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No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.
John Donne
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the interconnectedness of humanity, suggesting that no one is truly self-sufficient and we all rely on each other.

John Donne's quote emphasizes the idea that individuals are not isolated beings; rather, they are part of a broader community. Each person contributes to the collective whole, much like pieces of land that form a continent. This underscores the importance of relationships and the idea that one's existence and well-being are intertwined with those of others.

Themes

InterconnectednessCommunityRelationshipsSupportSolidarity

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about teamwork, one might say, 'As John Donne reminds us, no man is an island; we must work together to achieve our goals.'

More from John Donne

Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies.
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If poisonous minerals, and if that tree, Whose fruit threw death on else immortal us, If lecherous goats, if serpents envious Cannot be damned; alas; why should I be?
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Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
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I call not that virginity a virtue, which resideth onely in the bodies integrity; much less if it be with a purpose of perpetually keeping it: for then it is a most inhumane vice. - But I call that Virginity a virtue which is willing and desirous to yield it self upon honest and lawfull terms, when just reason requireth; and until then, is kept with a modest chastity of body and mind.
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