--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human beings are perhaps never more…" description: "\"Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.\" — Laurens van der Post" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg" --- # Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when… ![“Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.” quote by Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg) > “Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.” [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When certainty turns into dogma, it can become frightening and dangerous. **In simple terms:** Dogmatic certainty is frightening. Key Takeaway Question assumptions. Themes belief danger dogma Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - political discourse - education - personal growth Key Concepts critical thinking psychology Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you re‑examined? - How do you handle opposing views? A Different Perspective Strong convictions may resist necessary change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beings Frightening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-frightening-4662987/) [Convinced Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convinced-doubt-4662988/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Frightening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening/) [Frightening Convinced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightening-convinced-4662986/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > [ The report \[by a UN commission on Darfur\] demonstrates beyond all doubt that the last two years have been little short of hell on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-report-by-a-un-commission-on-darfur-demonstrates-beyond-all-doubt/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [In the first place, lawyers better remember they are human beings, and a human being who hasn't his periods of doubts and distresses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/in-the-first-place-lawyers-better-remember-they-are-human-beings-and/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [I think the only way one can really determine whether extremism in the defense of liberty is justified, is not to approach it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-think-the-only-way-one-can-really-determine-whether-extremism-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [It's a question of dropping the armor and getting up and doing the work you want to do. 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Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) ## More by Laurens van der Post > [There is a way in which the collective knowledge of mankind expresses itself, for the finite individual, through mere daily living . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/there-is-a-way-in-which-the-collective-knowledge-of-mankind-expresses/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [Man is never alone. Acknowledged or unacknowledged, that which dreams through him is always there to support him from within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/man-is-never-alone-acknowledged-or-unacknowledged-that-which-dreams/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [You cannot take the life of your times further than you have taken yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/you-cannot-take-the-life-of-your-times-further-than-you-have-taken/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [Of all man's inborn dispositions there is none more heroic than the love in him. 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A man cannot live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/i-suspect-it-was-the-old-story-of-the-implacable-necessity-of-a-man/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [In a profound sense every man has two halves to his being; he is not one person so much as two persons trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/in-a-profound-sense-every-man-has-two-halves-to-his-being-he-is-not/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [Life is its own journey, presupposes its own change and movement, and one tries to arrest them at one's eternal peril.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/life-is-its-own-journey-presupposes-its-own-change-and-movement-and/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [The educating of the parents is really the education of the child children tend to live what is unlived in the parents, so it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/the-educating-of-the-parents-is-really-the-education-of-the-child/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [“We may not be able to stop and undo the hard old wrongs of the great world outside, but through you and me no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/we-may-not-be-able-to-stop-and-undo-the-hard-old-wrongs-of-the-great/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [“As the natural coherence of the world vanishes, there's a guilt that grows great and angry in the basement of our beings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/as-the-natural-coherence-of-the-world-vanishes-there-s-a-guilt-that/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [“It's the not-yet in the now, the taste of the fruit that does not-yet exist, hanging the blossom on the bough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/it-s-the-not-yet-in-the-now-the-taste-of-the-fruit-that-does-not-yet/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [“Modern man has lost the sense of wonder about the unknown and he treats it as an enemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/modern-man-has-lost-the-sense-of-wonder-about-the-unknown-and-he/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) > [Organized religion is making Christianity political rather than making politics Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/organized-religion-is-making-christianity-political-rather-than/) [Laurens van der Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) [Explore all 25 Laurens van der Post quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/) ## More Doubt quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Vision motivates, sustains and dispels doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-young/vision-motivates-sustains-and-dispels-doubt/) [Thomas Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-young/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [Let smiles overshadow sadness. Let faith make you believe. Let confidence wash away doubts. Let love complete your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/let-smiles-overshadow-sadness-let-faith-make-you-believe-let/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When in doubt, suggest that a subcommittee be appointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapman/when-in-doubt-suggest-that-a-subcommittee-be-appointed/) [Harry Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapman/) > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) [Browse all 9,582 Doubt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurens van der Post" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frightening-than-when-they-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doubt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frightening-than-when-they-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/832/laurens-van-der-post-23539_doubt_human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frig_563034.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right.” — Laurens van der Post", "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": "Laurens van der Post", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurens-van-der-post/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Human beings are perhaps never more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frightening-than-when-they-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurens-van-der-post/human-beings-are-perhaps-never-more-frightening-than-when-they-are/#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 } } ] } ```