we-mortals-by-long-toilings/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I never fancied broiling fowls; - though once broiled, judiciously buttered, and judgmatically salted and peppered, there is no one who will speak more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/i-never-fancied-broiling-fowls-though-once-broiled-judiciously/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [War should be carried on like a monsoon; one changeless determination of every particle towards the one unalterable aim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/war-should-be-carried-on-like-a-monsoon-one-changeless-determination/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [Genius is full of trash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/genius-is-full-of-trash/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) [Explore all 1,009 Herman Melville quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) [Thomas Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-miller/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. 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