--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I discovered that Human Nature was not…" description: "\"I discovered that Human Nature was not, as I had always supposed, a fixed and unalterable entity, that wars are not caused by a natural urge in men to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/jessica-mitford-21991_energy_i-discovered-that-human-nature-was-not-a_65732.jpg" --- # I discovered that Human Nature was not, as I had always… ![“I discovered that Human Nature was not, as I had always supposed, a fixed and unalterable entity, that wars are not caused by a natural urge in men to fight, that ownership of land and factories is not necessarily the natural reward of greater wisdom and energy.” quote by Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/jessica-mitford-21991_energy_i-discovered-that-human-nature-was-not-a_65732.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/jessica-mitford-21991_energy_i-discovered-that-human-nature-was-not-a_65732.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/jessica-mitford-21991_energy_i-discovered-that-human-nature-was-not-a_65732.jpg) > “I discovered that Human Nature was not, as I had always supposed, a fixed and unalterable entity, that wars are not caused by a natural urge in men to fight, that ownership of land and factories is not necessarily the natural reward of greater wisdom and energy.” [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker challenges deterministic views of human behavior, arguing that traits like aggression and property rights are socially constructed rather than innate. **In simple terms:** Human nature is shaped by society, not biology. Key Takeaway Social constructs drive conflict and ownership. Themes social constructionism human nature war causation property rights cultural determinism Mood thoughtful critical inquisitive Type philosophical sociopolitical analytical When to use this quote - political theory discussions - history of labor movements - debates on innate aggression - analysis of capitalist ownership Key Concepts determinism social structures inequality power dynamics Practical Applications - sociological research - policy design addressing inequality Questions to Reflect On - How do social institutions reinforce perceived naturalness? - What evidence counters biological determinism? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caused Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caused-natural-877943/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Entity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entity/) [Factories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factories/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Fixed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fixed/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-reward-877945/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Nature Supposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-supposed-877944/) [Ownership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ownership/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars Caused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars-caused-877942/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [It takes time to succeed because success is merely the natural reward of taking time to do anything well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-time-to-succeed-because-success-is-merely-the-natural-reward/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I wondered then if life weren’t about nature, if we were supposed to live in the woods and grow into the forest like tree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-wondered-then-if-life-weren-t-about-nature-if-we-were-supposed-to/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“She endured her own nature and supposed it to be the burden of another's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/she-endured-her-own-nature-and-supposed-it-to-be-the-burden-of/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [Nature is supposed to become greater to me than people. 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They are caused when an aggressor believes he can achieve his objectives at an acceptable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/wars-are-not-caused-by-the-buildup-of-weapons-they-are-caused-when-an/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Wars are caused by unprotected wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/wars-are-caused-by-unprotected-wealth/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Wars are caused by undefended wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wars-are-caused-by-undefended-wealth/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“most of the Universe’s major wars had been caused by zealots aggressively spreading their own religion, so”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/most-of-the-universe-s-major-wars-had-been-caused-by-zealots/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [What sparks wars? The will to power, the backbone of human nature. The threat of violence, the fear of violence, or actual violence, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/what-sparks-wars-the-will-to-power-the-backbone-of-human-nature-the/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. 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How surprised he would be to see how his counterpart of today is whisked off to a funeral parlor and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/alas-poor-yorick-how-surprised-he-would-be-to-see-how-his-counterpart/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/you-may-not-be-able-to-change-the-world-but-at-least-you-can/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Picking other people's brains is an art worth cultivating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/picking-other-people-s-brains-is-an-art-worth-cultivating/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [A thirteen-year-old is a kaleidoscope of different personalities, if not in most ways a mere figment of her own imagination. 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I've always had an objective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/objectivity-i-ve-always-had-an-objective/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Funeralese has had its ups and downs. The word 'morticians,' first used in Embalmers Monthly for February, 1895, was barred by the Chicago Tribune…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/funeralese-has-had-its-ups-and-downs-the-word-morticians-first-used/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Objectivity? I always have an objective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/objectivity-i-always-have-an-objective/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [the whole point of muck-raking, apart from all the jokes, is to try to do something about what you've been writing about. You may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/the-whole-point-of-muck-raking-apart-from-all-the-jokes-is-to-try-to/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Things on the whole are faster in America; people don't stand for election, they run for office. If a person says he's sick, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/things-on-the-whole-are-faster-in-america-people-don-t-stand-for/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Gracious dying is a huge, macabre and expensive joke on the American public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/gracious-dying-is-a-huge-macabre-and-expensive-joke-on-the-american/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Things on the whole are much faster in America; people don't 'stand for election', they 'run for office.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/things-on-the-whole-are-much-faster-in-america-people-don-t-stand-for/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [Prison walls are meant not only to keep convicts in, but to keep the would-be investigator out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/prison-walls-are-meant-not-only-to-keep-convicts-in-but-to-keep-the/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [It is somehow reassuring to discover that the word travel is derived from travail, denoting the pains of childbirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/it-is-somehow-reassuring-to-discover-that-the-word-travel-is-derived/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) [Explore all 28 Jessica Mitford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) ## More Energy quotes > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. 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