Skip to content
quotesby

'All human activity takes place within a culture and interacts with culture. For an adequate formation of a culture, the involvement of the whole man is required, whereby he exercises his creativity, intelligence, and knowledge of the world and of people. Furthermore, he displays his capacity for self-control, personal sacrifice, solidarity and readiness to promote the common good.'

John Paul II (Pope)#5

HumanityCultureGrowthResponsibilityCreativityService

WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)X (opens in a new tab)

About this quote

What does it mean?
Human activity happens within culture and requires the whole person to shape it well. This includes creativity, intelligence, self-control, and promoting the common good.
In plain terms
Building a good culture needs all of you: your mind, creativity, and willingness to serve others.
What can you take from it?
Develop your whole self to contribute positively to your culture.

Where it applies

  • community work
  • personal growth
  • leadership

Putting it to work

  • cultivate creativity
  • practice self-control
  • promote common good

Questions to consider

  • What part of yourself do you bring to your culture?
  • How can you serve the common good?

Another view

This assumes everyone has the capacity and opportunity to fully participate in cultural formation.

More from John Paul II (Pope)

  1. 'Science develops best when its concepts and conclusions are integrated into the broader human culture and its concerns for ultimate meaning and value. Scienti…

    Permalink to quote #4

  2. 'Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftin…

    Permalink to quote #6

  3. 'The Jewish religion is not extrinsic to us but in a certain way intrinsic to our own religion. With Judaism, therefore, we have a relationship which we do not…

    Permalink to quote #3

Related quotes

  1. We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.

    Bill HicksBill Hicks quote #98

  2. I have understood and felt that world literature is no longer an abstract anthology, nor a generalization invented by literary historians; it is rather a certa…

    Alexander SolzhenitsynAlexander Solzhenitsyn quote #32

  3. 'What is it that separates human beings from the so called lower animals? Well as I see it, it's exactly one half dozen significant things: Humor, Imagination,…

    Tom RobbinsTom Robbins quote #106