--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what humanity is: a series of…" description: "\"That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul can sustain such..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/richelle-mead-46_aptitude_that-s-what-humanity-is-a-series-of-succ_239923.jpg" --- # That's what humanity is: a series of successes and… ![“That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul can sustain such a state. Eventually it consumes a person” quote by Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/richelle-mead-46_aptitude_that-s-what-humanity-is-a-series-of-succ_239923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/richelle-mead-46_aptitude_that-s-what-humanity-is-a-series-of-succ_239923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/richelle-mead-46_aptitude_that-s-what-humanity-is-a-series-of-succ_239923.jpg) > “That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul can sustain such a state. Eventually it consumes a person” [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human existence is a cycle of triumphs and setbacks, testing personal character; both body and soul cannot endure this tension indefinitely, leading to eventual self-consumption. **In simple terms:** Life is a series of successes and failures that wear you down. Key Takeaway Balance ambition with self‑care. Themes growth resilience human nature Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - career planning - mental health breaks - mindfulness practice - goal setting Key Concepts psychological limits self‑destruction personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when you’re overextending? - What practices sustain your well‑being? A Different Perspective Neglecting rest can accelerate burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aptitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aptitude/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success and failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-and-failure/) ## Related quotes > [A fire can't burn forever. Eventually, it consumes itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/a-fire-can-t-burn-forever-eventually-it-consumes-itself/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Kumiko and I would visit their home and have dinner with them twice a month with mechanical regularity. This was a truly loathsome experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/kumiko-and-i-would-visit-their-home-and-have-dinner-with-them-twice-a/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Nothing so consumes a person as meaningless exertion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/nothing-so-consumes-a-person-as-meaningless-exertion/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“I devour her. And she consumes me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-snow/i-devour-her-and-she-consumes-me/) [Emily Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-snow/) > [Fire consumes, but cold preserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fire-consumes-but-cold-preserves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What we consume, consumes us. What you focus on shapes you. What you fix your gaze on will ultimately begin to shape your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hise/what-we-consume-consumes-us-what-you-focus-on-shapes-you-what-you-fix/) [Pete Hise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hise/) > [“The way fire moves, it consumes you. It's so beautiful you want to touch it but you know you can't. I think that's part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/the-way-fire-moves-it-consumes-you-it-s-so-beautiful-you-want-to/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [“Whatever is eating her brain consumes only the fresher memories, the unripe moments”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-dean/whatever-is-eating-her-brain-consumes-only-the-fresher-memories-the/) [Debra Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-dean/) > [I'm really not a person who consumes a lot. I don't have a sports car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-koons/i-m-really-not-a-person-who-consumes-a-lot-i-don-t-have-a-sports-car/) [Jeff Koons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-koons/) > [“Fire consumes.' Lord Beric stood behind them, and there was something in his voice that silenced Thoros at once. 'It consumes, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/fire-consumes-lord-beric-stood-behind-them-and-there-was-something-in/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“She consumes me like a bright fire burning deep within my ribs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-diedrich/she-consumes-me-like-a-bright-fire-burning-deep-within-my-ribs/) [Kirk Diedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-diedrich/) > [“She consumes me with her eyes, her fiery touch, and the ways in which she loves me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-snyder/she-consumes-me-with-her-eyes-her-fiery-touch-and-the-ways-in-which/) [T.H. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-snyder/) > [Music, music, music. It doesn't get much better than that! It pretty much consumes my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaggy/music-music-music-it-doesn-t-get-much-better-than-that-it-pretty-much/) [Shaggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaggy/) > [Love consumes us only in the measure of our self-surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-consumes-us-only-in-the-measure-of-our-self-surrender/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/man-is-the-only-creature-that-consumes-without-producing-he-does-not/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## More by Richelle Mead > [“Jerome shrugged. “We’re back to the part where I don’t give a fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/jerome-shrugged-we-re-back-to-the-part-where-i-don-t-give-a-fuck/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“A piece of heaven?" I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. "No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/a-piece-of-heaven-i-managed-to-ask-he-slowly-shook-his-head-no-the/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [It was a nephilim.” “A nephi-what?” asked Hugh, startled. “Isn’t that a character on Sesame Street?” Peter spoke up for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-was-a-nephilim-a-nephi-what-asked-hugh-startled-isn-t-that-a/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. 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No, of course it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/why-would-you-do-that-why-would-you-act-like-you-didn-t-know-how-to/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Everything I’d fought for, every challenge, every victory … all of it was empty if anything happened to him. Without him, I wouldn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/everything-i-d-fought-for-every-challenge-every-victory-all-of-it-was/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Life’s like that. As we grow and change, some things we’ve experienced before take on new meaning. It’ll happen for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-s-like-that-as-we-grow-and-change-some-things-we-ve-experienced/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“Sydney Katherine Sage,” he said, his green eyes full of love and earnestness. “Would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/sydney-katherine-sage-he-said-his-green-eyes-full-of-love-and/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) [Explore all 2,001 Richelle Mead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) ## More Aptitude quotes > [People are so constituted that everybody would rather undertake what they see others do, whether they have an aptitude for it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/people-are-so-constituted-that-everybody-would-rather-undertake-what/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [ The first \[quality\] to be named must always be the power of attention, of giving one's whole mind to the patient without the interposition… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-trotter/the-first-quality-to-be-named-must-always-be-the-power-of-attention/) [Wilfred Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-trotter/) > [It is not your aptitude, but your attitude, that determines your altitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/it-is-not-your-aptitude-but-your-attitude-that-determines-your/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“That evening, Hope wrote a letter to her MP, Jack Crow. She found no difficulty at all in composing it, but quite a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-macleod/that-evening-hope-wrote-a-letter-to-her-mp-jack-crow-she-found-no/) [Ken MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-macleod/) > [Now, occultism is not like mystic faculty, and it very seldom works in harmony either with business aptitude in the things of ordinary life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-waite/now-occultism-is-not-like-mystic-faculty-and-it-very-seldom-works-in/) [A. E. Waite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-waite/) > [If a man is to lose his fortune, it is a good thing if he were poor before he acquired it, for poverty requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/if-a-man-is-to-lose-his-fortune-it-is-a-good-thing-if-he-were-poor/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [Men are so constituted that every one undertakes what he sees another successful in, whether he has aptitude for it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/men-are-so-constituted-that-every-one-undertakes-what-he-sees-another/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“My attitude is to be with one aptitude”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/my-attitude-is-to-be-with-one-aptitude/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [Honestly, I never really thought I'd be a comedian. But I did take an aptitude test in seventh grade - and this is 100…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-wolf/honestly-i-never-really-thought-i-d-be-a-comedian-but-i-did-take-an/) [Michelle Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-wolf/) > [Appalling numbers of youth have been led into a cynical ultra-sophisticated attitude which regards drinking as a badge of social aptitude, which makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-parker-yockey/appalling-numbers-of-youth-have-been-led-into-a-cynical-ultra/) [Francis Parker Yockey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-parker-yockey/) > [Henke sensed her terrifying aptitude for destruction as never before. Henke had feared for her sanity; now she knew the truth was almost worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-weber/henke-sensed-her-terrifying-aptitude-for-destruction-as-never-before/) [David Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-weber/) > [Attitude and not the Aptitude decide the Altitude you reach in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/attitude-and-not-the-aptitude-decide-the-altitude-you-reach-in-life/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“I am Captain Aptitude. Well, I will be, once I get acclimated to the climate at this altitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-captain-aptitude-well-i-will-be-once-i-get-acclimated-to-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Once again the Naderites were onstage attacking the Educational Testing Service - the organization which develops and administers the scholastic aptitude tests...the reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-seligman/once-again-the-naderites-were-onstage-attacking-the-educational/) Daniel Seligman > [There is no field other than the weird in which I have any aptitude or inclination for fictional composition. Life has never interested me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/there-is-no-field-other-than-the-weird-in-which-i-have-any-aptitude/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) [Browse all 196 Aptitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aptitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul can sustain such a state. 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