---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We still talk in terms of conquest. We…"
description: "\"We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe. ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg"
---

#  We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't…

![“We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe. Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man…” quote by Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg)

> “We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe. Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.”

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

## About This Quote

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

Human conquest mindset ignores our interdependence with nature, making environmental harm a self‑destructive war.

**In simple terms:** We must see ourselves as part of nature.

Key Takeaway

Respect ecological limits.

Themes

environment humility interconnectedness

Mood

concerned determined

Type

activist reflective

When to use this quote

- climate policy
- urban planning
- personal consumption

Key Concepts

ecology anthropocentrism

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you reduce your ecological footprint?
- What policies best protect nature?

A Different Perspective

Economic growth often overrides ecological concerns.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquest/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/but-man-is-a-part-of-nature-and-his-war-against-nature-is-inevitably/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [I think its man's nature to go to war and fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/i-think-its-man-s-nature-to-go-to-war-and-fight/)

[Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/)

> [And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?" "Bad?" I guessed. "Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/and-do-you-know-what-a-full-fledged-war-would-look-like-percy-bad-i/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [The prevailing attitude towards nature is that form of heresy which denies substance and, in doing so, denies the rightfulness of creation. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/the-prevailing-attitude-towards-nature-is-that-form-of-heresy-which/)

[Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/)

> [A wrong attitude toward nature implies, somewhere, a wrong attitude toward God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/a-wrong-attitude-toward-nature-implies-somewhere-a-wrong-attitude/)

[T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/)

> [Culture defines who we are and how we see ourselves. A new attitude toward nature provides space for a new attitude toward culture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/culture-defines-who-we-are-and-how-we-see-ourselves-a-new-attitude/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [“all nature is at war”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonse-de-candolle/all-nature-is-at-war/)

Alphonse de Candolle

> [A wrong attitude towards nature implies, somewhere, a wrong attitude towards God, and that the consequence is an inevitable doom. For a long enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/a-wrong-attitude-towards-nature-implies-somewhere-a-wrong-attitude/)

[T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/)

> [The whole nature of war is both stupid and fascinating. It's this big game, except people die. Yet we still keep on playing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/the-whole-nature-of-war-is-both-stupid-and-fascinating-it-s-this-big/)

[Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/)

> [Religion, as distinguished from modern paganism, implies a life in conformity with nature. It may be observed that the natural life and the supernatural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/religion-as-distinguished-from-modern-paganism-implies-a-life-in/)

[T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/)

> [“The nature of war always reveals the true nature of those who fight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cortana-halo-legends/the-nature-of-war-always-reveals-the-true-nature-of-those-who-fight/)

Cortana Halo Legends

> [I have a kind of respect-- a worshipful attitude, even-- for nature and the natural order and the cosmos and the seasons...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/i-have-a-kind-of-respect-a-worshipful-attitude-even-for-nature-and/)

[Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/)

> [The nature of war is constant change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-nature-of-war-is-constant-change/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [Over time, we as humans have developed a different attitude towards nature and we've forgotten about our inner power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-hof/over-time-we-as-humans-have-developed-a-different-attitude-towards/)

[Wim Hof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-hof/)

> [“The nature of war is to shape the enemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-richards/the-nature-of-war-is-to-shape-the-enemy/)

Chet Richards

## More by Rachel Carson

> [It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/it-was-a-spring-without-voices-on-the-mornings-that-had-once-throbbed/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [When we go down to the low-tide line, we enter a world that is as old as the earth itself - the primeval meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/when-we-go-down-to-the-low-tide-line-we-enter-a-world-that-is-as-old/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/there-is-no-drop-of-water-in-the-ocean-not-even-in-the-deepest-parts/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [The control of nature is a phrase conceived in arrogance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/the-control-of-nature-is-a-phrase-conceived-in-arrogance/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/wonder-and-humility-are-wholesome-emotions-and-they-do-not-exist-side/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [Only within the 20th Century has biological thought been focused on ecology, or the relation of the living creature to its environment. Awareness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/only-within-the-20th-century-has-biological-thought-been-focused-on/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [It is not half so important to know as to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/it-is-not-half-so-important-to-know-as-to-feel/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [The Choice, after all, is ours to make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/the-choice-after-all-is-ours-to-make/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [Now I truly believe that we in this generation must come to terms with nature, and I think we're challenged, as mankind has never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/now-i-truly-believe-that-we-in-this-generation-must-come-to-terms/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [Any concept of biology is not only sterile and profitless, it is distorted and untrue, if it puts its primary focus on unnatural conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/any-concept-of-biology-is-not-only-sterile-and-profitless-it-is/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [Autumn comes to the sea with a fresh blaze of phosphorescence, when every wave crest is aflame. Here and there the whole surface may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/autumn-comes-to-the-sea-with-a-fresh-blaze-of-phosphorescence-when/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [“The sea is blue because the sunlight is reflected back to our eyes from the water molecules or from very minute particles suspended in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/the-sea-is-blue-because-the-sunlight-is-reflected-back-to-our-eyes/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/if-i-had-influence-with-the-good-fairy-who-is-supposed-to-preside/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [Over increasingly large areas of the United States, spring now comes unheralded by the return of the birds, and the early mornings are strangely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/over-increasingly-large-areas-of-the-united-states-spring-now-comes/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

> [I like to define biology as the history of the earth and all its life - past, present, and future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/i-like-to-define-biology-as-the-history-of-the-earth-and-all-its-life/)

[Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

[Explore all 156 Rachel Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/)

## More Attitude quotes

> [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/)

[MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/)

> [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/)

[Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/)

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/)

[Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/)

> [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/)

[William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/)

> [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/)

Isaiah Harden (Me

> [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/)

Sheye Hassan

> [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/)

[Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/)

> [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/)

[Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/)

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/)

[Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/)

> [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/)

[Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/)

> [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

[Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe. Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rachel Carson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-still-haven-t-become-mature-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attitude"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-still-haven-t-become-mature-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26b/rachel-carson-2645_attitude_we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-st_2975914.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a…” — Rachel Carson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rachel Carson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We still talk in terms of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-still-haven-t-become-mature-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/we-still-talk-in-terms-of-conquest-we-still-haven-t-become-mature-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
