--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is founded on the worst instincts of…" description: "\"“It is founded on the worst instincts of mankind. At its best, it is intolerant and bigoted. At its worst, it is sadistic and brutal. Between these two..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/susan-carol-mccarthy-53520_life_it-is-founded-on-the-worst-instincts-of_1446963.jpg" --- # It is founded on the worst instincts of mankind. At its… ![“It is founded on the worst instincts of mankind. At its best, it is intolerant and bigoted. At its worst, it is sadistic and brutal. Between these two poles it has its existence.” quote by Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/susan-carol-mccarthy-53520_life_it-is-founded-on-the-worst-instincts-of_1446963.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/susan-carol-mccarthy-53520_life_it-is-founded-on-the-worst-instincts-of_1446963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f3/susan-carol-mccarthy-53520_life_it-is-founded-on-the-worst-instincts-of_1446963.jpg) > ““It is founded on the worst instincts of mankind. At its best, it is intolerant and bigoted. At its worst, it is sadistic and brutal. Between these two poles it has its existence.”” [Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-carol-mccarthy/) ## 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 critiques a system or ideology that stems from humanity’s darkest impulses, ranging from intolerance to cruelty, yet it persists between these extremes. **In simple terms:** It describes a harsh, contradictory entity rooted in bad human instincts. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge such destructive forces. Themes power morality human nature violence Mood critical somber Type analytical critical When to use this quote - political movements - social policies - institutional practices - media narratives Key Concepts authoritarianism bigotry sadism contradiction Questions to Reflect On - What underlying factors sustain such systems? - How can societies resist these impulses? A Different Perspective It may oversimplify complex structures by labeling them solely as evil. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) ## Related quotes > [As long as there will be homophobic, racist or simply bigoted parents, educators and writers, there will be discrimination, prejudice and other follies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-malfatti/as-long-as-there-will-be-homophobic-racist-or-simply-bigoted-parents/) [Jean-Paul Malfatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-malfatti/) > [Bigoted people are just scholars who lack any sort of legitimate credentials to answer why they're bigoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doctavius/bigoted-people-are-just-scholars-who-lack-any-sort-of-legitimate/) Doctavius > [“No travel can broaden a bigoted mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/no-travel-can-broaden-a-bigoted-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [If the day-to-day culture is saying it's OK to not be inclusive or tolerant, that it's OK to be bigoted, then it's your responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/if-the-day-to-day-culture-is-saying-it-s-ok-to-not-be-inclusive-or/) [Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/) > [What but education has advanced us beyond the condition of our indigenous neighbors? And what chains them to their present state of barbarism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-but-education-has-advanced-us-beyond-the-condition-of-our/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“More than half described Christians as literalistic, anti-intellectual, judgmental, self-righteous, and bigoted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-j-borg/more-than-half-described-christians-as-literalistic-anti-intellectual/) [Marcus J. Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-j-borg/) > [Already the pitch has been reached in Great Britain where it is considered bigoted or reactionary to do other than praise the Jews for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-robertson-cowell/already-the-pitch-has-been-reached-in-great-britain-where-it-is/) Sidney Robertson Cowell > [Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/until-we-fully-understand-what-turned-two-brothers-who-allegedly/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Those who are judgmental of others tend to be bigoted in hypocrisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adkruk/those-who-are-judgmental-of-others-tend-to-be-bigoted-in-hypocrisy/) [ADKruk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adkruk/) > [Americans, in general, are ignorant, bigoted, and deeply unhappy with their declining incomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/americans-in-general-are-ignorant-bigoted-and-deeply-unhappy-with/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Make no mistake: Homosexuals' human right must be protected. It is bigoted to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation or preferences just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/make-no-mistake-homosexuals-human-right-must-be-protected-it-is/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [“Don’t become bigoted about bigots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-ross/don-t-become-bigoted-about-bigots/) Scott Ross > [Hillary Clinton's policies are bigoted because she knows they're not going to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-s-policies-are-bigoted-because-she-knows-they-re-not/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The world, and the great and free United States in particular, is full of narrow-minded, ignorant, moronic, bigoted, cowardly, self-righteous, anemic, pig-headed, stupid, puritanical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-world-and-the-great-and-free-united-states-in-particular-is-full/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [People should not be responding to bigoted ugliness with any ugliness of their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-soutphommasane/people-should-not-be-responding-to-bigoted-ugliness-with-any-ugliness/) [Tim Soutphommasane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-soutphommasane/) ## More by Susan Carol McCarthy > [“Nothing like an endangered pocketbook to help a businessman find his conscience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-carol-mccarthy/nothing-like-an-endangered-pocketbook-to-help-a-businessman-find-his/) [Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-carol-mccarthy/) > [“God and I aren't exactly on speaking terms these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-carol-mccarthy/god-and-i-aren-t-exactly-on-speaking-terms-these-days/) [Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-carol-mccarthy/) > [“Because you believed in me, I figured I was honor-bound to believe in myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-carol-mccarthy/because-you-believed-in-me-i-figured-i-was-honor-bound-to-believe-in/) [Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-carol-mccarthy/) > [“We can't change the world overnight, Reesa. But we begin by changing the way we choose to live in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-carol-mccarthy/we-can-t-change-the-world-overnight-reesa-but-we-begin-by-changing/) [Susan Carol McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-carol-mccarthy/) > [“Oh, child, there's no explainin' the meanness in this world." 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It is bigoted to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation or preferences just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/make-no-mistake-homosexuals-human-right-must-be-protected-it-is/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [Americans, in general, are ignorant, bigoted, and deeply unhappy with their declining incomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/americans-in-general-are-ignorant-bigoted-and-deeply-unhappy-with/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Those who are judgmental of others tend to be bigoted in hypocrisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adkruk/those-who-are-judgmental-of-others-tend-to-be-bigoted-in-hypocrisy/) [ADKruk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adkruk/) > [Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/until-we-fully-understand-what-turned-two-brothers-who-allegedly/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Already the pitch has been reached in Great Britain where it is considered bigoted or reactionary to do other than praise the Jews for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-robertson-cowell/already-the-pitch-has-been-reached-in-great-britain-where-it-is/) Sidney Robertson Cowell > [“More than half described Christians as literalistic, anti-intellectual, judgmental, self-righteous, and bigoted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-j-borg/more-than-half-described-christians-as-literalistic-anti-intellectual/) [Marcus J. Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-j-borg/) > [What but education has advanced us beyond the condition of our indigenous neighbors? And what chains them to their present state of barbarism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-but-education-has-advanced-us-beyond-the-condition-of-our/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If the day-to-day culture is saying it's OK to not be inclusive or tolerant, that it's OK to be bigoted, then it's your responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/if-the-day-to-day-culture-is-saying-it-s-ok-to-not-be-inclusive-or/) [Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/) > [“No travel can broaden a bigoted mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/no-travel-can-broaden-a-bigoted-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [As long as there will be homophobic, racist or simply bigoted parents, educators and writers, there will be discrimination, prejudice and other follies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-malfatti/as-long-as-there-will-be-homophobic-racist-or-simply-bigoted-parents/) [Jean-Paul Malfatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-malfatti/) > [People should not be responding to bigoted ugliness with any ugliness of their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-soutphommasane/people-should-not-be-responding-to-bigoted-ugliness-with-any-ugliness/) [Tim Soutphommasane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-soutphommasane/) Browse all 80 Bigoted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is founded on the worst instincts of mankind. 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