Logo - Feel The Words

Beastly Quotes

On beastly behavior, morality, and empty words

This set includes an observation that morality does not require religious belief, since religious people can act in a beastly manner too, plus a caution about words dulling real experience.

Obviously, you don't have to be religious to be moral, and beastly people are sometimes religious.

Quotes by Gary Hamel

Words, words, words! They shut one off from the universe. Three quarters of the time one's never in contact with things, only with the beastly words that stand for them.

Aldous Huxley

Frequently Asked Questions

What claim does one beastly quote make about morality?
It argues that being moral does not require religious belief, noting that religious individuals can still behave in a beastly way.
What point does the other quote make about language?
It warns that endless words can shut a person off from directly experiencing the universe and real things.
Is either quote making a religious argument?
One quote touches on religion only to separate it from genuine moral behavior, not to argue against faith itself.
What does beastly describe in this context?
It describes conduct that falls short of basic decency, regardless of a person's stated beliefs.
How do the two quotes relate to each other?
Both quotes question surface appearances, one about religious behavior and one about language obscuring reality.

Both quotes use the word beastly to point at a gap between appearances and a deeper, harder truth.