Exploring Profound Quotes on the Essence of the World and Humanity in Fullmetal Alchemist

“Who am I? You could call me The World, or The Universe, or even God, or simply Truth. I am all and I am one, meaning I am also you.”Translation: Who am I? You can call me “The World,” or “The Universe,” or “God,” or “Truth.” I am one, I am all, and that means I am you.Meaning: Truth is not beyond the reach of humanity. The world holds truth, the universe holds truth, and even individuals, like the Holy Spirit and humans, are no exception. Everyone holds a part of the truth within them, but that doesn't mean they can grasp the entirety of it. No one can achieve that.

“Open your eyes. 'God' is nothing more than a construct created by humanity to instill fear and establish order. If you seek to defeat me for all these atrocities, use your own hands to do so, not the hands of 'God'.”Translation: Open your eyes. “God” is nothing more than a creation of humans to evoke fear and assert authority. If you want to defeat me for all these heinous acts, use your own hands, not the hands of “God.”Meaning: God or the divine is a product of religion, a construct of human consciousness, and therefore, they do not inherently exist. The truth is that we cannot rely indefinitely on empty entities. If victory is desired, use your own hands to accomplish it.

“It's fascinating how feeble they are. They harbor an inherent fear of the dark. And how do they confront this fear? They merely feign its nonexistence. They evade it. How could anyone argue that humans aren't frail? It's an intrinsic trait.”
Translation: It's glaringly clear how inherently frail humans are. They possess an inborn dread of the darkness. And how do they overcome this fear? They simply pretend it doesn't exist. They flee from it. So, how can anyone claim that humans lack weakness? It's an inherent characteristic.Meaning: Humans are born with a fear, a primal instinct. However, most humans trivialize it and pretend it doesn't exist. In reality, failing to acknowledge one's vulnerabilities is humanity's greatest weakness.

“Really? And what about your twisted games? Don't deceive yourself, Mustang. You know how humans revel in watching others suffer while making fools of themselves. I mean, why else would you be incessantly engaged in wars?”
Translation: Is that so? What about your nauseating war games? Don't fool yourself, Mustang. You know how humans find pleasure in witnessing others appear foolish and endure suffering. In other words, why are you always present in wars?Meaning: The surface objectives of war may be money, fame, and power. However, deep within the dark corners of human nature, the driving force behind war is the desire to satisfy the pleasure derived from witnessing the misery of others, seeing them tortured in pain. That is the true essence of war.

“You desire to resurrect someone you've lost. Perhaps you seek wealth. Maybe you desire companionship. Ah, you probably want to safeguard the world. These are fundamental human aspirations. Things that their hearts crave. Greed isn't necessarily virtuous, but it's not entirely malevolent either. Humans often associate greed solely with money and power! However, everyone yearns for something they lack.”
Translation: You want to bring back a departed soul. You desire wealth. Sometimes, you seek companionship. Oh, surely, you want to protect the world. These are all basic human desires. Things that their hearts long for. Greed may not be entirely good, but it's not entirely bad either. Humans tend to limit greed to money and power! However, everyone craves for things they don't possess.Meaning: Greed isn't inherently good or bad; it's a characteristic humans have carried since their inception. Greed needs to be understood more universally, beyond money, power, and fame – greed encompasses all human desires for things they lack.

'Let me clarify this for you. You believe surrendering and sacrificing yourself will halt this war? How presumptuous! The life of an individual is only valuable to themselves, period. Neither more nor less.'
Translation: Allow me to explain. You think surrendering and sacrificing yourself will end this war? How arrogant! The value of a person's life is only significant to them, and that's it. No more, no less.Meaning: Some people believe their lives are more valuable than others, especially those in societal positions. But in reality, they are just human beings, and when death is imminent, no one is superior to another. A pessimistic yet accurate perspective on the essence of human life.

'Wrath and the like do not reside within me. There is no wrath, nor lust, nor sloth, nor greed, nor gluttony, nor envy; such emotions have fled from my father. My name is Pride.'Translation: Wrath or similar emotions do not exist inside me. No wrath, no lust, no sloth, no greed, no gluttony, no envy; those emotions have escaped from my father. My name is Pride.Meaning: Everyone possesses arrogance, and everyone can attain arrogance. We feel superior or possess something no one else has, and that is arrogance. Unlike the other six human vices, arrogance stands apart and is recognized by some as a virtue, even though all arrogance does is evade and deny all other flaws.

'But why?! I just wanted to comprehend the entirety of this world's knowledge. I yearned to experience it, unbound. I simply sought freedom! Freedom to know!'Translation: But why? I only wanted to grasp the full knowledge of this world. I wanted to immerse myself in it, freely. I just wanted to be free! Free to know!Meaning: At times, humans overly value freedom, believing it is the result of a strenuous struggle or breaking free from constraints. But no! Freedom is simply when we are allowed to know the truth that we have the right to know.

'Why does everyone make such a commotion over the death of a single soldier? The moment a soldier puts on the uniform, he acknowledges the reality that he might be laid to rest in it.'Translation: Why do people always fuss about the death of a soldier? The moment that soldier dons the uniform, he accepts the truth that he might be buried in it.Meaning: There is inherently no lofty death, no grand sacrifice. Human fate is a matter of personal choices, just as death will come in the course of time. No one can alter their past decisions or prevent death from arriving at any moment. It's an obvious truth, yet one that people often avoid confronting.

'They may indeed be tenacious creatures, but humans are susceptible to deception.'Translation: They may be resilient beings, but humans are easily deceived.Meaning: Humans are truly resilient creatures, which is why they dominate the world. However, it is their excessive acceptance of this truth that makes them prone to deception. Believing in their resilience, they think they can overcome everything. Believing in their resilience, they blindly accept challenges. This explains why humans, despite possessing countless virtues, still succumb to malevolent forces.