--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To behave \"humanely\" it is perfectly…" description: "\"To behave \"humanely\" it is perfectly possible to do without the notion of \"humanity.\"\" — Talal Asad" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg" --- # To behave "humanely" it is perfectly possible to do… ![“To behave "humanely" it is perfectly possible to do without the notion of "humanity."” quote by Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg) > “To behave "humanely" it is perfectly possible to do without the notion of "humanity."” [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humaneness can exist without invoking a universal notion of humanity. **In simple terms:** Being humane doesn’t require a fixed idea of humanity. Key Takeaway Practice kindness beyond labels. Themes ethics humanity philosophy Mood analytical open‑minded Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - cross‑cultural work - humanitarian aid - community service - education Key Concepts moral relativism anthropology Questions to Reflect On - What does “humaneness” mean to you? - How can you act kindly without relying on abstract concepts? 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One simply has to learn how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/it-seems-to-me-perfectly-possible-to-act-humanely-towards-other/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [... what we can be positive about is what we have just said, namely that they must be given the right education, whatever that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/what-we-can-be-positive-about-is-what-we-have-just-said-namely-that/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [The notion of "humanity" as a form of transcendence derives, I think, from the conviction that intellectuality possesses an absolute power, from the demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/the-notion-of-humanity-as-a-form-of-transcendence-derives-i-think/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [I think it's an important lesson for a child. How to behave humanely toward another human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-frost/i-think-it-s-an-important-lesson-for-a-child-how-to-behave-humanely/) [Jo Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-frost/) > [“Keep in mind that democracy merely gives power to the people; it does not ensure that power will be used wisely or humanely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/keep-in-mind-that-democracy-merely-gives-power-to-the-people-it-does/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [Even in war, everyone deserves to be treated humanely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maurer/even-in-war-everyone-deserves-to-be-treated-humanely/) [Peter Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maurer/) > [“Extermination must be put on a scientific basis if it is ever to be carried out humanely and apologetically as well as thoroughly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/extermination-must-be-put-on-a-scientific-basis-if-it-is-ever-to-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [If you absolutely must express yourself with the use of animal hide, fur, antlers etc., then at the very least make sure it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-farr/if-you-absolutely-must-express-yourself-with-the-use-of-animal-hide/) [Hilary Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-farr/) > [It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-often-happens-that-a-man-is-more-humanely-related-to-a-cat-or-dog/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If you are called upon to govern humans, treat them humanely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalinin/if-you-are-called-upon-to-govern-humans-treat-them-humanely/) [Mikhail Kalinin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalinin/) > [Our laws are a reflection of our culture. Our culture does not condone the torture of innocent and defenseless creatures. And we as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-moore/our-laws-are-a-reflection-of-our-culture-our-culture-does-not-condone/) [Joe Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-moore/) > [In order for a government to act humanely towards someone, it must first act inhumanely towards someone else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith-2/in-order-for-a-government-to-act-humanely-towards-someone-it-must/) [L Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith-2/) > [You're going to have a deportation force. And you're going to do it humanely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-re-going-to-have-a-deportation-force-and-you-re-going-to-do-it/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Over the years I have developed a picture of what a human being living humanely is like. She is a person who understand, values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/over-the-years-i-have-developed-a-picture-of-what-a-human-being/) [Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/) > [You treat detainees humanely because you know the other side will also treat detainees humanely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maurer/you-treat-detainees-humanely-because-you-know-the-other-side-will/) [Peter Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maurer/) ## More by Talal Asad > [The propensity to intellectualize is itself both essential and dangerous. I think in our modern world we are much more aware of its essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/the-propensity-to-intellectualize-is-itself-both-essential-and/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [Certainly in order to understand the natural world one needs clarity, logic, and the capacity for theory building. But that understanding tends to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/certainly-in-order-to-understand-the-natural-world-one-needs-clarity/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [I think the approach to Islam as a tradition is helpful. Tradition helps us to focus on questions about authority and temporality, and about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/i-think-the-approach-to-islam-as-a-tradition-is-helpful-tradition/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [Language has multiple uses, and is embedded in different forms of life. It is not necessary to have this grand concept of "humanity" in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/language-has-multiple-uses-and-is-embedded-in-different-forms-of-life/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [Believers are often thought of as people who have some kind of private conviction or repudiation of something, whereas "the faithful" refers to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/believers-are-often-thought-of-as-people-who-have-some-kind-of/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [You do not need intellectuality for deep faith. You do not need it for behaving humanely towards people whether fellow Muslims or non-Muslims. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/you-do-not-need-intellectuality-for-deep-faith-you-do-not-need-it-for/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [The Genealogical Science is a wonderful account of how old-fashioned race science has come to be re-defined by resort to the most recent developments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/the-genealogical-science-is-a-wonderful-account-of-how-old-fashioned/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [In liberal society we claim that freedom of speech is sacred and therefore has an absolute character. But we know (or should know) that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/in-liberal-society-we-claim-that-freedom-of-speech-is-sacred-and/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [“The construction of civilizational difference is not exclusive in any simple sense. The de-essentialization of Islam is paradigmatic for all thinking about the assimilation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/the-construction-of-civilizational-difference-is-not-exclusive-in-any/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [For the law, the clarity of language and the finality of judgment is crucial, because you have to decide a case one way or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/for-the-law-the-clarity-of-language-and-the-finality-of-judgment-is/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [You should never employ your intellect but only that it is not essential to exercise it in order to live a humane life. Language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/you-should-never-employ-your-intellect-but-only-that-it-is-not/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [The notion of "humanity" as a form of transcendence derives, I think, from the conviction that intellectuality possesses an absolute power, from the demand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/the-notion-of-humanity-as-a-form-of-transcendence-derives-i-think/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [I do not think there is such a thing as a "clash of civilizations." When I say that Muslims as Muslims cannot be represented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/i-do-not-think-there-is-such-a-thing-as-a-clash-of-civilizations-when/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [Why is it that aggression in the name of God shocks secular liberal sensibilities, whereas the act of killing in the name of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/why-is-it-that-aggression-in-the-name-of-god-shocks-secular-liberal/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) > [Tradition is an aspiration to connect the Self with the Other. One "internalizes" the Other as one acquires a sense of what one's own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/tradition-is-an-aspiration-to-connect-the-self-with-the-other-one/) [Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) [Explore all 23 Talal Asad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/) ## More Behave quotes > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Then Olympus it is. But do try to behave. I know it’s hard for you, but… (Delphine) I won’t piss on the floor. (Jericho)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/then-olympus-it-is-but-do-try-to-behave-i-know-it-s-hard-for-you-but/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [Why does man behave like perfect idiot? This is the problem I wish to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-szent-gyorgyi/why-does-man-behave-like-perfect-idiot-this-is-the-problem-i-wish-to/) [Albert Szent-Gyorgyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-szent-gyorgyi/) > [This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/this-is-a-time-in-my-life-where-i-m-gonna-behave-like-an-elegant/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [Most people, even in simple risky situations, don't behave the way the theory of utility would have them behave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-raiffa/most-people-even-in-simple-risky-situations-don-t-behave-the-way-the/) [Howard Raiffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-raiffa/) > [As a club, we have an educational purpose: to give back to those people who love Arsenal so that they learn moral values from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/as-a-club-we-have-an-educational-purpose-to-give-back-to-those-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) [Morton Irving Seiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-irving-seiden/) > [Do we behave out of fear of punishment, or out of the demands of our heart? For me, it is the latter, as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-we-behave-out-of-fear-of-punishment-or-out-of-the-demands-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For political and bureaucratic reasons, governments at all levels are telling far less to the public than to insiders about how to prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-political-and-bureaucratic-reasons-governments-at-all-levels-are/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) [Browse all 1,587 Behave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behave/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To behave \"humanely\" it is perfectly possible to do without the notion of \"humanity.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Talal Asad" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possible-to-do-without-the-notion/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behave" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possible-to-do-without-the-notion/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/talal-asad-25475_behave_to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possi_3066461.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To behave \"humanely\" it is perfectly possible to do without the notion of \"humanity.\"” — Talal Asad", "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": "Talal Asad", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To behave \"humanely\" it is perfectly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possible-to-do-without-the-notion/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/to-behave-humanely-it-is-perfectly-possible-to-do-without-the-notion/#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 } } ] } ```