Quote by Reinhold Niebuhr

The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate substitute for self mastery.

The mastery of nature is vainly believed to be an adequate s

Summary

This quote suggests that humans often believe that they can exert control over nature as a way to compensate for their lack of control over themselves. However, it argues that this assumption is futile and misguided. The quote implies that true mastery lies in being able to discipline oneself and exercise self-control, rather than attempting to dominate or manipulate the external world. In essence, it suggests that our attempts to control the natural world are ultimately fruitless if we neglect the importance of mastering our own thoughts, emotions, and desires.

Topics

Nature

By Reinhold Niebuhr

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

Education

Strength is the sign of vigor, the sign of life, the sign of

Strength is the sign of vigor, the sign of life, the sign of hope, the sign of health, and the sign of everything that is good. As long as the body lives, there must be strength in the body, strength in the mind, strength in the hand.

Swami Vivekananda

Life Health Strength Mind

We wonder if we will be the first generation in American his

We wonder if we will be the first generation in American history to leave our children with fewer opportunities and a less prosperous nation than the one we inherited.

History

Being naked approaches being revolutionary; going barefoot i

Being naked approaches being revolutionary; going barefoot is mere populism.

John Updike, In Hugging the Shor

Nudity

The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.

The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.

Muriel Rukeyser

Those bitter sorrows of childhood!-- when sorrow is all new

Those bitter sorrows of childhood!-- when sorrow is all new and strange, when hope has not yet got wings to fly beyond the days and weeks, and the space from summer to summer seems measureless.

Childhood

...but I still think that to the unprejudiced, the fossil re

...but I still think that to the unprejudiced, the fossil record of plants is in favor of special creation.

Science Evolution Creation

Publicity in women is detestable. Anonymity runs in their bl

Publicity in women is detestable. Anonymity runs in their blood. The desire to be veiled still possesses them. They are not even now as concerned about the health of their fame as men are, and, speaking generally, will pass a tombstone or a signpost without feeling an irresistible desire to cut their names on it.

Publicity

We worked with the engineers in the design and construction

We worked with the engineers in the design and construction and testing phases in those various areas, then we would get back together at the end of the week and brief each other as to what had gone on.

Design

Old folks love to seem wise- and if you are silly enough to

Old folks love to seem wise- and if you are silly enough to correspond with grey hairs, take the consequence.

Ignatius Sancho

Love

Nothing can be beautiful which is not true.

Nothing can be beautiful which is not true.

Beauty

As selfishness and complaint pervert the mind, so love with

As selfishness and complaint pervert the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision.