--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All sensible people are selfish, and…" description: "\"All sensible people are selfish, and nature is tugging at every contract to make the terms of it fair.\" — Ralph Waldo Emerson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png" --- # All sensible people are selfish, and nature is tugging at… ![“All sensible people are selfish, and nature is tugging at every contract to make the terms of it fair.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png) > “All sensible people are selfish, and nature is tugging at every contract to make the terms of it fair.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑interest is natural, and nature strives for fairness in contracts, implying that selfishness aligns with natural order. **In simple terms:** Selfishness is natural and fair. Key Takeaway Recognize selfish motives as part of human nature. Themes ethics nature self‑interest Mood thoughtful ethical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal relationships - policy making Key Concepts social contract theory philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance self‑interest with collective good? - What mechanisms ensure fairness in contracts? A Different Perspective Selfishness can harm others if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contracts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contracts/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-selfish/) [Selfish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish/) [Selfish Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfish-nature-1581797/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) [Sensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensible/) [Sensible People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensible-people-237694/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Terms Fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terms-fair-3403139/) [Tugging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tugging/) ## Related quotes > [Every person is selfish by nature, we should understand it, otherwise for whole life, we will blame people for selfish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-person-is-selfish-by-nature-we-should-understand-it-otherwise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't be selfish, even nature knows how to share their treasures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teana74/don-t-be-selfish-even-nature-knows-how-to-share-their-treasures/) [teana74](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teana74/) > [Human beings are selfish by nature. 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It was just a story. It was just a story of people, of Ralph and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/but-there-was-no-use-there-was-no-point-it-was-just-a-story-it-was/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [“Anything that binds people together into dense networks of trust makes people less selfish. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/anything-that-binds-people-together-into-dense-networks-of-trust/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [ I think ultimately, people are selfish in that department \[blues\], in a good way - the reason we're attracted to art is because it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-hansard/i-think-ultimately-people-are-selfish-in-that-department-blues-in-a/) [Glen Hansard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-hansard/) > [Childlessness doesn't make people selfish; selfishness makes people selfish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/childlessness-doesn-t-make-people-selfish-selfishness-makes-people/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [So many relationships fail because so many people are so selfish. Its an ALL ABOUT ME mindset. Show ME attention or else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/so-many-relationships-fail-because-so-many-people-are-so-selfish-its/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am; therefore, I had nothing better to do than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-therefore-i-had-nothing-better-to-do-than-to-think/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Explore all 4,802 Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More Contracts quotes > [So, in the last year, the whole cast sued for release from our contracts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-rettig/so-in-the-last-year-the-whole-cast-sued-for-release-from-our-contracts/) [Tommy Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-rettig/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word, slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/record-contracts-are-just-like-i-m-gonna-say-the-word-slavery/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [These are the men who, without virtue, labour, or hazard, are growing rich, as their country is impoverished; they rejoice, when obstinacy or ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/these-are-the-men-who-without-virtue-labour-or-hazard-are-growing/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nowadays, in the contract that actors sign, you have to agree that you're going to do a certain amount of publicity-the hard part they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/nowadays-in-the-contract-that-actors-sign-you-have-to-agree-that-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [24.9 percent of American children live in poverty, while the proportions in Germany, France and Italy are 8.6, 7.4 and 10.5 percent. And once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hutton/24-9-percent-of-american-children-live-in-poverty-while-the/) [Will Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hutton/) > [Columbia tried to put me behind other groups, so I didn't wanna wait, they let me out of the contract and I'm glad they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmx/columbia-tried-to-put-me-behind-other-groups-so-i-didn-t-wanna-wait/) [DMX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmx/) > [I've proposed a contract with the American voter that will give the government back to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-proposed-a-contract-with-the-american-voter-that-will-give-the/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I believe people ought to be treated fairly under the law. 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We grant them corporate charters that confer certain legal rights and privileges, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcgovern/corporations-are-created-by-the-people-acting-through-their/) [Jim McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcgovern/) [Browse all 1,004 Contracts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contracts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All sensible people are selfish, and nature is tugging at every contract to make the terms of it fair.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ralph Waldo Emerson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-nature-is-tugging-at-every/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contracts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-nature-is-tugging-at-every/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51a/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_contracts_all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-natu_1983965.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All sensible people are selfish, and nature is tugging at every contract to make the terms of it fair.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson", "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": "Ralph Waldo Emerson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All sensible people are selfish, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-nature-is-tugging-at-every/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/all-sensible-people-are-selfish-and-nature-is-tugging-at-every/#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 } } ] } ```