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About this quote

What does it mean?
Someone chosen by a higher power feels inherently separate from ordinary people and carries a visible mark of distinction.
In plain terms
A person favored by God stands apart from everyone else and is recognized by a special sign.
What can you take from it?
Spiritual calling often leads to isolation and a sense of being different.

Where it applies

  • religious contemplation
  • personal calling
  • existential reflection

Putting it to work

  • understanding mystics
  • interpreting spiritual experiences
  • analyzing religious texts

Questions to consider

  • How does a sense of divine purpose affect your relationships?
  • Can you feel chosen without feeling alone?

Another view

This view assumes a divine presence and may not apply to secular perspectives.

More from Ernest Renan

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  3. To be free in an age like ours, one must be in a position of authority. That in itself would be enough to make me ambitious.

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