Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness a more humane society will not emerge.
Vaclav HavelRead
Man is a part of the world, and his spirit is part of the spirit of the world. We are merely a peculiar mode of Being, a living atom within it, or, rather, a cell that, if sufficiently open to itself and its own mystery, can also experience the mystery, the will, the pain, and the hope of the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the deep connection between humanity and the world, highlighting our shared experiences and existence.
Vaclav Havel’s quote reflects on the intricate relationship between humans and the universe, suggesting that each individual is both a unique entity and a component of a greater whole. By acknowledging our interconnectedness, we can tap into the collective experiences of existence, encompassing both joy and suffering, as well as the deeper mysteries of life. This perspective encourages self-awareness and a deeper understanding of our place within the vast tapestry of life.
Themes
InterconnectednessSpiritExistenceHumanityMystery
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about climate change, one might say, 'As Vaclav Havel noted, man is a part of the world, reminding us to care for our planet as we are intricately connected to it.'
More from Vaclav Havel
All quotes →Ownership is not a vice, not something to be ashamed of, but rather a commitment, and an instrument by which the general good can be served.
Vaclav HavelRead
In my opinion, theater shouldn't give advice to citizens.
Vaclav HavelRead
Sometimes I wonder if suicides aren't in fact sad guardians of the meaning of life.
Vaclav HavelRead
The exercise of power is determined by thousands of interactions between the world of the powerful and that of the powerless, all the more so because these worlds are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both.
Vaclav HavelRead
Human rights, human freedoms... and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world... while the state is a human creation, human beings are the creation of God.
Vaclav HavelRead
Similar quotes
The cat joined the Re-education Committee and was very active in it for some days. She was seen one dag sitting on a roof and talking to some sparrows who were just out of her reach. She was telling them that all animals were now comrades and that any sparrow who chose could come and perch on her paw; but the sparrows kept their distance.
George OrwellRead
Life - the way it really is - is a battle not between Bad and Good but between Bad and Worse.
Joseph BrodskyRead
We might say that psychoanalysis revealed to us the complex penalties of denying the truth of man's condition, what we might call the costs of pretending not to be mad.
Ernest BeckerRead
It is inconceivable to me that a million or three million or half a million human beings will think and feel precisely the same way on any single subject.
Chaim PotokRead
When birds look into houses, what impossible worlds they see.
Don DelilloRead
To be ourselves we must have ourselves – possess, if need be re-possess, our life-stories. We must “recollect” ourselves, recollect the inner drama, the narrative, of ourselves. A man needs such a narrative, a continuous inner narrative, to maintain his identity, his self.
Oliver SacksRead