--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the most dangerously vicious…" description: "\"One of the most dangerously vicious circles menacing the continued existence of all mankind arises through that grim striving for the highest possible ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg" --- # One of the most dangerously vicious circles menacing the… ![“One of the most dangerously vicious circles menacing the continued existence of all mankind arises through that grim striving for the highest possible position within the ranked order, in other words, the reckless pursuit of power which combines with an insatiable greed of neurotic proportions…” quote by Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg) > “One of the most dangerously vicious circles menacing the continued existence of all mankind arises through that grim striving for the highest possible position within the ranked order, in other words, the reckless pursuit of power which combines with an insatiable greed of neurotic proportions that the results of acquired power confer.” [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The relentless chase for status fuels greed and power, creating a destructive cycle for humanity. **In simple terms:** Power pursuit breeds greed and danger. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and equitable structures. Themes power greed ethics Mood cautious serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - leadership training - social policy - education - community building Key Concepts social hierarchy psychology of ambition ethical philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can societies limit power abuse? - What values counteract greed? A Different Perspective Power can also enable positive change if checked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arise/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Dangerously Vicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerously-vicious-4158782/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed/) [Greed Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greed-neurotic-4158781/) [Grim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grim/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Insatiable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insatiable/) [Insatiable Greed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insatiable-greed-3441411/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurotic/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Proportion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proportion/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Reckless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reckless/) [Reckless Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reckless-pursuit-3377595/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [Vicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vicious/) [Vicious circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vicious-circles/) ## Related quotes > [He was seized and dragged off to King Philip, and being asked who he was, replied, "A spy upon your insatiable greed."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/he-was-seized-and-dragged-off-to-king-philip-and-being-asked-who-he/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [And in the fearless, reckless pursuit of intimate love, it is not the destination it's the journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-marshall/and-in-the-fearless-reckless-pursuit-of-intimate-love-it-is-not-the/) [Amanda Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-marshall/) > [It was not curiosity that killed the goose who laid the golden egg, but an insatiable greed that devoured common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-was-not-curiosity-that-killed-the-goose-who-laid-the-golden-egg/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In faith, there is no asking for anything. 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He must become either a poet or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/he-who-has-seen-the-intimate-beauty-of-nature-cannot-tear-himself/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [We had better dispense with the personification of evil, because it leads, all too easily, to the most dangerous kind of war: religious war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/we-had-better-dispense-with-the-personification-of-evil-because-it/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If you confine yourself to this Skinnerian technique, you study nothing but the learning apparatus and you leave out everything that is different in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/if-you-confine-yourself-to-this-skinnerian-technique-you-study/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [All scientific knowledge to which man owes his role as master of the world arose from playful activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/all-scientific-knowledge-to-which-man-owes-his-role-as-master-of-the/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [All the advantages that man has gained from his ever-deepening understanding of the natural world that surrounds him, his technological, chemical and medical progress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/all-the-advantages-that-man-has-gained-from-his-ever-deepening/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Truth in science can be defined as the working hypothesis best suited to open the way to the next better one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/truth-in-science-can-be-defined-as-the-working-hypothesis-best-suited/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“Every scientist should, after all, regard it as his duty to tell the public, in a generally intelligible way, about what he is doing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/every-scientist-should-after-all-regard-it-as-his-duty-to-tell-the/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [I consider early childhood events as most essential to a man's scientific and philosophical development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/i-consider-early-childhood-events-as-most-essential-to-a-man-s/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) [Explore all 78 Konrad Lorenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) ## More Arise quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [The financial crisis we are facing today arises from the fact that there is almost no more social, cultural, natural, and spiritual capital left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/the-financial-crisis-we-are-facing-today-arises-from-the-fact-that/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) > [Let art, then, imitate nature, find what she desires, and follow as she directs. 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Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) [Browse all 1,703 Arise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One of the most dangerously vicious circles menacing the continued existence of all mankind arises through that grim striving for the highest possible position within the ranked order, in other words, the reckless pursuit of power which combines with an insatiable greed of neurotic proportions that the results of acquired power confer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Konrad Lorenz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circles-menacing-the-continued/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circles-menacing-the-continued/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/konrad-lorenz-8538_arise_one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circ_484439.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the most dangerously vicious circles menacing the continued existence of all mankind arises through…” — Konrad Lorenz", "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": "Konrad Lorenz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of the most dangerously vicious...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circles-menacing-the-continued/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/one-of-the-most-dangerously-vicious-circles-menacing-the-continued/#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 } } ] } ```