Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine invention.
Ninon De L'EnclosRead
If a man needs a religion to conduct himself properly in this world, it is a sign that he has either a limited mind or a corrupt heart.
Interpretation
A true moral compass should not depend on religious beliefs, indicating a flaw in one's character or intellect if it does.
This quote by Ninon De L'Enclos suggests that if an individual relies on religion to behave ethically and properly, it reflects either a lack of intellectual depth or a moral deficiency. It emphasizes the idea that morality should stem from personal integrity rather than institutionalized beliefs, hinting at the importance of self-governance in ethical conduct.
In practice
During a philosophical discussion on the nature of morality.
The Few assume to be the deputies, but they are often only the despoilers of the Many.
One man pins me to the wall, while with another I walk among the stars
Man sometimes thinks he's been elevated to be the controller, the ruler, but he's not. He's only part of the whole. Man's job is not to exploit, but to oversee, to be a steward. Man has responsibility, not power.
The appetite for power, even for universal power, is only insane when there is no possibility of indulging it; a man who sees the possibility opening before him and does not try to grasp it, even at the risk of destroying himself and his country, is either
God dwells wherever man lets Him in.
The history of our spiritual life is a continuing search for the unity between ourselves and the world. Religion, art, and science follow, one and all, this aim.
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