---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...were we so blind to the world…"
description: "\"“...were we so blind to the world teetering on the edge that we never straightened up from what we were doing to consider things more clearly or have w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/mike-mccormack-34662_empathy_were-we-so-blind-to-the-world-teetering_631305.jpg"
---

#  ...were we so blind to the world teetering on the edge…

![“...were we so blind to the world teetering on the edge that we never straightened up from what we were doing to consider things more clearly or have we lost completely that brute instinct for catastrophe, that sensitivity now buried too deep beneath reason and manners to register but which, once…” quote by Mike McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/mike-mccormack-34662_empathy_were-we-so-blind-to-the-world-teetering_631305.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/mike-mccormack-34662_empathy_were-we-so-blind-to-the-world-teetering_631305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/mike-mccormack-34662_empathy_were-we-so-blind-to-the-world-teetering_631305.jpg)

> ““...were we so blind to the world teetering on the edge that we never straightened up from what we were doing to consider things more clearly or have we lost completely that brute instinct for catastrophe, that sensitivity now buried too deep beneath reason and manners to register but which, once upon a time, was alert to the first whining vibrations radiating from those stress points likely to give away first...””

[Mike McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccormack/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Humanity often ignores warning signs, letting rationality mask instinctual awareness of looming disaster.

**In simple terms:** We miss danger because we ignore instinct.

Key Takeaway

Pay attention to gut feelings.

Themes

awareness instinct danger reason society

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- personal decision-making
- policy planning
- crisis management

Key Concepts

cognitive bias psychology environmental risk

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance reason with intuition?
- What signals are we overlooking?

A Different Perspective

Instinct can be suppressed by social norms, leading to blind spots.

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[Alert Whining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alert-whining-5087973/) [Catastrophe Sensitivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catastrophe-sensitivity-5087972/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Instinct Catastrophe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct-catastrophe-5087971/) [Sensitivity Buried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitivity-buried-5087974/) [Too deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-deep/) [World Teetering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-teetering-676451/)

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