Garrett Hardin Quotes

You cannot do only one thing.

Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons.

In a competitive world of limited resources, total freedom of individual action is intolerable

Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.

The rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another . . . But this is the conclusion reached by each and every rational herdsman sharing a commons. Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit — in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.

Every plausible policy must be followed by the question 'And then what?'

You can never do merely one thing. The law applies to any action that changes something in a complex system. The point is that an action taken to alleviate a problem will trigger several effects, some of which may offset or even negate the one intended.

A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero.

There is nothing more dangerous than a shallow thinking compassionate person

Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born.

The only thing we can really count on in this uncertain world is human unreliability itself.

Never globalize a problem if it can possibly be dealt with locally.

Ecology is the overall science of which economics is a minor speciality.

No one should be able to enter a wilderness by mechanical means.

A technical solution may be defined as one that requires a change only in the techniques of the natural sciences, demanding little or nothing in the way of change in human values or ideas of morality.

The population problem has no technical solution; it requires a fundamental extension in morality.

Ecological differentiation is the necessary condition for coexistence.

The only kind of coercion I recommend is mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon by the majority of the people affected.

It takes five years for a willing person's mind to change. Have patience with yourself and others when treading in an area protected by a taboo.

The greatest folly is to accept expert statements uncritically. At the very least, we should always seek another opinion.

Value is a relative concept: the value of each action is determined by comparing it with other possible actions.

The essence of dramatic tragedy is not unhappiness. It resides in the solemnity of the remorseless working of things.

Why are ecologists and environmentalists so feared and hated? This is because in part what they have to say is new to the general public, and the new is always alarming.

A coldly rationalist individualist can deny that he has any obligation to make sacrifices for the future.

Every measured thing is part of a web of variables more richly interconnected than we know.