All the great utterances of man have to be judged not by the letter but by the spirit - the spirit which unfolds itself with the growth of life in history.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Great human statements should be evaluated by their underlying intent and evolving context rather than literal wording.
- In plain terms
- Judge words by their spirit and growth, not just their literal text.
- What can you take from it?
- Look beyond literal words to understand true intent.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you distinguish spirit from letter?
- When does literal meaning matter more?
Another view
Spirit is subjective and harder to measure than literal text.
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