Alas Quote by William James
“We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we feel this, such a sense of the vanity of our voluntary career comes over us, that all our morality appears but as a plaster hiding a sore it can never cure, and all our well-doing as the hollowest substitute for that well-being that our lives ought to be grounded in, but alas! are not.”
About This Quote
The passage reflects on the inherent fragility and moral vulnerability of humanity, suggesting that even the most rational individuals share a common frailty with the insane and criminal, and that our ethical pretensions merely mask deeper existential wounds.
In simple terms: Human frailty and moral illusion.
Key Takeaway
Morality is a superficial cover for deeper existential wounds.
Themes
human nature
morality
existential vulnerability
psychology
self-awareness
Mood
reflective
somber
introspective
Type
philosophical
existential
critical
When to use this quote
- contemplating personal ethics
- feeling existential crisis
- comparing oneself to extremes
- recognizing shared human frailty
- questioning societal moral standards
Key Concepts
vanity of career
plaster morality
well-being
grounding life
Practical Applications
- philosophical counseling
- ethical self‑assessment
Questions to Reflect On
- How does recognizing shared frailty affect moral judgments?
- What does it mean to ground life in genuine well‑being?
![“In the Leach Pottery we did most of our work on the wheel. [Bernard] Leach did a little work in the studio, which was press-molded forms, plastic clay pressed into plaster forms to make small rectangular boxes and some vase forms, which he liked to make. These were molds which had been made to an…” quote by Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3a8/warren-mackenzie-4654_boxes_in-the-leach-pottery-we-did-most-of-our_447338.jpg)
