---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the natural order no matter what…"
description: "\"In the natural order no matter what ideals may be theoretically possible, most people more or less live for themselves and for their own interests and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/thomas-merton-231_aim_in-the-natural-order-no-matter-what-idea_2861111.jpg"
---

#  In the natural order no matter what ideals may be…

![“In the natural order no matter what ideals may be theoretically possible, most people more or less live for themselves and for their own interests and pleasures or for those of their own family or group, and therefore they are constantly interfering with one another's aims, and hurting one another…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/thomas-merton-231_aim_in-the-natural-order-no-matter-what-idea_2861111.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/thomas-merton-231_aim_in-the-natural-order-no-matter-what-idea_2861111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a7/thomas-merton-231_aim_in-the-natural-order-no-matter-what-idea_2861111.jpg)

> “In the natural order no matter what ideals may be theoretically possible, most people more or less live for themselves and for their own interests and pleasures or for those of their own family or group, and therefore they are constantly interfering with one another's aims, and hurting one another and injuring one another, whether they mean it or not.”

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People prioritize personal and familial interests, causing inevitable conflicts and unintentional harm.

**In simple terms:** Self‑interest leads to clashes and accidental hurt.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and mitigate personal bias.

Themes

self‑interest conflict community

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical social

When to use this quote

- family decisions
- workplace negotiations
- public policy
- neighbor disputes

Key Concepts

human nature social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance personal goals with collective well‑being?
- What structures reduce accidental harm?

A Different Perspective

Idealism may overlook practical constraints.

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[Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Aims Hurting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aims-hurting-3861542/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurting Injuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurting-injuring-3861543/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interfere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfere/) [Interfering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfering/) [Interfering Aims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfering-aims-3861541/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-order/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [No matter what](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-matter-what/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-live-257234/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/)

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> [Some things are best left alone. Such as interfering in things which are beyond our powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-sangster/some-things-are-best-left-alone-such-as-interfering-in-things-which/)

[Jimmy Sangster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-sangster/)

> [It's going to start really interfering with your quality of life, your health, if you don't adjust to life as it's happening to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/it-s-going-to-start-really-interfering-with-your-quality-of-life-your/)

[Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/)

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> [Everything that lives, does so under the categorical condition of decisively interfering in the life of someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/everything-that-lives-does-so-under-the-categorical-condition-of/)

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## More by Thomas Merton

> [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/)

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> [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/)

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## More Aim quotes

> [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/)

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> [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/)

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