Each nationality contains its centre of happiness within itself, as a bullet the centre of gravity.
Johann Gottfried HerderRead
So says the most ancient book of the Earth; thus it is written on its leaves of marble, lime, sand, slate, and clay: ... that our Earth has fashioned itself, from its chaos of substances and powers, through the animating warmth of the creative spirit, to a peculiar and original whole, by a series of preparatory revolutions, till at last the crown of its creation, the exquisite and tender creature man, was enabled to appear.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote speaks about the Earth's evolution and the emergence of humanity as a culmination of creative forces.
Johann Gottfried Herder reflects on the Earth's intricate process of creation, suggesting that through chaotic elements and the creative spirit, Earth has transformed itself into a harmonious whole. The quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of all forms of existence and highlights humanity's emergence as a significant milestone in this grand narrative of creation.
Themes
EarthCreationHumanityEvolutionChaos
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about environmental stewardship, one might reference this quote to emphasize the importance of caring for our planet.
More from Johann Gottfried Herder
All quotes →Thus we build on the ice, thus we write on the waves of the sea; the waves roaring pass away, the ice melts, and away goes our palace, like our thoughts.
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The savage who loves himself, his wife and child with quiet joy and glows with limited activity of his tribe as for his own life is in my opinion a more real being than that cultivated shadow who is enraptured with the shadow of the whole species
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A poet is the creator of the nation around him, he gives them a world to see and has their souls in his hand to lead them to that world.
Johann Gottfried HerderRead
Those that embrace the entire universe with love, for the most part love nothing, but their narrow selves.
Johann Gottfried HerderRead
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