Civilization and Its Discontents Quotes

“In no other case does Eros (the God of love, lust and sexual desire) betray the basis of his being. His purpose is to make one human out of two; but when this is achieved through the love of two humans he goes no further.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“prohibitions essentially convey that there is only one type of sexual life for all, and it ignores the variations, whether they be inherent or developed, in the sexual configuration of men and women; for many it cuts them off from sexual enjoyment and becomes a major source of unhappiness.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“For that which he wishes to accomplish as cultural aims, in proportion he has to withdraw from women and sexual life.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“The social life of humans therefore, had two elements for the foundation: the impulse to work, obligated by the external environment, and love, which made man reluctant to be dispossessed of his sexual object, his woman, and made the woman reluctant to lose part of herself which had been separated from her - her child.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“The complete free will of the individual is not a gift to society.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“Someone born with a poor instinctive composition, who has not appropriately transmuted his sexual energy which is essential for achievements later in life, will always find it difficult to derive happiness from the external environment, and remarkably more if he faces difficult tasks.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“One may gain the most if one can adequately intensify the pleasure derived from the sources of intellectual work. By doing this fate cannot do much against you.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“suffering is no more than feeling; it exists only as we feel it, and we feel it as a consequence of the ways our system is regulated.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“At the summit of being in love, the boundary between ego and the object attempts to fade.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“The feeling of happiness gained from the satisfaction of an uncontrolled impulse is exceptionally more intense than that derived from gratifying an instinct that has been brought under control. The irresistibility of perverse dispositions, and attraction in general to prohibited things may be explained by this.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“To my belief there are three types: powerful diversion, which aims to avoid our misery; temporary satisfaction, which aims to reduce it; and substance abuse, which makes us unresponsive to it. One of these is necessary.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“I am unable to escape the conviction that in most cases people utilise the wrong principles for measurement, they search for success, power and wealth for themselves and regard them highly in others, and this leads them to undervalue what is truly treasured in life.”
― James Harris, Civilization and Its Discontents: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader