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200 words, community, depleteing resources, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Earth, environment, Man, resources, stewardship, wealth
Man is a wingless animal with two feet and flat nails. ~ Plato
I laughed out loud when I read this quote.
It’s like someone is trying to describe a human being to someone who has never seen one.
Or the first sentence an alien visiting our planet would jot down upon seeing his very first human. Something that might then be read by a youngster from a science book on the home planet of the visiting alien.
This description of man is so basic, so un-glorious, unremarkable, just another carbon-based lifeform noted in some being’s record of observations. Just another animal on the planet earth.
Could it be that is all that Homo sapiens (wise person) are?
Or is man a divine creature fashioned in the image of his creator? Does he have dominion over the earth and all its creatures. Does he have the responsibility to protect them and steward the earth’s resources for the benefit of all living things?
Or is man the Earth’s engineer and the Earth a mere machine from which he takes as much of whatever he wants, whenever he wants, just because he wants?
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
How would you describe man?
talktodiana 
To be human is to be imperfect its what we do when we fall that counts. This quote made me laugh Diana. But we are much much more.
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I agree Kath, we are much more and charged with a very important mission. ❤
Diana xo
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Fallible. Capable of redemption — in some cases.
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Seems to be the consensus Jim, thanks for weighing in! ❤
Diana xo
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I see you’re trying on a new set of clothes! I recognized the Chateau Theme. I use the same one on my programming blog. I really like the theme. Nice and clean.
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Thanks! I had Forever for a very short while and it displays horribly on mobile devices. 😉
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Hee, hee. “I’ve had Forever for a very short time…” I like that! XD
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haha I didn’t connect those dots!
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The original definition of man as a “featherless biped” was due to Socrates as described by his student, Plato.
The definition was well regarded until Diogenes plucked a chicken and brought it in to Plato’s Academy saying, “Behold! I’ve brought you a man.” After that, the bit about “flat nails” was added. 🙂
(BTW: Einstein never said anything about stupidity, infinite or otherwise. But both Frank Zappa and (SF writer) Harlon Ellison do have similar quotes about human stupidity. One compares it with the infinite universe, the other with the abundance of hydrogen.)
How I would describe man varies depending on my mood and what aspect of humanity I’ve most recently been subjected to….
“A virulent disgusting scum that infects the surface of the Earth!” works on some days. “The most amazing and astonishing thing to happen in the universe!” works on others. The reality is probably somewhere in between. 😀
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Yes how we feel can come into play for sure Smitty! ❤
Diana
ps. I love the polar extremes! 😉
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Diana,
Man – The most loved thought of God.
We are quite significant, despite what the modern world would have you believe.
-Alan
p.s. See my post titled: Food For Thought; if you haven’t yet done so.
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I will! If I remember ahaha – hey include the link to it here, would ya, Alan? ❤
Diana xo
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Will do. You mean your not one of my followers? (sad face) It’s http://www.amlifcar41.wordpress.com
-Alan
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I do! I meant a link to that particular post Alan so my readers could read it too. 🙂 And here it is: https://amlifcar41.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/food-for-thought/
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Thanks Diana. Appreciate you passing it on. I’ve just purchased and viewed the DVD on the subject, The Principle.” Quite eye opening.
-Alan
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Recently it seems that there is more to support the last of those curiosities on what we are….
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It has seemed that way Colleen. Here’s hopin’… ❤
Diana xo
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I remember clearly in high school a debate about ‘man’ (the species) compared to ‘man’ (the gender). For me, I take credit for the species when the world is all going well, then blame the gender when it falls apart!
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haha – a win/win then, Elizabeth! ❤
Diana xo
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He’s the guy that came up with the thought “sapiens”.
Couldn’t he have come up with something more juicy!?!
I’m no feminist, but I am getting a bit tired of the old way of referring to things in the masculine.
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Val, maybe it’s my age. Terms like Mankind always means everyone to me. I’m so sorry that I offended you. It was not my intention. ❤
Diana xo
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So offense taken Diana! Just an observation of language and the roots behind it. 💛
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How would I describe man, well the first word that comes to mind is complicated and generally no two are the same, not even identical twins
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Thanks for weighing in Jo-Anne! ❤
Diana xo
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How would I describe man? Inept.
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(smiling) I wonder would an alien visitor to Earth agree with you? Thanks for stopping by Jenny! ❤
Diana xo
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Man is greedy, lives for today without enough thought for tomorrow.
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Yes. There’s is a lot of greed and sometimes it sickens me, yet there is still hope. I’m reminded of:
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” -Helen Keller ❤
Diana xo
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I do not disagree. A wonderful quote. Guess you caught me in the heat of the moment.
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Oh I know that ‘heat of the moment’ place very well! 🙂
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Reblogged this on A Grateful Man and commented:
To me, men and women have the potential to be just about anything we wish to be, individually and collectively. Protectors. Destroyers. Users. Abusers. Givers. Lovers. Creators of pain and suffering. Healers. Each of us has a choice every minute of every day of our lives, and the love that even if we’ve made a lifetime of poor choices, there is nothing that says the very next choice we make can’t be a kind one, followed by many more of the loving ones. Thank you for the thought-provoking post, Diana. I’m re-blogging it.
With Love,
Russ
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To me, men and women have the potential to be just about anything we wish to be, individually and collectively. Protectors. Destroyers. Users. Abusers. Givers. Lovers. Creators of pain and suffering. Healers. Each of us has a choice every minute of every day of our lives, and the love that even if we’ve made a lifetime of poor choices, there is nothing that says the very next choice we make can’t be a kind one, followed by many more of the loving ones. Thank you for the thought-provoking post, Diana. I’m re-blogging it.
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Love your thoughts here Russ – thanks for the re-blog! ❤
Diana xo
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Perhaps our special gift is the ability to be whatever we decide. 🙂
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I like that take Graham. ❤
Diana xo
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I know what man is. I am still trying to figure out women. Einstein once said that there was only two infinite questions. Man’s stupidity and the universe. I would add understanding women to that list.
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haha Don I think men and women are more alike that different. ❤
Diana xo
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