Stabilizing the euro is one thing, healing the culture that surrounds it is another. A world in which material values are everything and spiritual values nothing is neither a stable state nor a good society. The time has come for us to recover the Judeo-Christian ethic of human dignity in the image of God.
Find people not to envy but to admire. Do not the profitable but the admirable deed. Live by ideals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote encourages individuals to seek inspiration from admirable people and actions rather than succumbing to envy, emphasizing the importance of living by high ideals.
Jonathan Sacks' quote highlights the distinction between envy and admiration, urging us to focus on those who embody qualities we aspire to. Rather than comparing ourselves to others with feelings of jealousy, we should look for role models whose deeds inspire us and lead us towards a life guided by noble principles. Living by ideals means prioritizing values that uplift us and others, steering us towards a more fulfilling life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to students, you can inspire them by saying, 'Remember to find people not to envy but to admire, and strive to live by ideals.'
More from Jonathan Sacks
All quotes βGovernments cannot make marriages or turn feckless individuals into responsible citizens. That needs another kind of change agent.
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Some years ago there was a study to discover the most stressful occupation. It turned out not to be the head of a large business, football manager or prime minister, but rather: bus driver.
The Holocaust survivors are among the most inspiring people I have had the privilege to meet.
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