---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world, we are told, was made…"
description: "\"The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts. A numerous class of men are painfully astonished wh..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg"
---

#  The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a…

![“The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts. A numerous class of men are painfully astonished whenever they find anything, living or dead, in all God's universe, which they cannot eat or render in some way what they call useful to themselves.” quote by John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg)

> “The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts. A numerous class of men are painfully astonished whenever they find anything, living or dead, in all God's universe, which they cannot eat or render in some way what they call useful to themselves.”

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Human assumptions of dominion are challenged by the vast, indifferent universe, reminding us of humility.

**In simple terms:** We’re not the center.

Key Takeaway

Practice humility toward nature.

Themes

environment humility anthropocentrism

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

environmental philosophical

When to use this quote

- conservation work
- education
- policy debates

Key Concepts

cosmic perspective ecology human exceptionalism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does humility change your actions?
- Can we balance use and respect?

A Different Perspective

Human progress can coexist with stewardship.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“The world, we are told, was made especially for man — a presumption not supported by all the facts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especially-for-man-a-presumption-not-3/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts... Why should man value himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especially-for-man-a-presumption-not/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [People, even independently minded people, do to an extent draw their impressions from what they are told, especially if they are told it incessantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-kinnock/people-even-independently-minded-people-do-to-an-extent-draw-their/)

[Neil Kinnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-kinnock/)

> [“No one must leave here and so carry to the world, together with the sign impressed on his skin, the evil tidings of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/no-one-must-leave-here-and-so-carry-to-the-world-together-with-the/)

[Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/)

> [“There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told, especially if that person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/there-is-nothing-gutsier-to-me-than-a-person-announcing-that-their-2/)

[Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/)

> [I hate being told what to do! Especially by myself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-flewelling/i-hate-being-told-what-to-do-especially-by-myself/)

[Lynn Flewelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-flewelling/)

> [We will not return No one must leave here and so carry to the world, together with the sign impressed on his skin, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primo-levi/we-will-not-return-no-one-must-leave-here-and-so-carry-to-the-world/)

[Primo Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primo-levi/)

> [Just about everyone is quick to judge plastic surgery, especially on a man. We've all seen people who end up looking a little scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-wooster/just-about-everyone-is-quick-to-judge-plastic-surgery-especially-on-a/)

[Nick Wooster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-wooster/)

> [Vulnerability is tough, especially being a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-frye/vulnerability-is-tough-especially-being-a-man/)

[Channing Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-frye/)

> [“Now especially since man has the strength to destroy the world, it is the responsibility of man to keep it alive, in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cooper/now-especially-since-man-has-the-strength-to-destroy-the-world-it-is/)

[Susan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cooper/)

> [Especially if it's man-to-man, I gotta find a way to create separation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-agholor/especially-if-it-s-man-to-man-i-gotta-find-a-way-to-create-separation/)

[Nelson Agholor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-agholor/)

> [Each of us has a Soul. But no one has stopped to tell us what the Soul is in the world to do. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/each-of-us-has-a-soul-but-no-one-has-stopped-to-tell-us-what-the-soul/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [Italy is not technically part of the Third World, but no one has told the Italians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/italy-is-not-technically-part-of-the-third-world-but-no-one-has-told/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [I had the world against me. I was told I shouldn't be doing sport and that I wouldn't go to the Paralympics. I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadeena-cox/i-had-the-world-against-me-i-was-told-i-shouldn-t-be-doing-sport-and/)

[Kadeena Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadeena-cox/)

> [We are sent to bless the world, but we are never told to compromise with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/we-are-sent-to-bless-the-world-but-we-are-never-told-to-compromise/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

## More by John Muir

> [I will follow my instincts, be myself for good or ill, and see what will be the upshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/i-will-follow-my-instincts-be-myself-for-good-or-ill-and-see-what/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [...full of God's thoughts, a place of peace and safety amid the most exalted grandeur and enthusiastic action, a new song, a place of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/full-of-god-s-thoughts-a-place-of-peace-and-safety-amid-the-most/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [“Here are the roots of all the life of the valleys, and here more simply than elsewhere is the eternal flux of nature manifested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/here-are-the-roots-of-all-the-life-of-the-valleys-and-here-more/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/spring-work-is-going-on-with-joyful-enthusiasm/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [Our lives are rounded with a sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/our-lives-are-rounded-with-a-sleep/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/another-glorious-day-the-air-as-delicious-to-the-lungs-as-nectar-to/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [Long, blue, spiky-edged shadows crept out across the snow-fields, while a rosy glow, at first scarce discernible, gradually deepened and suffused every mountain-top, flushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/long-blue-spiky-edged-shadows-crept-out-across-the-snow-fields-while/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [“This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/this-grand-show-is-eternal-it-is-always-sunrise-somewhere-the-dew-is/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/when-one-tugs-at-a-single-thing-in-nature-he-finds-it-attached-to-the/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [In studying the fate of our forest king, we have thus far considered the action of purely natural causes only; but, unfortunately, man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/in-studying-the-fate-of-our-forest-king-we-have-thus-far-considered/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [The forests of America, however slighted by man, must have been a great delight to God; for they were the best he ever planted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-forests-of-america-however-slighted-by-man-must-have-been-a-great/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [Man seems to be the only animal whose food soils him, making necessary much washing and shield-like bibs and napkins. Moles living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/man-seems-to-be-the-only-animal-whose-food-soils-him-making-necessary/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/as-long-as-i-live-i-ll-hear-waterfalls-and-birds-and-winds-sing-i-ll/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

[Explore all 409 John Muir quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

## More Find quotes

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/)

[Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-schwartz/you-will-find-that-the-more-successful-the-individual-the-less/)

[David Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-schwartz/)

> [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/)

[Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/)

> [They will find somebody younger, somebody funnier, somebody more engaged. As long as the court genre is viable, people are going to be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/they-will-find-somebody-younger-somebody-funnier-somebody-more/)

[Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/)

> [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/)

[Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/)

> [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/)

[Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/)

> [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/)

[Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/)

> [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [People from all walks of life that you might find as a King Diamond fan - you don't look a certain way; you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-diamond/people-from-all-walks-of-life-that-you-might-find-as-a-king-diamond/)

[King Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-diamond/)

> [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/)

[Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/)

> [For me, I like to be different. I didn't want to imitate another wrestler. I always try to find something from other genres, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinsuke-nakamura/for-me-i-like-to-be-different-i-didn-t-want-to-imitate-another/)

[Shinsuke Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinsuke-nakamura/)

> [For young people in the U.K. who find themselves without anywhere to live - perhaps they have left the family home after a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/for-young-people-in-the-u-k-who-find-themselves-without-anywhere-to/)

[Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/)

Browse all 11,342 Find quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts. A numerous class of men are painfully astonished whenever they find anything, living or dead, in all God's universe, which they cannot eat or render in some way what they call useful to themselves.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Muir"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especially-for-man-a-presumption-not-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Find"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especially-for-man-a-presumption-not-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/john-muir-678_find_the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especiall_2440329.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The world, we are told, was made especially for man - a presumption not supported by all the facts. A…” — John Muir",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Muir",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The world, we are told, was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especially-for-man-a-presumption-not-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/the-world-we-are-told-was-made-especially-for-man-a-presumption-not-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
