Why be hostile to nature?" - Meaning and context.">
p. 8

Additionally, in the United States, we define manliness in terms of aggression. I think it must be because we're frightened. We put on a show of being tough guys, but it's completely unnecessary, you know. If you have what it takes, you don't need to put on an act, and you certainly don't need to beat nature into submission. Why be hostile to nature?

— Alan Watts

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Additionally, in the United States, we define manliness in terms of aggression. I think it must be because we're frightened. We put on a show of being tough guys, but it's completely unnecessary, you know. If you have what it takes, you don't need to put on an act, and you certainly don't need to beat nature into submission. Why be hostile to nature?" in the context of "p. 8" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Alan Watts" (Quotes, Out of Your Mind: Tricksters, Interdependence, and the Cosmic Game of Hide-and-Seek (2017)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Alan Watts

About Alan Watts

Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was an English philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion.