Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey "people." People say different things: so do instincts. Our read more

Telling us to obey instinct is like telling us to obey "people." People say different things: so do instincts. Our instincts are at war.... Each instinct, if you listen to it, will claim to be gratified at the expense of the rest....

Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.

Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.

Instinct is untaught ability

Instinct is untaught ability

The active part of man consists of powerful instincts, some of which are gentle and continuous; others violent and short; read more

The active part of man consists of powerful instincts, some of which are gentle and continuous; others violent and short; some baser, some nobler, and all necessary.

How do geese know when to fly to the sun? Who tells them the seasons? How do we, humans know read more

How do geese know when to fly to the sun? Who tells them the seasons? How do we, humans know when it is time to move on? As with the migrant birds, so surely with us, there is a voice within if only we would listen to it, that tells us certainly when to go forth into the unknown.

'Tis thus we heed no instincts but our own,
Believe no evil, till the evil's done.
[Fr., read more

'Tis thus we heed no instincts but our own,
Believe no evil, till the evil's done.
[Fr., Nous n'ecoutons d'instincts que ceux qui sont les notres.
Et ne croyons le mal que quand il est venu.]

I believe in instinct, not in reason. When reason is right, nine times out of ten it is impotent, and read more

I believe in instinct, not in reason. When reason is right, nine times out of ten it is impotent, and when it prevails, nine times out of ten it is wrong.

The ideal condition would be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct; but since we are all likely read more

The ideal condition would be, I admit, that men should be right by instinct; but since we are all likely to go astray, The reasonable thing is to learn from those who can teach

But honest instinct comes a volunteer; Sure never to o'er-shoot, but just to hit, While still too wide or short read more

But honest instinct comes a volunteer; Sure never to o'er-shoot, but just to hit, While still too wide or short in human wit.