A Law of Nature

It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly in harmony with its environment is a perfect mechanism. Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change.

The Time Traveller The Time Machine (1895) by H. G. Wells

Get the book at Bookshop.org Supports independent bookstores. We earn a small commission.

Context: The Time Traveller reasons about why intelligence fades when life becomes safe.

Rate this quoteNot rated yet
Not in a duel yet

Source: Chapter XIII, The Trap of the White Sphinx

More from The Time Machine