--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's the place built out of Man's…" description: "\"“It's the place built out of Man's ceaseless failure to overcome himself. Out of Man's endless war against himself we build our successes as well as ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/nelson-algren-11153_chicago_it-s-the-place-built-out-of-man-s-ceasel_2468704.jpg" --- # It's the place built out of Man's ceaseless failure to… ![“It's the place built out of Man's ceaseless failure to overcome himself. Out of Man's endless war against himself we build our successes as well as our failures. Making it the city of all cities most like Man himself— loneliest creation of all this very old poor earth.” quote by Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/nelson-algren-11153_chicago_it-s-the-place-built-out-of-man-s-ceasel_2468704.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/nelson-algren-11153_chicago_it-s-the-place-built-out-of-man-s-ceasel_2468704.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e70/nelson-algren-11153_chicago_it-s-the-place-built-out-of-man-s-ceasel_2468704.jpg) > ““It's the place built out of Man's ceaseless failure to overcome himself. Out of Man's endless war against himself we build our successes as well as our failures. Making it the city of all cities most like Man himself— loneliest creation of all this very old poor earth.”” [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects humanity’s paradoxical nature: our relentless inner conflict both drives achievement and creates profound loneliness, mirroring Earth’s ancient, barren character. **In simple terms:** Human conflict creates both success and isolation. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance inner struggles. Themes conflict loneliness human nature achievement paradox Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - creative projects - mental health - team dynamics Key Concepts existentialism psychology sociology Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile inner conflict with external pressures? - Can embracing one’s flaws foster authentic success? A Different Perspective It overlooks external societal factors that also shape success and failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think failure is to be overcome as much as it is to be learned from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-cheatham-mosley/i-don-t-think-failure-is-to-be-overcome-as-much-as-it-is-to-be/) [Karla Cheatham Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-cheatham-mosley/) > [You can make something out of nothing. I proved that with my career, making it out of the city that I'm from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/machine-gun-kelly/you-can-make-something-out-of-nothing-i-proved-that-with-my-career/) [Machine Gun Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/machine-gun-kelly/) > [If you think about making a city that is much more porous, many accessible spaces, that is a political position, because you don't fortify,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaha-hadid/if-you-think-about-making-a-city-that-is-much-more-porous-many/) [Zaha Hadid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaha-hadid/) > [Failure will not overcome me so long as my will to succeed is stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kirby/failure-will-not-overcome-me-so-long-as-my-will-to-succeed-is-stronger/) [Michael Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kirby/) > [The only failure in life is not to try again. Don't fear failure. Overcome from frustration of failure with attempt again and again. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/the-only-failure-in-life-is-not-to-try-again-don-t-fear-failure/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) > [“In a place built on sand, hold on to whatever you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-gary/in-a-place-built-on-sand-hold-on-to-whatever-you-can/) J.C. Gary > [There is not one single place built in this country that did not have a former Arab population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-dayan/there-is-not-one-single-place-built-in-this-country-that-did-not-have/) [Moshe Dayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-dayan/) > [“It did not feel like home. It felt like a place that had been built to be paradise, but had become a prison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/it-did-not-feel-like-home-it-felt-like-a-place-that-had-been-built-to/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“I thought about how wonderfully strange it would be to live in a place where almost everything had been built by the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-thought-about-how-wonderfully-strange-it-would-be-to-live-in-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The place was built on the premise that people want to gamble, and they may as well do it here. They look after their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-brimley/the-place-was-built-on-the-premise-that-people-want-to-gamble-and/) [Wilford Brimley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-brimley/) > [“All beings so far have created something beyond themselves; and do you want to be the ebb of this great flood and even go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/all-beings-so-far-have-created-something-beyond-themselves-and-do-you/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It stands to the everlasting credit of science that by acting on the human mind it has overcome man's insecurity before himself and before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/it-stands-to-the-everlasting-credit-of-science-that-by-acting-on-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Difficulty must be overcome before a man is elevated in Life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ore-abayomi/difficulty-must-be-overcome-before-a-man-is-elevated-in-life/) [Ore Abayomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ore-abayomi/) > [Man is something that shall be overcome… Man is a rope, tied between beast and overman -- a rope over an abyss... What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-is-something-that-shall-be-overcome-man-is-a-rope-tied-between/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Now I think I understand how this world can overcome a man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-i-think-i-understand-how-this-world-can-overcome-a-man/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Nelson Algren > [When we get more houses than we can live in, more cars than we can ride in, more food than we can eat ourselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/when-we-get-more-houses-than-we-can-live-in-more-cars-than-we-can/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“For way down there, in a shot glass's false bottom, everything was bound to turn out fine after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/for-way-down-there-in-a-shot-glass-s-false-bottom-everything-was/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [Chicago is an October sort of city even in spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/chicago-is-an-october-sort-of-city-even-in-spring/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“Without hesitation, Dove chose the nowhere road. For that was the only place, in his heart of hearts, that he really wanted to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/without-hesitation-dove-chose-the-nowhere-road-for-that-was-the-only/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“Big-shot town, small-shot town, jet-propelled old-fashioned town, by old-world hands with new-world tools built into a place whose heartbeat carries farther than its shout,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/big-shot-town-small-shot-town-jet-propelled-old-fashioned-town-by-old/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [Never eat in a place called 'Mom's'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/never-eat-in-a-place-called-mom-s/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“Nor all your piety nor all your preaching, nor all your crusades nor all your threats can stop one girl from going on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/nor-all-your-piety-nor-all-your-preaching-nor-all-your-crusades-nor/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“A certain ruthlessness and a sense of alienation from society is as essential to creative writing as it is to armed robbery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/a-certain-ruthlessness-and-a-sense-of-alienation-from-society-is-as/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [Never sleep with someone whose troubles are worse than your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/never-sleep-with-someone-whose-troubles-are-worse-than-your-own/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“If you feel you belong to things as they are, you won’t hold up anyone in the alley no matter how hungry you may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/if-you-feel-you-belong-to-things-as-they-are-you-won-t-hold-up-anyone/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [Literature is made upon any occasion that a challenge is put to the legal apparatus by conscience in touch with humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/literature-is-made-upon-any-occasion-that-a-challenge-is-put-to-the/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/faith-in-the-eventual-supremacy-of-reason-has-become-so-timid-that-we/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“And when I read one of those scapegoat pieces about the "viciousness" of drug pushers, and extolling the basic humanitarianism of the nark-squad hero,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/and-when-i-read-one-of-those-scapegoat-pieces-about-the-viciousness/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [There is no way of being a creative writer in America without being a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/there-is-no-way-of-being-a-creative-writer-in-america-without-being-a/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) > [“If Jesus Christ treated me like you do, I’d drive in the nails myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-algren/if-jesus-christ-treated-me-like-you-do-i-d-drive-in-the-nails-myself/) [Nelson Algren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) [Explore all 60 Nelson Algren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-algren/) ## More Chicago quotes > [I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/i-m-proud-to-say-i-had-a-bet-with-a-guy-from-chicago-who-said-chicago/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) Uncle Arnie Mamath > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever I was flying commercial, I would land in Chicago, and they would announce, 'Get your passports out.' It happened so often, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/whenever-i-was-flying-commercial-i-would-land-in-chicago-and-they/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm from Chicago. And I was an actor in high school and college, and I wanted to see if I could make a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/i-m-from-chicago-and-i-was-an-actor-in-high-school-and-college-and-i/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [“I will have both of you," he said. "My Sentinel and my city. And the GP will learn exactly how stubborn we both can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/i-will-have-both-of-you-he-said-my-sentinel-and-my-city-and-the-gp/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Chicago is unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-merriam/chicago-is-unique-it-is-the-only-completely-corrupt-city-in-america/) [Charles Edward Merriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-merriam/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) [Browse all 1,655 Chicago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's the place built out of Man's ceaseless failure to overcome himself. Out of Man's endless war against himself we build our successes as well as our failures. 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