--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mind of man is capable of…" description: "\"“The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg" --- # The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything… ![“The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valour, rage-who can tell?-but truth-truth stripped of its cloak of time. Let the fool gape and shudder-the man know, and can look on…” quote by Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg) > ““The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valour, rage-who can tell?-but truth-truth stripped of its cloak of time. Let the fool gape and shudder-the man know, and can look on without a wink. But he must at least be as much of a man as these on the shore. He must meet the truth with his own true stuff-with his own inborn strength.”” [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on humanity's boundless mental capacity, encompassing all experiences across time, and urges authentic confrontation with truth using inner strength. **In simple terms:** Human mind holds all past and future, must face truth with inner strength. Key Takeaway Inner strength is needed to confront truth. Themes human potential temporal continuity truth inner strength existential reflection Mood thoughtful introspective determined Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - philosophical contemplation - personal crisis - creative inspiration - spiritual awakening Key Concepts mind time truth strength Practical Applications - self‑development - literary analysis Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to meet truth with one's own stuff? - How does recognizing all emotions shape one's character? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Tell Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-truth/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Stripped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-stripped-413142/) [Truth True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-true-413143/) [Truth Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-truth/) ## Related quotes > [The mind of man is capable of anything--because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. What was there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-because-everything-is-in-it-2/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [What is truth? What is a true story? Who is telling the truth, and what is truth in this world today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/what-is-truth-what-is-a-true-story-who-is-telling-the-truth-and-what/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [Stay true to the truth and the truth will keep you true!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/stay-true-to-the-truth-and-the-truth-will-keep-you-true/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [The need always to lie and always to avoid the truth stripped everyone of what Custine called 'the two greatest gifts of God-the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dalrymple/the-need-always-to-lie-and-always-to-avoid-the-truth-stripped/) [Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/) > [“We don't own truth. Truth is truth and nothing you can do about it even if you hide it, or kill it, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/we-don-t-own-truth-truth-is-truth-and-nothing-you-can-do-about-it/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [I wished to tell the truth, for truth always conveys its own moral to those who are able to receive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/i-wished-to-tell-the-truth-for-truth-always-conveys-its-own-moral-to-2/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [I have a responsibility to tell the truth. The truth about what we've done, and what we'll do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-snyder/i-have-a-responsibility-to-tell-the-truth-the-truth-about-what-we-ve/) [Rick Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-snyder/) > [“What matters is whether we want to lie or to tell the truth and write the truth, even though it never can be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/what-matters-is-whether-we-want-to-lie-or-to-tell-the-truth-and-write/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) > [Let me tell you the truth: The truth is what is. And what should be is a fantasy a terrible, terrible lie that someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/let-me-tell-you-the-truth-the-truth-is-what-is-and-what-should-be-is/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Truth, an objective thing, is usually conceived of as something simple. Quite the opposite is correct: truth is enormously complicated; it calls for effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-beauchesne-thornton/truth-an-objective-thing-is-usually-conceived-of-as-something-simple/) [Francis Beauchesne Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-beauchesne-thornton/) > [There is no fucked up way to tell the truth because the truth in itself is fucked up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristani-townsend/there-is-no-fucked-up-way-to-tell-the-truth-because-the-truth-in/) [Kristani Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristani-townsend/) > [Always tell the truth or the truth will tell on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-k-sonnenberg/always-tell-the-truth-or-the-truth-will-tell-on-you/) [Frank K. Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-k-sonnenberg/) > [“Truth is a slippery concept.” “No, the great thing about the truth is that it’s true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sakey/truth-is-a-slippery-concept-no-the-great-thing-about-the-truth-is/) [Marcus Sakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sakey/) > [Any truth is only true up to a certain point. When one oversteps the mark, it becomes a non-truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/any-truth-is-only-true-up-to-a-certain-point-when-one-oversteps-the/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“the good thing about the truth is it’s true, and there’s no arguing with the truth. You may not like it, but that doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/the-good-thing-about-the-truth-is-it-s-true-and-there-s-no-arguing/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) ## More by Joseph Conrad > [“Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/hunters-for-gold-or-pursuers-of-fame-they-all-had-gone-out-on-that/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“Let the earth and the sea each have its own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/let-the-earth-and-the-sea-each-have-its-own/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [He hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/he-hated-all-this-and-somehow-he-couldn-t-get-away/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“A fool, what with sheer fright and fine sentiments, is always safe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/a-fool-what-with-sheer-fright-and-fine-sentiments-is-always-safe/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Few men realize that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities, are only the expression of their belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/few-men-realize-that-their-life-the-very-essence-of-their-character/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“Perhaps on some quiet night the tremor of far-off drums, sinking, swelling, a tremor vast, faint; a sound weird, appealing, suggestive and wild -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/perhaps-on-some-quiet-night-the-tremor-of-far-off-drums-sinking/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“All that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/all-that-mysterious-life-of-the-wilderness-that-stirs-in-the-forest/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“The fascination of the abomination—you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-fascination-of-the-abomination-you-know/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/it-s-only-those-who-do-nothing-that-make-no-mistakes-i-suppose/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“Thieving was not a sheer absurdity. It was a form of human industry, perverse indeed, but still an industry exercised in an industrious world;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/thieving-was-not-a-sheer-absurdity-it-was-a-form-of-human-industry/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/i-found-myself-back-in-the-sepulchral-city-resenting-the-sight-of/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Society was calling to its accomplished child to come, to be taken care of, to be instructed, to be judged, to be condemned; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/society-was-calling-to-its-accomplished-child-to-come-to-be-taken/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [I was constantly watching myself, my secret self, as dependent on my actions as my own personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/i-was-constantly-watching-myself-my-secret-self-as-dependent-on-my/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/but-his-soul-was-mad-being-alone-in-the-wilderness-it-had-looked/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Explore all 645 Joseph Conrad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) ## More Human nature quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“The aristocratic interiority is centered on the higher mind, the mens, the ajna chakra, the seat of intellect and intuition that commands the lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-aristocratic-interiority-is-centered-on-the-higher-mind-the-mens/) [Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [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/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“I wasn't sure which I appreciated less—the insincere concern or the genuine indifference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-graham/i-wasn-t-sure-which-i-appreciated-less-the-insincere-concern-or-the/) [Arthur Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-graham/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/) [Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/) > [“As if we didn't have enough weapons already. But that's human nature, we've always got to go one better, to increase the terror another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/as-if-we-didn-t-have-enough-weapons-already-but-that-s-human-nature/) [Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/) > [ \[Putin\] is a bully. And bullies only understand when we punch them in the nose, but we need to do that economically. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/putin-is-a-bully-and-bullies-only-understand-when-we-punch-them-in/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 3,743 Human nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valour, rage-who can tell?-but truth-truth stripped of its cloak of time. Let the fool gape and shudder-the man know, and can look on without a wink. But he must at least be as much of a man as these on the shore. He must meet the truth with his own true stuff-with his own inborn strength.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Conrad" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-because-everything-is-in-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Human nature" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-because-everything-is-in-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/joseph-conrad-336_human-nature_the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-b_26411.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future…” — Joseph Conrad", "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": "Joseph Conrad", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The mind of man is capable...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-because-everything-is-in-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-mind-of-man-is-capable-of-anything-because-everything-is-in-it/#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 } } ] } ```