--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No, it was a human thing. You should not…" description: "\"“No, it was a human thing. You should not insult the brutes by such a misuse of the word; they have not deserved it . . . It is like your paltry race--..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/mark-twain-22_brutes_no-it-was-a-human-thing-you-should-not-i_2350272.png" --- # No, it was a human thing. You should not insult the brutes… ![“No, it was a human thing. You should not insult the brutes by such a misuse of the word; they have not deserved it . . . It is like your paltry race--always lying, always claiming virtues which it hasn't got, always denying them to the higher animals, which alone posses them. No brute ever does a…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/mark-twain-22_brutes_no-it-was-a-human-thing-you-should-not-i_2350272.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/mark-twain-22_brutes_no-it-was-a-human-thing-you-should-not-i_2350272.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/mark-twain-22_brutes_no-it-was-a-human-thing-you-should-not-i_2350272.png) > ““No, it was a human thing. You should not insult the brutes by such a misuse of the word; they have not deserved it . . . It is like your paltry race--always lying, always claiming virtues which it hasn't got, always denying them to the higher animals, which alone posses them. No brute ever does a cruel thing--that is the monopoly of those with the Moral Sense. When a brute inflicts pain he does it innocently; it is not wrong; for him there is no such thing as wrong. And he does not inflict pain for the pleasure of inflicting it--only man does that. Inspired by that mongrel Morel Sense of his! A sense whose function is to distinguish between right and wrong, with liberty to choose which of them he will do. Now what advantage can he get out of that? He is always choosing, and in nine time out of ten he prefers the wrong. There shouldn't be any wrong; and without the Moral Sense there couldn't be any. And yet he is such an unreasoning creature that he is not able to perceive that the Moral Sense degrades him to the bottom layer of animated beings and is a shameful possession. Are you feeling better? Let me show you something.”” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans claim moral superiority over animals, yet often act immorally, questioning the value of moral conscience. **In simple terms:** Humans think they’re moral but often choose wrong. Key Takeaway Question the true worth of moral judgment. Themes morality human nature ethics Mood reflective critical Type philosophical provocative When to use this quote - Philosophical debates - ethical education - animal rights activism Key Concepts Moral relativism anthropocentrism Questions to Reflect On - Is morality truly superior to instinct? - Can we live without moral judgments? A Different Perspective The moral sense may be a social construct limiting freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeling better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-better/) [Right and wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-and-wrong/) [Satan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satan/) ## Related quotes > [We whites who position ourselves as liberal often opt to protect what we perceive as our moral reputationsrather than recognize or change our participation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/we-whites-who-position-ourselves-as-liberal-often-opt-to-protect-what/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [“Now it is easy to perceive that the moral part of love is a factitious sentiment, engendered by society, and cried up by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/now-it-is-easy-to-perceive-that-the-moral-part-of-love-is-a/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The Moral Sense teaches us what is right, and how to avoid it-when unpopular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-moral-sense-teaches-us-what-is-right-and-how-to-avoid-it-when/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [ I think we have lost our way when people like the \[board of\] governors and the CEO of the NYSE fail to realize they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-think-we-have-lost-our-way-when-people-like-the-board-of-governors/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Now here is a departure from the first principle of true ethics. 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It sometimes reflected as judgement of error and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/guilt-is-emotion-which-one-experiences-when-he-does-something-wrong/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [The moral sense enables one to perceive morality, and avoid it. The immoral sense enables one to perceive immorality and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-moral-sense-enables-one-to-perceive-morality-and-avoid-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“There is a Moral sense, and there is an Immoral Sense. History shows us that the Moral Sense enables us to perceive morality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-a-moral-sense-and-there-is-an-immoral-sense-history-shows-us/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [We call 'Slavery is wrong' a moral truth because there is a specific history of theoretical investigation of a particular kind of slavery. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-wilson/we-call-slavery-is-wrong-a-moral-truth-because-there-is-a-specific/) [Catherine Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-wilson/) > [The doctrine that might makes right has covered the earth with misery. While it crushes the weak, it also destroys the strong. Every deceit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peter-altgeld/the-doctrine-that-might-makes-right-has-covered-the-earth-with-misery/) [John Peter Altgeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peter-altgeld/) > [“The Church still prizes the Moral Sense as man's noblest asset today, although the Church knows God had a distinctly poor opinion of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-church-still-prizes-the-moral-sense-as-man-s-noblest-asset-today/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Right and wrong as moral principles do not change. They are applicable and reliable determinants whether the situations with which we deal are simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/right-and-wrong-as-moral-principles-do-not-change-they-are-applicable/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“What our generation is in danger of forgetting is not only that morals are of necessity a phenomenon of individual conduct but also that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-hayek/what-our-generation-is-in-danger-of-forgetting-is-not-only-that/) F. A. Hayek ## More by Mark Twain > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-s-easy-to-quit-smoking-i-ve-done-it-hundreds-of-times/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It is never wrong to do the right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/it-is-never-wrong-to-do-the-right-thing/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There is nothing training can't cannot do. Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. Man gets his through months and months of cruel torture; he will never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-higher-animals-get-their-teeth-without-pain-or-inconvenience-man/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“As far as I can see, Italy, for fifteen hundred years, has turned all her energies, all her finances, and all her industry to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/as-far-as-i-can-see-italy-for-fifteen-hundred-years-has-turned-all/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Begin with the determination to succeed and the work is half done already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/begin-with-the-determination-to-succeed-and-the-work-is-half-done/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Many public-school children seem to know only two dates—1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/many-public-school-children-seem-to-know-only-two-dates-1492-and-4th/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If we could imagine such a man, that is a man who could invent the fly and send him out on his mission and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-we-could-imagine-such-a-man-that-is-a-man-who-could-invent-the-fly/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [You perceive, now, that these things are all impossible except in a dream. You perceive that they are pure and puerile insanities, the silly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/you-perceive-now-that-these-things-are-all-impossible-except-in-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Lord save us all from a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/lord-save-us-all-from-a-hope-tree-that-has-lost-the-faculty-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) [Explore all 3,277 Mark Twain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More Brutes quotes > [Et tu Brute! (You too, Brutus!)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/et-tu-brute-you-too-brutus/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Agnosticism is the natural attitude of the evolutionist. How can a brute mind comprehend spiritual things?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jennings-bryan/agnosticism-is-the-natural-attitude-of-the-evolutionist-how-can-a/) [William Jennings Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jennings-bryan/) > [War with all its glorification of brute force is essentially a degrading thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/war-with-all-its-glorification-of-brute-force-is-essentially-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The philosophic spirit of inquiry may be traced to brute curiosity, and that to the habit of examining all things in search of food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-winwood-reade/the-philosophic-spirit-of-inquiry-may-be-traced-to-brute-curiosity/) [William Winwood Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-winwood-reade/) > [A good soldier is a blind, heartless, soulless, murderous machine. He is not a man. His is not a brute, for brutes kill only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/a-good-soldier-is-a-blind-heartless-soulless-murderous-machine-he-is/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [In order to increase his pleasures, man has intentionally added to the number and pressure of his needs, which in their original state were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-order-to-increase-his-pleasures-man-has-intentionally-added-to-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [LAOCOON, n. A famous piece of antique scripture representing a priest of that name and his two sons in the folds of two enormous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/laocoon-n-a-famous-piece-of-antique-scripture-representing-a-priest/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [What took me decades to learn, these kids can get on the Internet...What I learned by brute force, dealing out hands, they learn on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doyle-brunson/what-took-me-decades-to-learn-these-kids-can-get-on-the-internet-what/) [Doyle Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doyle-brunson/) > [In the code of the satyagrahi, there is no such thing as surrender to brute force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/in-the-code-of-the-satyagrahi-there-is-no-such-thing-as-surrender-to/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The civil magistrate cannot function without some ethical guidance, without some standard of good and evil. If that standard is not to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-civil-magistrate-cannot-function-without-some-ethical-guidance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our reverence for the nobility of manhood will not be lessened by the knowledge that man is in substance and in structure, one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/our-reverence-for-the-nobility-of-manhood-will-not-be-lessened-by-the/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force--nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/they-were-conquerors-and-for-that-you-want-only-brute-force-nothing/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [When under the influence of certain (or some) reasons (or causes) (alcohol, war, etc - added Spir here) the low instincts are unbridled (or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/african-spir/when-under-the-influence-of-certain-or-some-reasons-or-causes-alcohol/) [African Spir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/african-spir/) > [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The more a man cultivates the arts the less he fornicates. A more and more apparent cleavage occurs between the spirit and the brute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-more-a-man-cultivates-the-arts-the-less-he-fornicates-a-more-and/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) Browse all 375 Brutes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No, it was a human thing. You should not insult the brutes by such a misuse of the word; they have not deserved it . . . 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