QuoteProject
Every man lives in two realms: the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the duality of human existence between internal spirituality and external practicalities.

In this quote, Martin Luther King Jr. emphasizes the importance of recognizing both the internal realm, which encompasses our spiritual and moral values expressed through culture and religion, and the external realm, which consists of the tools and systems that help us navigate our physical lives. He suggests that a balanced understanding of these two dimensions is essential for meaningful living.

Themes

InternalExternalSpiritualityArtValuesExistence

In practice

Example use cases

During a philosophy lecture on the nature of human existence.

More from Martin Luther King, Jr.

This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
Music is the best consolation for a despaired man
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
Israel... is one of the great outpost of democracy in the world
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society... shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read

Similar quotes

If there's hell below, we're all gonna go.
Curtis MayfieldRead
It's a great responsibility before God, the judge who guides us, who draws us to truth and good, and in this sense the church must unmask evil, rendering present the goodness of God, rendering present his truth, the truly infinite for which we are thirsty.
Pope Benedict XviRead
While people are often content to criticize and blame others for what goes wrong, surely we should at least attempt to put forward constructive ideas. One thing is for certain: given human beings' love of truth, justice, peace, and freedom, creating a better, more compassionate world is a genuine possibility. The potential is there.
Dalai LamaRead
Some people operate in complete fear that they're gonna lose their stuff and their money. That sounds like hell to me. And then I guess some people operate with hands open, and maybe empty, but at least striving for a deeper understanding of what it means to care.
Adrianne LenkerRead
The day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has achieved independence
Mahatma GandhiRead
He'd once told me that the art of getting ahead in New York was based on learning how to express dissatisfaction in an interesting way. The air was full of rage and complaint. People had no tolerance for your particular hardship unless you knew how to entertain them with it.
Don DelilloRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.