We cannot well do without our sins; they are the highway of our virtue.
Henry David ThoreauRead
All around us, aspects of the modern world - diet, exercise, medicine, art, work, family, philosophy, economics, ecology, psychology - have begun a long circle back toward their former coherence. Whether they can arrive before the natural world is damaged beyond repair and madness destroys humanity, we cannot tell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the return to a more cohesive understanding of various aspects of life in the face of modern chaos.
Paul Shepard's quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of different spheres of human life, suggesting a trend of returning to a more coherent and harmonious understanding of our existence. He warns, however, that this resurgence in clarity may come too late if we do not address the damages inflicted upon the natural world and the potential descent into madness that could result from ignoring these issues.
Themes
CoherenceModern WorldNatureHumanityInterconnectedness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about environmental awareness, one might say, 'As Paul Shepard noted, all aspects of modern life must connect to preserve our world.'
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