Animals Quote by Nan Shepherd
““Imagination is haunted by the swiftness of the creatures that live on the mountain - eagle and peregrine falcon, red deer and mountain hare. The reason for their swiftness is severely practical: food is so scarce up there that only those who can move swiftly over vast stretches of ground may hope to survive. The speed, the whorls and torrents of movement, are in plain fact the mountain's own necessity. But their grace is not necessity. Or if it is - if the swoop, the parabola, the arrow-flight of hooves and wings achieve their beauty by strict adherence to the needs of function - so much the more is the mountain's integrity vindicated. Beauty is not adventitious but essential.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd, 1977
Mountain creatures move quickly out of necessity, yet their grace transcends mere function, showing beauty can be essential.
In simple terms: Animals run fast to survive; their beauty is also essential.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that function and beauty can coexist.
Themes
nature
survival
beauty
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- wildlife observation
- environmental design
- personal growth
- creative work
Key Concepts
adaptation
aesthetics
essentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes beauty essential?
- Can function and elegance coexist in human design?
A Different Perspective
Beauty may be subjective and not always essential.
![“For the production of man a different apprenticeship [from forests] was needed to sharpen the wits and quicken the higher manifestations of intellect - a more open veldt country where competition was keener between swiftness and stealth, and where adroitness of thinking played a preponderating…” quote by Raymond Dart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/631/raymond-dart-91691_apprenticeship_for-the-production-of-man-a-different-ap_255457.jpg)
