"Contemplation and wisdom are highest achievements and man is not totally at home with them"
- Gabriel Marcel
About this Quote
This quote by Gabriel Marcel talks to the idea that consideration and wisdom are the highest accomplishments that an individual can achieve. He suggests that although these are the highest accomplishments, they are not something that comes naturally to human beings. Instead, they require effort and dedication to accomplish. Reflection and knowledge need an individual to look inward and assess their life and the world around them. It is a procedure of self-discovery and understanding. Knowledge is the ability to make sound choices and judgments based upon knowledge and experience. It is the ability to believe critically and objectively. Reflection is the process of reviewing one's life and the world around them. It is a procedure of understanding and acquiring insight into the world and one's location in it. Both of these accomplishments need an individual to be open up to originalities and to be happy to challenge their own beliefs. They need a person to be happy to discover and grow. Eventually, Gabriel Marcel is suggesting that although these are the highest accomplishments, they are not something that comes quickly to human beings. It requires effort and commitment to attain.
"Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made"
"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"