Human beings are no longer born to their place in life...but are free to employ their faculties and such favorable chances as offer, to achieve the lot which may appear to them as desirable.
John Stuart MillRead
Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life.
Interpretation
All living beings deserve respect and gentle treatment, as life is precious and short.
Elizabeth Goudge emphasizes the importance of respecting all forms of life, whether human, animal, or plant. She suggests that contempt towards living beings is unacceptable and highlights that civilization is defined by our ability to show respect and kindness towards others, reminding us that life is fleeting and should be cherished.
In practice
A speaker at a wildlife conservation event might quote this to advocate for animal rights.
Human beings are no longer born to their place in life...but are free to employ their faculties and such favorable chances as offer, to achieve the lot which may appear to them as desirable.
People are ridiculous only when they try or seem to be that which they are not.
While violence is part of what it means to be part of the black diaspora in the United States, that is not all it means to be black.
You have to have hope. It's irresponsible to give false hope, which I think a lot of playwrights are guilty of. But I also think it's irresponsible to simply be a nihilist, which quite a lot of playwrights, especially playwrights younger than me, have become guilty of.
Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely.
One should always have one's boots on and be ready to leave.
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