The Fall of the Human Intellect Quotes

“William Shakespeare: All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“William Drummond wisely observes: He who cannot reason is a fool; he who will not is a bigot; he who dare not is a slave.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The procedure for rehabilitation of the intellect needs to be undertaken by the individual, by the society and educational institutions throughout the world.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, wisely advises all human beings: It is difficult to find happiness within oneself but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The pressure of desires never ceases until you find your original Self. In truth, the purpose of human birth is to regain one’s primal nature.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“A person with a dull intellect is confused as to his role in the world. He fails to perform his obligatory duties and responsibilities.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The mass of humanity craves indulgence in external objects and beings. People indiscriminately run after sensual pleasures of the world. Few attempt to think, analyse the nature of their pursuits of enjoyment.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Richness and poverty is actually determined by the equation between the wealth a person possesses and the desires he entertains.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“People all over the world blindly follow the routine of their predecessors or mere peer pressure. You accept and do what others have done in the past or what they do at present.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“As impulsive actions displace discriminative actions one loses one’s sanity.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Humanity has long disregarded the intellect. People have denied themselves the ability to think, reason independently. That has rendered humans helpless victims of the devastating mind. The once sovereign state of human beings has fallen into abject slavery to the mind’s endless desires and demands.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Educational institutions therefore need to maintain an equable balance between acquisition of intelligence and developing an intellect.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Thinking is not something that comes to you naturally like respiration or perspiration. You must devote time and effort to question, reason and build your intellect.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Knowledge has to be drawn out of students. Not thrust into them.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Due to the paucity of intellect people do not realise that it is through the discipline of regulated abstinence that one can really enjoy the world. Your intellect must constantly check and control indiscriminate indulgence.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“You gain knowledge from teachers and textbooks. But wisdom you attain when your intellect reflects, contemplates upon the knowledge acquired.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The plight of human beings is that they do not know their activities lack the support of thought, reason or judgement. The mass of humanity mechanically follows a routine pattern”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“To them his heart, his love, his griefs were given, But all his serious thoughts had rest in Heaven. As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm, Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal sunshine settles on its head.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Your real Self is absolute peace and bliss. That is your original Being. You have lost the status of your Self. Descended to the material layers identifying with your body, mind and intellect. And now you are possessed with desires to find your lost happiness through these equipments. The pressure of desires never ceases until you find your original Self. In truth, the purpose of human birth is to regain one’s primal nature.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Through your lifetime the world has provided you with food, water, endless gifts. But human selfishness is so intense that none seem to be even aware, much less grateful to the benevolence lavished on humanity. Prophet Mohammed makes a striking observation: He is best among human beings who is best at repaying.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Nature has ever been benevolent to humanity. But people are least aware of what they receive in life. With no thought of repayment. Do you realise that the day you were born you were provided with oxygen, mother’s milk, the right temperature and pressure in your body, the right temperature and pressure in your environment, a million more — all for your survival.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The universe is a composite whole of the animate and inanimate. The manifold parts of nature are orchestrated to bring about the melody of existence. Every one of them has a distinct role to play. They serve as spokes in the wheel of life. None is superior or inferior. But people have not developed the intellect to perceive the perfectly designed universe. As a result of this blindness they have assumed an individual importance. They substitute their ego where nature plays its part in holding the world together. The consequent ego suffers from either a superiority or an inferiority complex.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Liberal knowledge is knowledge which is its own end. Sufficient in itself and apart from every external and ulterior objective. A knowledge impregnated by reason. Reason is the principle of that intrinsic knowledge. Which dispenses with the necessity, for those possessing it, to look abroad for any end to rest upon external to itself.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“The word educate is derived from Latin. It means ‘to draw out.’ Etymologically education therefore is drawing out. Schools and universities throughout the world do not follow this basic principle of education. Knowledge has to be drawn out of students. Not thrust into them.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“Rare indeed are the ones who go into the depth of study. Thus little is assimilated, absorbed by the readers. People have been mere educated robots for generations. And have been traversing through life without knowing the meaning and purpose of it. Like mariners who sail through the seven seas without fathoming the depth below. But the rare one who cares to know, drops the plumb line anywhere and instantly finds the depth. So too, one must use the intellect to go into the depth of one’s life to claim to be truly educated. It is the vertical and not the horizontal line of study that matters in life. Herbert Spencer, a thinker and writer, was one such truly educated luminary. Someone had asked him if he was a voracious reader. He instantly quipped: No sir, if I were as big a reader as others, I would have been as big an ignoramus as others.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“When your intellect channelises actions in the set direction you gain consistency. The practice of consistency lends power, energy, strength to action. You observe this clearly in nature. Water flowing in one direction has power. Wind blowing in one direction has power. So does light focussed in one direction. Similarly, if your actions are channelised in one direction, they become powerful. It is the mind, drawn by other attractions, that loses its direction and consistency in action. The intellect alone can control the mind and direct the actions towards the goal.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“With the development of the intellect you will be gradually relieved from the mundane pressures. However, depending upon the effort put in by individuals, their intellects rise to different levels. Akin to the flight of birds. The chicken flies. The pigeon flies. So does the eagle. But their flights are not the same. The chicken can hardly lift itself off the ground. The pigeon can rise up to a height. While the eagle soars high in the sky. Likewise, a poor intellect can hardly help a person detach and relieve himself from worldly entanglements. A more developed intellect lifts him off the gross entanglement but he still finds it difficult to withstand the impact of the ever changing world. Whereas a highly developed intellect soars far above the mundane variations and alternations, keeping him in perfect peace and tranquillity.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“There is a dire need for humanity to break through its herd instinct and start thinking originally. To put in your effort to overcome the environmental influence of the past and learn to reflect, contemplate afresh. Get over your passive, impulsive behaviour. Apply your intellect to overpower your emotional attachment, involvement in the affairs of the world both material and spiritual. At every turn of life let reason and judgement guide all your activities. Do not sell your personality to elders, preachers or authorities. You do not have to accept tradition because it is handed down through generations. Nor follow past practices or for that matter anything just because it is spoken of or written about by several people over and over again. Instead, carefully examine and analyse the truths of life. And whatever admits your logic and reason accept it and live by it. That spells objectivity in life. When you begin to live objectively your mind remains peaceful and happy in and through the fluctuations of the external world. Whatever happens in the outer world does not disturb your inner composure.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect

“There are two brilliant definitions of faith. One by the Christian mystic Joel Goldsmith and the other by the Bengali poet of India, Rabindranath Tagore. Goldsmith defines faith as: A belief in a thing I do not know until I come to know what I believe in. Tagore poetises: Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark. These two definitions have well captured the concept of faith.”
― A. Parthasarathy, The Fall of the Human Intellect