--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before modern man can gain control over…" description: "\"Before modern man can gain control over the forces that now threaten his very existence, he must resume possession of himself. This sets the chief miss..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/lewis-mumford-2870_and-love_before-modern-man-can-gain-control-over_2114462.png" --- # Before modern man can gain control over the forces that… ![“Before modern man can gain control over the forces that now threaten his very existence, he must resume possession of himself. This sets the chief mission for the city of the future: that of creating a visible regional and civic structure, designed to make man at home with his deeper self and his…” quote by Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/lewis-mumford-2870_and-love_before-modern-man-can-gain-control-over_2114462.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/lewis-mumford-2870_and-love_before-modern-man-can-gain-control-over_2114462.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/lewis-mumford-2870_and-love_before-modern-man-can-gain-control-over_2114462.png) > “Before modern man can gain control over the forces that now threaten his very existence, he must resume possession of himself. This sets the chief mission for the city of the future: that of creating a visible regional and civic structure, designed to make man at home with his deeper self and his larger world, attached to images of human nature and love.” [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that humanity must reclaim self‑knowledge before mastering external threats, guiding future urban design. **In simple terms:** Self‑knowledge precedes control of threats. Key Takeaway Prioritize inner development in planning. Themes philosophy urbanism self awareness future societies human nature Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical visionary When to use this quote - city planning - education reform - personal development - environmental policy Key Concepts existentialism civic design psychology Questions to Reflect On - What inner qualities shape better cities? - How can societies balance self‑growth with technology? A Different Perspective Self‑focus may delay urgent action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [And love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/and-love/) [Chief Mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chief-mission-4283446/) [Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefs/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [City Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city-future-587713/) [Civic Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civic-structure-4283445/) [Civics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civics/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love and nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-nature-111994/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Missions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missions/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-man/) [Nature And Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-and-love-213412/) [Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possession/) [Resumes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resumes/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visible/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Try to walk as much as you can, and keep your love for nature, for that is the true way to learn to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/try-to-walk-as-much-as-you-can-and-keep-your-love-for-nature-for-that/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Divine is all Love in its essential nature, and Love is all Divine in its truthful expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/divine-is-all-love-in-its-essential-nature-and-love-is-all-divine-in/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [Painters understand nature and love it, and teach us to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/painters-understand-nature-and-love-it-and-teach-us-to-see/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“80% of man's happiness is based on love - love for others, love for self, love for family, love for friends, love for work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/80-of-man-s-happiness-is-based-on-love-love-for-others-love-for-self/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) > [Be not disgusted, nor discouraged, nor dissatisfied, if thou dost not succeed in doing everything according to right principles; but when thou bast failed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/be-not-disgusted-nor-discouraged-nor-dissatisfied-if-thou-dost-not/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The circuited city of the future will not be the huge hunk of concentrated real estate created by the railway. 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Pedestrians rely on food for fuel and need no special parking facilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/restore-human-legs-as-a-means-of-travel-pedestrians-rely-on-food-for/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [However far modern science and techniques have fallen short of their inherent possibilities, they have taught mankind at least one lesson; nothing is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/however-far-modern-science-and-techniques-have-fallen-short-of-their/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [The self holds both a hell and a heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/the-self-holds-both-a-hell-and-a-heaven/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [By his very success in inventing labor-saving devices, modern man has manufactured an abyss of boredom that only the privileged classes in earlier civilizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/by-his-very-success-in-inventing-labor-saving-devices-modern-man-has/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Each person is a temporary focus of forces, vitalities, and values that carry back to an immemorial past and that reach forward into an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/each-person-is-a-temporary-focus-of-forces-vitalities-and-values-that/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Adventure is humdrum and routine unless one assimilates it, unless one relates it to a central core which grows within and gives it contour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/adventure-is-humdrum-and-routine-unless-one-assimilates-it-unless-one/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Safety razors make it hard to grow beards in America: America would be a better place if there were a few bearded, savage, terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/safety-razors-make-it-hard-to-grow-beards-in-america-america-would-be/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [A society that gives to one class all the opportunities for leisure, and to another all the burdens of work, dooms both classes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/a-society-that-gives-to-one-class-all-the-opportunities-for-leisure/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Without leisure there can be neither art nor science nor fine conversation, nor any ceremonious performance of the offices of love and friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/without-leisure-there-can-be-neither-art-nor-science-nor-fine/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Not sense data or atoms or electrons or packets of energy, but purposes, interests, and meanings, constitute the underlying facts of human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/not-sense-data-or-atoms-or-electrons-or-packets-of-energy-but/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [When cities were first founded, an old Egyptian scribe tells us, the mission of the founder was to 'put gods in their shrines.' 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