"It is impossible to overlook the extent to which civilization is built upon a renunciation of instinct."
Natural Instinct quotes
Natural Instinct
32 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
Explore further
Topics related to Natural Instinct
Browse quotes that often appear alongside natural instinct — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Natural Instinct quotes (page 1 of 2)
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"The poets are wrong of course […] But then poets are almost always wrong about facts. That's because they are not really interested in facts: only in truth: which is why the truth they speak is so true that even those who hate poets by simple and natural instinct are exalted and terrified by it."
"My natural instinct after doing something shameful is not to rush into the street boasting about it but to put on dark glasses and head for the next county, hoping nobody notices I've been in the neighborhood."