--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Humans possess no monopoly on the powers…" description: "\"“Humans possess no monopoly on the powers of preservation and destruction. Our ability to wield these powers with sustained intent, however, is unmatch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e09/michael-perry-14580_humankind_humans-possess-no-monopoly-on-the-powers_2777730.jpg" --- # Humans possess no monopoly on the powers of preservation… ![“Humans possess no monopoly on the powers of preservation and destruction. Our ability to wield these powers with sustained intent, however, is unmatched on this earth. Nature can trump us in an instance or over millenia, but in the day-to-day main, humankind has developed a preponderant ability to…” quote by Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e09/michael-perry-14580_humankind_humans-possess-no-monopoly-on-the-powers_2777730.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e09/michael-perry-14580_humankind_humans-possess-no-monopoly-on-the-powers_2777730.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e09/michael-perry-14580_humankind_humans-possess-no-monopoly-on-the-powers_2777730.jpg) > ““Humans possess no monopoly on the powers of preservation and destruction. Our ability to wield these powers with sustained intent, however, is unmatched on this earth. Nature can trump us in an instance or over millenia, but in the day-to-day main, humankind has developed a preponderant ability to fiddle with destiny. More than any other natural force or creature, we decide what will go and what will stay: the rainforest, an old building, a sickly cat... ourselves.”” [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans uniquely wield preservation and destruction, shaping destiny daily. **In simple terms:** Humans have unmatched power over environment. Key Takeaway Use power responsibly and sustainably. Themes environment responsibility power Mood concerned thoughtful Type environmental ethical When to use this quote - policy making - urban planning - conservation projects Key Concepts Anthropocene ethical stewardship Questions to Reflect On - How to balance power with humility? - What safeguards prevent abuse? A Different Perspective Power can lead to overconfidence and misuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [“Like in the animal kingdom, where every creature has its defenses and weapons, humans also possess powerful instruments for camouflage, defense and attack.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/like-in-the-animal-kingdom-where-every-creature-has-its-defenses-and/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Humans do not possess a single, focused will. In their hearts, they have countless bugs, buzzing in all directions. 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Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-l-weiss/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [There's nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/there-s-nothing-i-believe-in-more-strongly-than-getting-young-people/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [The only way to stave off boredom, in a complex domesticated primate like humankind, is to increase one's intelligence. This is not appealing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/the-only-way-to-stave-off-boredom-in-a-complex-domesticated-primate/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## More by Michael Perry > [“Over the years, I have developed a visceral reaction to families and victims expressing surprise at tragedy. Why are we surprised? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/over-the-years-i-have-developed-a-visceral-reaction-to-families-and/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“In specific moments of ground-level clarity, I recognize the dumbing down of the nation for what it is: an act of charity committed specifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/in-specific-moments-of-ground-level-clarity-i-recognize-the-dumbing/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Inevitably, our children come to see us as we are. Not as we wish we were, or even as we should be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/inevitably-our-children-come-to-see-us-as-we-are-not-as-we-wish-we/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“... Tom got to rattling off the pranks he and his school boy buddies pulled ... and what I saw wasn't an old man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/tom-got-to-rattling-off-the-pranks-he-and-his-school-boy-buddies/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Alice once told me artistry does not reside in motivation but rather stems from showing up, with the intent to be honest. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/alice-once-told-me-artistry-does-not-reside-in-motivation-but-rather/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Sleeping in the same bed with someone to whom you can admit your failings is a lasting comfort indeed. This is not about "mea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/sleeping-in-the-same-bed-with-someone-to-whom-you-can-admit-your/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“The amateur study of philosophy is like taking a few laps with a NASCAR driver. 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She reads for pleasure, she reads to edify herself, but more often than not, she reads because she can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/mom-is-a-compulsive-reader-she-reads-for-pleasure-she-reads-to-edify/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“I understand that what you're doing when you call 911--it sounds so perfunctory--is announcing to strangers that you are losing the battle. I no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/i-understand-that-what-you-re-doing-when-you-call-911-it-sounds-so/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“The pesto and angel hair are warm in the bowl on my lap, the fragrances of olive oil and basil blending the exotic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/the-pesto-and-angel-hair-are-warm-in-the-bowl-on-my-lap-the/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“It’s hard to talk about guns without sounding defensive or blustery. I’m pro-gun the same way I’m pro-potato fork. I use them both to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/it-s-hard-to-talk-about-guns-without-sounding-defensive-or-blustery-i/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Her eyes are wide and steady beneath the brim of her floppy cap. How far out of infancy do we lose this gaze, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/her-eyes-are-wide-and-steady-beneath-the-brim-of-her-floppy-cap-how/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Memory is a means of possession, but eventually, the greatest grace is found in letting go. \_Population: 485\_, p 178.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/memory-is-a-means-of-possession-but-eventually-the-greatest-grace-is/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) [Explore all 46 Michael Perry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) ## More Humankind quotes > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Some people are like ants. 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And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The only way to stave off boredom, in a complex domesticated primate like humankind, is to increase one's intelligence. This is not appealing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/the-only-way-to-stave-off-boredom-in-a-complex-domesticated-primate/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [There's nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people interested in science and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/there-s-nothing-i-believe-in-more-strongly-than-getting-young-people/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [“Humankind has not learned about balance, let alone practiced it. It is guided by greed and ambition, steered by fear. In this way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-l-weiss/humankind-has-not-learned-about-balance-let-alone-practiced-it-it-is/) [Brian L. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-l-weiss/) > [“If you are HUMAN, then the limit of what you can do, what you learn, what you can experience HAS NOT YET BEEN REACHED.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/if-you-are-human-then-the-limit-of-what-you-can-do-what-you-learn/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [ \[Margot Hentoff\] thinks - first of all, she - this I hear from a lot of people beside her. She thinks that men have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/margot-hentoff-thinks-first-of-all-she-this-i-hear-from-a-lot-of/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [“There is only One Human race; Humankind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-only-one-human-race-humankind/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [When we have all data online it will be great for humanity. It is a prerequisite to solving many problems that humankind faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cailliau/when-we-have-all-data-online-it-will-be-great-for-humanity-it-is-a/) [Robert Cailliau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cailliau/) > [We all dream; it is a mystery in which all humankind participates. I realize this is an assumption, but it is one that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-d-chumbley/we-all-dream-it-is-a-mystery-in-which-all-humankind-participates-i/) Andrew D. Chumbley > [The race of humankind would perish did they cease to aid each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/the-race-of-humankind-would-perish-did-they-cease-to-aid-each-other/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) [Browse all 736 Humankind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Humans possess no monopoly on the powers of preservation and destruction. Our ability to wield these powers with sustained intent, however, is unmatched on this earth. Nature can trump us in an instance or over millenia, but in the day-to-day main, humankind has developed a preponderant ability to fiddle with destiny. 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