It takes a certain ingenuous faith - but I have it - to believe that people who read and reflect more likely than not come to judge things with liberality and truth.
Humanism is the philosophy that you should be a good guest at the dinner table of life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humanism emphasizes the importance of treating life with respect and kindness, similar to being a considerate guest.
A.C. Grayling's quote conveys the essence of humanism, which advocates for ethical living and respect for others. Just as a good guest at a dinner table is considerate and aware of the needs and feelings of their hosts and fellow diners, humanists believe we should approach life with the same attitude of respect and responsibility towards all beings, recognizing our interconnectedness and the impact of our actions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community engagement, one might say that we should be good guests in our neighborhoods, honoring each other's contributions.
More from A.C. Grayling
All quotes βA human lifespan is less than a thousand months long. You need to make some time to think how to live it.
It doesn't have to be the Grand Canyon, it could be a city street, it could be the face of another human being - Everything is full of wonder.
Similar quotes
A conservative, I take it, is a man who despises vulgarity; but the argument which is concerned exclusively with calculations of success, and is based on blindness to the nobility of the effort, is vulgar.
What kind of times are they, when A talk about trees is almost a crime Because it implies silence about so many horrors?
Every established order tends to produce the naturalization of its own arbitrariness.
This is the great lesson that we are here to learn through myriads of births and heavens and hells - that there is nothing to be asked for, desired for, beyond one's spiritual Self (atman).
It is only human supremacy, which is as unacceptable as racism and sexism, that makes us afraid of being more inclusive.
Wood feeds the fire which burns it.