Many biblical verses are like inkblot tests, revealing more about us than about the text in question.
Harold S. KushnerRead
I am quite confident that the most important part of a human being is not his physical body but his nonphysical essence, which some people call soul and others, personality... The nonphysical part cannot die and cannot decay because it's not physical.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of a person is more important than their physical body, as it is eternal and exists beyond the physical realm.
In this quote, Harold S. Kushner emphasizes the significance of the nonphysical aspects of a human being, such as the soul and personality, over the physical form. He argues that these nonphysical elements are what truly define a person, as they are everlasting and not subject to decay, highlighting the importance of inner qualities in defining humanity.
Themes
SoulEssenceNonphysicalPersonalityLife
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on personal development, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of inner growth over physical appearance.
More from Harold S. Kushner
All quotes →That is why we have to make room in our lives for people who may sometimes disappoint or exasperate us. If we hold our friends to a standard of perfection, or if they do that to us, we will end up far lonelier than we want to be.
Harold S. KushnerRead
Pain is a part of being alive, and we need to learn that. Pain does not last forever, nor is it necessarily unbeatable, and we need to be taught that.
Harold S. KushnerRead
Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter.
Harold S. KushnerRead
We cannot live without the knowledge that someone cares about us.
Harold S. KushnerRead
But at the end, if we are brave enough to love, if we are strong enough to forgive, if we are generous enough to rejoice in another's happiness, and if we are wise enough to know that there is enough love to go around for us all, then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know, we can reenter paradise.
Harold S. KushnerRead
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