Man, when he is merely what he seems to be, is almost nothing. – Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

We are survival machines — robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes. – Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

I do not value any view of the universe into which man and the institutions of man enter very largely and absorb much of the attention. Man is but the place where I stand, and the prospect hence is infinite. – Henry David Thoreau, journal, 1852 April 2nd

Many people believe that they are attracted by God, or by Nature, when they are only repelled by man. – William Ralph Inge