--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When men, lost in the devious ways of…" description: "\"When men, lost in the devious ways of error and self, have forgotten the \"heavenly birth,\" ... they set up artificial standards by which to judge one a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/james-allen-1607_selfishness_when-men-lost-in-the-devious-ways-of-err_2368747.jpg" --- # When men, lost in the devious ways of error and self, have… ![“When men, lost in the devious ways of error and self, have forgotten the "heavenly birth," ... they set up artificial standards by which to judge one another” quote by James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/james-allen-1607_selfishness_when-men-lost-in-the-devious-ways-of-err_2368747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/james-allen-1607_selfishness_when-men-lost-in-the-devious-ways-of-err_2368747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/james-allen-1607_selfishness_when-men-lost-in-the-devious-ways-of-err_2368747.jpg) > “When men, lost in the devious ways of error and self, have forgotten the "heavenly birth," ... they set up artificial standards by which to judge one another” [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People lose innate goodness and replace it with artificial judgments, ignoring inner moral birth. **In simple terms:** Inner goodness is forgotten. Key Takeaway Reclaim inner virtue. Themes morality self‑deception authenticity Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - social media criticism - workplace evaluations Key Concepts spirituality ethical standards self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize true moral insight? - What standards reflect your authentic self? A Different Perspective Rigid standards may ignore context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artificial Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artificial-standards-5826011/) [Forgotten Heavenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten-heavenly-5826012/) [Heavenly Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavenly-birth-237612/) [Men Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-lost-383801/) [Self Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-forgotten-4800445/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [They serve best who give most of themselves. 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Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [“This is what happens, of course: men get lost, men vanish, men are erased and reborn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-dorst/this-is-what-happens-of-course-men-get-lost-men-vanish-men-are-erased/) [Doug Dorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-dorst/) > [“I learned that there are two young men lost in the woods. Not one. 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Among those men get lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/it-is-hard-to-follow-one-great-vision-in-this-world-of-darkness-and/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [“No, they didn’t have any money, the sea was dangerous and men were lost, but it was a satisfying life in a way people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-proulx/no-they-didn-t-have-any-money-the-sea-was-dangerous-and-men-were-lost/) [Annie Proulx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-proulx/) > [“We're on the eve of destruction. Men have lost all sense of honor. Power has become their faith instead of faith being their power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atiq-rahimi/we-re-on-the-eve-of-destruction-men-have-lost-all-sense-of-honor/) [Atiq Rahimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atiq-rahimi/) ## More by James Allen > [A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/a-person-is-limited-only-by-the-thoughts-that-he-chooses/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves, and also that which it fears;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/the-soul-attracts-that-which-it-secretly-harbours-that-which-it-loves/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/all-achievements-whether-in-the-business-intellectual-or-spiritual/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [“Cause and effect is as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things. 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It is a mystic ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, from error to Truth, from pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/spiritual-meditation-is-the-pathway-to-divinity-it-is-a-mystic-ladder/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) [Explore all 220 James Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) ## More Selfishness quotes > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) [Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. 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The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Selfish people make me sick to my stomach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/selfish-people-make-me-sick-to-my-stomach/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not a selfish guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romelu-lukaku/i-m-not-a-selfish-guy/) [Romelu Lukaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romelu-lukaku/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I will no longer surround myself around selfish people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-will-no-longer-surround-myself-around-selfish-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/be-fearful-when-others-are-greedy-and-be-greedy-when-others-are/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“We usually live our lives with the belief that "I sacrifice myself for everyone else," rather than thinking that "everyone else helps me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jae-woong-kim/we-usually-live-our-lives-with-the-belief-that-i-sacrifice-myself-for/) [Jae Woong Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jae-woong-kim/) > [“Whether out of inertia or selfishness, whether out of fear or a simple lack of moral imagination, we so often spend our lives as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obama/whether-out-of-inertia-or-selfishness-whether-out-of-fear-or-a-simple/) [Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obama/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. 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