Man desired concord; but nature knows better what is good for his species; she desires discord. Man wants to live easy and content; but nature compels him to leave ease… and throw himself into roils and labors. – Immanuel Kant, Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Purpose, 1787

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

Often what we take for a kindness is just someone acting in their capacity as a human being. – Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com

Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it. – John Steinbeck, Sweet Thursday