Age Quote by Thomas Huxley
“I know no study which is so unutterably saddening as that of the evolution of humanity, as it is set forth in the annals of history. Out of the darkness of prehistoric ages man emerges with the marks of his lowly origin strong upon him. He is a brute, only more intelligent than the other brutes, a blind prey to impulses, which as often as not led him to destruction; a victim to endless illusions, which make his mental existence a terror and a burden, and fill his physical life with barren toil and battle.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Essays on Evolution, 1885
Human evolution is a tragic story of intelligence coupled with destructive impulses and endless suffering.
In simple terms: Human progress is painful.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and mitigate our destructive tendencies.
Themes
philosophy
human nature
history
Mood
somber
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- education
- mental health
- social reform
Key Concepts
evolutionary theory
existential dread
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we change our innate impulses?
- What role does culture play?
A Different Perspective
May overgeneralize humanity’s flaws.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
