I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself. To undermine a man's self-respect is a sin.
Interpretation
Respect for oneself is fundamental to a person's dignity.
This quote by Antoine De Saint-Exupery emphasizes the importance of self-respect and the impact of our perceptions on others. It suggests that we should not belittle or diminish a person's self-worth, as it is their own sense of dignity that matters most; undermining that respect is a profound moral failing.
In practice
In a motivational speech about self-worth and respect.
Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
Attitude is a paintbrush. It colors everything!
Water, thou hast no taste, no color, no odor; canst not be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself, thou fillest us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses.
In those days, I didn't understand anything. I should have judged her according to her actions, not her words. She perfumed my planet and lit up my life. I should never have run away! I ought to have realized the tenderness underlying her silly pretensions. Flowers are so contadictory! But I was too young to know how to love her.
When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.
When the body sinks into death, the essence of man is revealed. Man is a knot, a web, a mesh into which relationships are tied. Only those relationships matter. The body is an old crock that nobody will miss. I have never known a man to think of himself when dying. Never.
A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes anothers.
I enjoy the simplistic training and life in marathon. You run, eat, sleep, walk around - that's how life is. You don't get complicated. The moment you get complicated it distracts your mind.
Clearly I miss Him, having been brought up in religion. But now a man must be responsible to himself.
Male domination is so rooted in our collective unconscious that we no longer even see it.
Lukewarm people call 'radical' what Jesus expected of all His followers.
The will is not free - it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect - but there is something behind the will which is free.
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