To say 'I love you' one must first be able to say the 'I.'
Kira, the highest thing in man is not his god. It's that in him which knows the reverence due a god. And you, Kira, are my highest reverence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of the human capacity for reverence and moral understanding over mere worship of a god.
Ayn Rand, through this quote, highlights that the true essence of humanity lies in our ability to recognize and honor higher principles, such as reverence for the divine. It suggests that while divine beings may inspire us, it is our innate understanding and respect for these ideals that truly elevates us as humans. The quote also expresses deep personal admiration, suggesting that the speaker sees Kira as a representation of this highest form of reverence.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about personal growth, one might use this quote to emphasize the value of respect for higher ideals.
More from Ayn Rand
All quotes βThe difference between animals and humans is that animals change themselves for the environment, but humans change the environment for themselves.
It is my eyes which see, and the sight of my eyes grants beauty to the earth. It is my ears which hear, and the hearing of my ears gives its song to the world. It is my mind which thinks, and the judgement of my mind is the only searchlight that can find the truth. It is my will which chooses, and the choice of my will is the only edict I must respect.
What is the basic, the essential, the crucial principle that differentiates freedom from slavery? It is the principle of voluntary action versus physical coercion or compulsion.
One method of destroying a concept is by diluting its meaning. Observe that by ascribing rights to the unborn, i.e., the nonliving, the anti-abortionists obliterate the rights of the living.
I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue, it's safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adversaries.
Similar quotes
When this awareness grows, dreaming stops, by and by. When this awareness grows, the wheel moves slower and slower, because there is no point. You never move, so what is the point of travelling the whole earth? You remain the same; then desires slow down. One day it happens: the wheel is as silent, as unmoving as the hub. That is the point when enlightenment happens.
I have always regarded as a stroke of good fortune that I was not born or brought up in a small American town; they may be the backbone of the nation, but they are also the backbone of ignorance, bigotry, and boredom, all in vast quantities.
The past is not simply the past, but a prism through which the subject filters his own changing self-image.
Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release, the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure, and the comforter of him whom time cannot console.
In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty.
Whenever books are burned, men also in the end are burned.