--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The human race is unimportant. It is the…" description: "\"The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must not be betrayed.' 'I suppose one could say that Hitler didn't betray his self.' He turned. 'You..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/john-fowles-816_be-good_the-human-race-is-unimportant-it-is-the_2665980.png" --- # The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must… ![“The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must not be betrayed.' 'I suppose one could say that Hitler didn't betray his self.' He turned. 'You are right. He did not. But millions of Germans did betray their selves. That was the tragedy.'” quote by John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/john-fowles-816_be-good_the-human-race-is-unimportant-it-is-the_2665980.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/john-fowles-816_be-good_the-human-race-is-unimportant-it-is-the_2665980.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65b/john-fowles-816_be-good_the-human-race-is-unimportant-it-is-the_2665980.png) > “The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must not be betrayed.' 'I suppose one could say that Hitler didn't betray his self.' He turned. 'You are right. He did not. But millions of Germans did betray their selves. That was the tragedy.'” [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote stresses that personal integrity matters more than collective identity, warning against betraying one's inner self. **In simple terms:** Self‑integrity outweighs group importance. Key Takeaway Guard your inner truth. Themes integrity individualism betrayal morality Mood reflective serious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal decisions - political movements - social pressure Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does betraying yourself look like? - How to balance personal integrity with societal expectations? A Different Perspective Self‑interest can conflict with collective good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) ## Related quotes > [The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must not be betrayed." "I suppose one could say that Hitler didn't betray his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-human-race-is-unimportant-it-is-the-self-that-must-not-be/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [I get the feeling," Alec said, and smiled, "she hasn't forgiven me for betraying you, as she sees it." "Good girl," said Jace with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-get-the-feeling-alec-said-and-smiled-she-hasn-t-forgiven-me-for/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [To take refuge with an inferior is to betray one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-take-refuge-with-an-inferior-is-to-betray-one-s-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[Adolf\] Hitler didn't discuss politics or military with Eva \[Braun\]. Not once. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretl-braun/adolf-hitler-didn-t-discuss-politics-or-military-with-eva-braun-not/) [Gretl Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretl-braun/) > [Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'Let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think he woke up in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/even-hitler-didn-t-wake-up-going-let-me-do-the-most-evil-thing-i-can/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [Hitler didn't travel. Stalin didn't travel. Saddam Hussein never traveled. They didn't want to have their orthodoxy challenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/hitler-didn-t-travel-stalin-didn-t-travel-saddam-hussein-never/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [I'm surprized Hitler didn't round up the toupee people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/i-m-surprized-hitler-didn-t-round-up-the-toupee-people/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [“The funniest part of that joke is, 'say what you will about Hitler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/the-funniest-part-of-that-joke-is-say-what-you-will-about-hitler/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [“One must know a bad performance to know a good one. 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He uses the same gestures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadeusz-borowski/a-man-has-only-a-limited-number-of-ways-in-which-he-can-express/) [Tadeusz Borowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadeusz-borowski/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by John Fowles > [I am infinitely strange to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/i-am-infinitely-strange-to-myself/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [I do not plan my fiction any more than I normally plan woodland walks; I follow the path that seems most promising at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/i-do-not-plan-my-fiction-any-more-than-i-normally-plan-woodland-walks/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [“The sky is absolutely empty. Beautifully pure and empty. As if the architects and builders would live in all the houses they built! 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I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. 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