"At last the best of artisans ordained that that creature to whom He had been able to give nothing proper to himself should have joint possession of whatever had been peculiar to each of the different kinds of being"
- Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
About this Quote
This quote by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola speaks to the concept of human exceptionalism. He is describing the concept that humans, unlike other creatures, have actually been given the capability to possess the qualities of all other creatures. This is a testament to the power of the divine, as it is just through the power of God that people can possess the qualities of all other creatures. This quote speaks to the idea that humans are special and distinct, which they have been provided a special present by God. It also speaks with the concept that people have the ability to discover and grow, and to become something more than what they were originally developed to be. This quote is a suggestion that humans have the prospective to be something higher than what they were initially developed to be, and that they need to make every effort to reach their complete capacity.
"Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality"
"The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and of wisdom"
