--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I must admit that many humans have a…" description: "\"I must admit that many humans have a strong need to perceive life as in some sense benign and potentially happy. It is also evident that this need cann..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/stephan-a-hoeller-44280_benign_i-must-admit-that-many-humans-have-a-str_1452577.jpg" --- # I must admit that many humans have a strong need to… ![“I must admit that many humans have a strong need to perceive life as in some sense benign and potentially happy. It is also evident that this need cannot be met if we do not experience a salvific change in consciousness, which allows us to perceive a greater, happier reality beyond the world of…” quote by Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/stephan-a-hoeller-44280_benign_i-must-admit-that-many-humans-have-a-str_1452577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/stephan-a-hoeller-44280_benign_i-must-admit-that-many-humans-have-a-str_1452577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/stephan-a-hoeller-44280_benign_i-must-admit-that-many-humans-have-a-str_1452577.jpg) > “I must admit that many humans have a strong need to perceive life as in some sense benign and potentially happy. It is also evident that this need cannot be met if we do not experience a salvific change in consciousness, which allows us to perceive a greater, happier reality beyond the world of matter and sense.” [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans seek a benevolent view of life, but true happiness demands a profound shift in consciousness beyond material perception. **In simple terms:** Happiness needs a deep consciousness shift. Key Takeaway Pursue inner awakening. Themes psychology spirituality meaning happiness consciousness Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - spiritual workshops - creative pursuits Key Concepts mindfulness transcendence existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What inner shift could reveal a broader reality? - How does material focus limit joy? A Different Perspective A single insight may not sustain lasting change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benign/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-consciousness-382700/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Consciousness Allows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-allows-1367493/) [Evident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evident/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mets/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Need Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-perceive-2275187/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Perceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive/) [Perceive Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceive-life-253016/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [When you're talking to a person, it only matters what they are perceiving. You only need them to perceive you as a loving husband.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/when-you-re-talking-to-a-person-it-only-matters-what-they-are/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [“We need to perceive ourselves as the special race. If not, beasts will perceive themselves as the chosen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/we-need-to-perceive-ourselves-as-the-special-race-if-not-beasts-will/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group as inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain-sign-of-poor-self-esteem-than/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Consciousness allows you the capacity to plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-edelman/consciousness-allows-you-the-capacity-to-plan/) [Gerald Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-edelman/) > [“How can I think, feel, and behave differently to produce the effect/result that I want? Our mission, then, is to willfully move into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dispenza/how-can-i-think-feel-and-behave-differently-to-produce-the-effect/) [Joe Dispenza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dispenza/) > [He remained, weeks after awakening, in that period of early-morning consciousness that allows easy re-entry to dreaming. His limbs still tingled with the residue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/he-remained-weeks-after-awakening-in-that-period-of-early-morning/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“The psyche is much smarter than consciousness allows. We bury things so deep we no longer remember there was anything to bury. Our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-psyche-is-much-smarter-than-consciousness-allows-we-bury-things/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I believe that reality is vastly richer than the cursory attention we usually give it permits us to understand. I like to write through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-believe-that-reality-is-vastly-richer-than-the-cursory-attention-we/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Deep down we all suspect that something is very wrong with the way we perceive life but we try very, very hard not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/deep-down-we-all-suspect-that-something-is-very-wrong-with-the-way-we/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [You pick up the phone and you talk to somebody. There's a voice on the other end and you say what you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/you-pick-up-the-phone-and-you-talk-to-somebody-there-s-a-voice-on-the/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [If one is enlightened, one does not perceive life with North, South, East and West. There is no California, there is no New York.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-one-is-enlightened-one-does-not-perceive-life-with-north-south/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [As I get older I perceive Life has its tail in its mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/as-i-get-older-i-perceive-life-has-its-tail-in-its-mouth/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [“Happiness is a choice. To be or not to be. It all depends on how you perceive life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kc/happiness-is-a-choice-to-be-or-not-to-be-it-all-depends-on-how-you/) [KC](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kc/) > [“The danger facing all of us--let me say it again, for one feels it tremendously--is not that we shall make an absolute failure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/the-danger-facing-all-of-us-let-me-say-it-again-for-one-feels-it/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [“Watch your thoughts-listen to them because they shape your life and evolve into words. They tell a story about you and how you perceive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-miller/watch-your-thoughts-listen-to-them-because-they-shape-your-life-and/) [Barbara Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-miller/) ## More by Stephan A. Hoeller > [“Gnostics (and Buddhists) have often been labeled pessimists and world haters because of their willingness to look the dark face of the world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/gnostics-and-buddhists-have-often-been-labeled-pessimists-and-world/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [“Among philosophical tendencies, existentialism owes much to Gnosticism, and today an increasing number of folk in many walks of life profess to being Gnostic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/among-philosophical-tendencies-existentialism-owes-much-to-gnosticism/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [“The created world, including a major portion of the human mind, is seen as evil by the Gnostic primarily because it distracts consciousness away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/the-created-world-including-a-major-portion-of-the-human-mind-is-seen/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [“Bishop Irenaeus of Lyons, a fierce opponent of the Gnostics, attacked them for their spiritual and literary creativity, accusing them of producing a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/bishop-irenaeus-of-lyons-a-fierce-opponent-of-the-gnostics-attacked/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [Human beings are not on earth to be citizens, or taxpayers, or socially engineered pawns of other human beings; rather they are here in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/human-beings-are-not-on-earth-to-be-citizens-or-taxpayers-or-socially/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [“Gnosticism is a system of thought based on interior, psychospiritual experience. This being the case, it is not surprising that Gnosticism emphasizes states of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/gnosticism-is-a-system-of-thought-based-on-interior-psychospiritual/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [“To sum up, salvation to the Gnostic means not reconciliation with an angry God by way of the death of his son, but rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/to-sum-up-salvation-to-the-gnostic-means-not-reconciliation-with-an/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) > [“Marcion did not accept Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John as trustworthy, for he saw many corruptions, interpolations, and falsifications in them. And if Marcion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/marcion-did-not-accept-mark-matthew-luke-and-john-as-trustworthy-for/) [Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) [Explore all 9 Stephan A. Hoeller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/) ## More Benign quotes > [The plausible outcomes range from the gradual and benign to the more precipitous and damaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-geithner/the-plausible-outcomes-range-from-the-gradual-and-benign-to-the-more/) [Timothy Geithner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-geithner/) > [Whereas religions may serve a benign purpose by letting many people feel comfortable with the level of morality they themselves can attain, no religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/whereas-religions-may-serve-a-benign-purpose-by-letting-many-people/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [Factory-farm lobbyists are so powerful and so well funded and they do everything in their power to hide the truth about farming. They keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/factory-farm-lobbyists-are-so-powerful-and-so-well-funded-and-they-do/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Fame is indeed beautiful and benign and gentle and satisfying, but happiness is something at once tender and brilliant beyond all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-maclane/fame-is-indeed-beautiful-and-benign-and-gentle-and-satisfying-but/) [Mary MacLane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-maclane/) > [Cultural institutions by and large share one primary objective: herd control. Even when ostensibly benign, their propensity for manipulation, compartmentalization, standardization and suppression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/cultural-institutions-by-and-large-share-one-primary-objective-herd/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Every single empire in its official discourse has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/every-single-empire-in-its-official-discourse-has-said-that-it-is-not/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Acid wasn't getting a whole lot of bad press at the time, and as I saw the whole bad-press thing happen, I became aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-rettig/acid-wasn-t-getting-a-whole-lot-of-bad-press-at-the-time-and-as-i-saw/) [Tommy Rettig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-rettig/) > [Beneficent spirals, operating by benign feedback, mean that everything needful is not required at once: each individual improvement is beneficial for the whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/beneficent-spirals-operating-by-benign-feedback-mean-that-everything/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [I looked up at the mass of signs and stars in the night sky and laid myself open for the first time to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-looked-up-at-the-mass-of-signs-and-stars-in-the-night-sky-and-laid/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Orders can be benign or malign, but the habit of obeying them can become ingrained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dalrymple/orders-can-be-benign-or-malign-but-the-habit-of-obeying-them-can/) [Theodore Dalrymple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dalrymple/) > [Intelligence may indeed be a benign influence creating isolated groups of philosopher-kings far apart in the heavens... On the other hand, intelligence may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/intelligence-may-indeed-be-a-benign-influence-creating-isolated/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Every major player is working on this technology of artificial intelligence. As of now, it's benign... but I would say that the day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-bell/every-major-player-is-working-on-this-technology-of-artificial/) [Ted Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-bell/) > [Of course, I prefer organic farming to chemical-dependent farming, but sometimes absolutist organic prescriptions go too far. I don't even rule out the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristram-stuart/of-course-i-prefer-organic-farming-to-chemical-dependent-farming-but/) [Tristram Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristram-stuart/) > [How do you survive living in a cell knowing you are innocent? Many of those exonerated whom I have met seem to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lagravenese/how-do-you-survive-living-in-a-cell-knowing-you-are-innocent-many-of/) [Richard LaGravenese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lagravenese/) > [Human nature has its fatal weaknesses, but 'love' means embracing the whole of human nature, the bad within the good, the benign within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/qiu-miaojin/human-nature-has-its-fatal-weaknesses-but-love-means-embracing-the/) [Qiu Miaojin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/qiu-miaojin/) [Browse all 210 Benign quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benign/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I must admit that many humans have a strong need to perceive life as in some sense benign and potentially happy. 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