Man's needs are infinite, and infinitude can be achieved only in the spiritual realm, never in the material.
E. F. SchumacherRead
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.'
Similar quotes
I took the other road, all right, but only because it was the easy road for me, the way I wanted to go. If I've encountered some unnecessary resistance that's because most of the traffic is going the other way.
Edward AbbeyRead
Inherent in the impulse to be free, is insecurity. The impulse to be free comes from outside of the mind, and because of this, it makes the mind feel very insecure. Most spiritual seekers move away from this insecurity by seeking and striving for a distant spiritual goal. That's how they avoid feeling insecure.
AdyashantiRead
Are there other people who, when watching a documentary set in a prison, secretly think, as I have, 'Wish I had all that time to read'?
Zadie SmithRead
A Conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words.
John LennonRead
There's something vile (and all the more vile because ridiculous) in the tendency of feeble men to make universal tragedies out of the sad comedies of their private woes.
Fernando PessoaRead