Herman Melville Quotes About Human Nature

Quotes about: Human Nature

• The grand points in human nature are the same to-day they were a thousand years ago. The only variability in them is in expression, not in feature.

  Herman Melville

  Expression, Years, Human Nature

  Herman Melville (1988). “The Confidence-man: His Masquerade”, p.464, Northwestern University Press

• He, who, in view of its inconsistencies, says of human nature the same that, in view of its contrasts, is said of the divine nature, that it is past finding out, thereby evinces a better appreciation of it than he who, by always representing it in a clear light, leaves it to be inferred that he clearly knows all about it.

  Herman Melville

  Appreciation, Past, Light

  Herman Melville (1988). “The Confidence-man: His Masquerade”, p.464, Northwestern University Press

• Poor fish of Rodondo! in your victimized confidence, you are of the number of those who inconsiderately trust, while they do not understand, human nature.

  Herman Melville

  Numbers, Human Nature, Poor

  Herman Melville (2016). “Billy Budd, Bartleby, and Other Stories”, p.109, Penguin

• An indiscriminate distrust of human nature is the worst consequence of a miserable condition, whether brought about by innocence or guilt. And though want of suspicion more than want of sense, sometimes leads a man into harm; yet too much suspicion is as bad as too little sense.

  Herman Melville

  Men, Guilt, Too Much

  Herman Melville (2015). “Israel Potter: Works of Melville”, p.39, 谷月社

• I will frankly confess that after passing a few weeks in the valley of the Marquesas, I formed a higher estimate of human nature than I had ever before entertained. But, alas, since then I have been one of the crew of a man-of- war, and the pent-up wickedness of five hundred men has nearly overturned all my previous theories.

  Herman Melville

  War, Men, Valleys

• So long as a man-of-war exists, it must ever remain a picture of much that is tyrannical and repelling in human nature.

  Herman Melville

  War, Men, Long

  Herman Melville (1850). “White-jacket; Or, The World in the Man-of-war”, p.247

• The man that has anything bountifully laughable about him, be sure there is more in that man than you perhaps think for.

  Herman Melville

  Laughter, Men, Thinking

  Herman Melville (2016). “Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale”, p.46, Cosimo, Inc.

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