The fate of the poor shepherd, who, blinded and lost in the snow-storm, perishes in a drift within a few feet of his cottage door, is an emblem of the state of man.
There is a moment in the history of every nation, when . . . the perceptive powers reach their ripeness and have not yet become microscopic: so that man, at that instant . . . with his feet still planted on the immense forces of night, converses by his eyes and brain with solar and stellar creation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects a pivotal moment of realization for humanity, when awareness and understanding reach their peak.
Ficino's quote suggests that there are crucial moments in the development of a nation when its people gain a profound awareness of the universe and their place within it. This enlightenment occurs before they become overly narrow or focused, allowing for a broader connection to the cosmos, symbolized by 'solar and stellar creation'. Such moments signify a unique blending of human consciousness with the vastness of existence, where intellectual and spiritual pursuits become intertwined.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about national identity, you might reference this quote to highlight moments of collective enlightenment.
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The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies
You cannot really have the world and hold on to it. It is all too temporary and the more you try to hold on to it, the more it actually holds you. By contrast, the more you hold on to the true and the good, the more you are free to really live.
Each of us carries a room within ourselves, waiting to be furnished and peopled, and if you listen closely, you may need to silence everything in your own room, you can hear the sounds of that other room inside your head.
Every luxury must be paid for, and everything is a luxury, starting with being in this world.
I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then.
If we move in mass, be it ever so circuitously, we shall attain our object; but if we break into squads, everyone pursuing the path he thinks most direct, we become an easy conquest to those who can now barely hold us in check.