Myth Lie Quote by Jack London
““I cannot help remembering a remark of De Casseres. It was over the wine in Mouquin's. Said he: "The profoundest instinct in man is to war against the truth; that is, against the Real. He shuns facts from his infancy. His life is a perpetual evasion. Miracle, chimera and to-morrow keep him alive. He lives on fiction and myth. It is the Lie that makes him free. Animals alone are given the privilege of lifting the veil of Isis; men dare not. The animal, awake, has no fictional escape from the Real because he has no imagination. Man, awake, is compelled to seek a perpetual escape into Hope, Belief, Fable, Art, God, Socialism, Immortality, Alcohol, Love. From Medusa-Truth he makes an appeal to Maya-Lie””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Truth of the Man”, 1913
Man instinctively rebels against reality, seeking escape in myths, hopes, and various ideologies, while animals accept truth without illusion.
In simple terms: People avoid reality by believing in myths; animals accept truth.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront your own escapism.
Themes
philosophy
human nature
truth
illusion
myth
escape
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- critical analysis
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
cognitive bias
Questions to Reflect On
- What myths do you use to avoid truth?
- How can you face reality without fear?
A Different Perspective
Escapism can hinder authentic living.
![“He has the capacity to veer with every wind, or, stubbornly, to insert himself into some fantastically elaborated and irrational social institution only to perish with it. [For man is a] fickle, erratic, dangerous creature [whose] restless mind would try all paths, all horrors, all betrayals ……” quote by Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/669/loren-eiseley-3848_illusions-delusions_he-has-the-capacity-to-veer-with-every-w_433496.jpg)
