"Is there some principal of nature which states that we never know the quality of what we have until it is gone?"

Herman Melville’s pondering on whether a law of nature prevents humanity from recognizing the value of what it possesses until that thing is lost raises questions about human consciousness, perception, and the fleeting nature of satisfaction. The statement suggests a universal tendency, an almost inevitable psychological habit, whereby familiarity breeds complacency and gratitude is best recognized retrospectively.

Daily life offers countless examples. People may take for granted health, loving relationships, opportunities, or stability; only through illness, loss, distance, or disruption do they fully feel the depth of what was once simply assumed. Melville poses the issue as a sort of “principle of nature,” likening it to gravity or time, a force that exerts a quiet but inexorable influence over human awareness. Implicit is a sense of regret; real appreciation too often arrives after the moment for enjoyment or gratitude has passed.

There is a poignant irony at play. The very act of possessing something may, paradoxically, dull the edge of appreciation. Expectations rise; what once was novel or precious becomes woven invisibly into the fabric of everyday life. Only absence exposes these threads and reveals the quiet structural role they played. This phenomenon connects to broader philosophical themes. It asks if happiness and valuation are inherently backward-looking, if joy is forever shadowed by potential regret, or if mindful presence is possible.

Melville’s line can serve as both an observation and a warning. If humans are fated to underappreciate their circumstances, does wisdom consist in cultivating greater awareness in the present? Or is forgetting the value of what we have an unavoidable aspect of being alive? The truth may lie in the fluctuating nature of human attention, forever moving between remembrance, desire, and loss, with gratitude shining most sharply in moments bordered by absence.