HAVE the very leaves, and our own bodies, this connection and sympathy with the whole, and have not our souls much more? But our souls are thus connected and intimately joined to God, as being indeed members and distinct portions of His essence.
EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §14. ¶1.
GOD hath universally so constituted the nature of every reasonable creature, that no one can attain any of its own proper advantages without contributing something to the use of society.
EPICTETUS. DISCOURSES. Book i. §19. ¶2.
SOONER mayest thou find a thing earthly, where no earthly thing is, than find a man that naturally can live by himself alone.
MARCUS AURELIUS. MEDITATIONS. Book ix. 7.
Summary: "We are so interconnected with nature and each other that we can not exist in isolation or excel without contributing to society."
ReplyDeleteAll parts of us are so interconnected with all of nature, that we should doubt that even the smallest living thing lacks some form of soul, or consciousness. This interconnection is even stronger between each other, such that we cannot even develop apart from other humans, and that we can't achieve our greatest potential without aiming at bettering others. In order to Fulfill The Promise of My Nature, I must focus my energies on contributing something to the society and environment which support me.