The man who has become a thinking being feels a compulsion to give every will-to-live the same reverence for life that he gives to his own. He experiences that other life in his own.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Thinking beings feel compelled to respect all life as much as their own, experiencing others' lives within themselves.
- In plain terms
- When you think deeply, you feel a duty to honor all life like your own.
- What can you take from it?
- Respect all life as if it were your own.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you treat others' lives?
- Do you feel connected to all living things?
Another view
It may be hard to apply this equally to all forms of life in practice.
More from Albert Schweitzer
A man is really ethical only when he obeys the constraint laid on him to help all life which he is able to succor, and when he goes out of his way to avoid inj…
Permalink to quote #27 The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing…
Permalink to quote #29 I must interpret the life about me as I interpret the life that is my own. My life is full of meaning to me. The life around me must be full of significance to…
Permalink to quote #26
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