You must learn to understand the secret of gratitude. It is more than just so-called virtue. It is revealed to you as a mysterious law of existence. In obedience to it we have to fulfill our destiny.

—Albert Schweitzer

virtue gratitude existence

About Albert Schweitzer

Portrait of Albert Schweitzer

Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (German: [ˈalbɛʁt ˈʃvaɪtsɐ] ; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was a German polymath from Alsace. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. As a Lutheran minister, Schweitzer challenged both the secular view of the historical Jesus as depicted by the...

More quotations from Albert Schweitzer

Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind.

—Albert Schweitzer

living ethics compassion depth mankind

It was quite incomprehensible to me… why in my evening prayers I should pray for human beings only. So when my mother had prayed with me and had kissed me goodnight, I used to add silently a prayer that I had composed myself for all living creatures. It ran thus: "O Heavenly Father, protect and bless all things that have breath; guard them from all evil, and let them sleep in peace. "

—Albert Schweitzer

God belief prayer animals blessing human beings

A man who possesses a veneration of life will not simply say his prayers. He will throw himself into the battle to preserve life, if for no other reason than that he himself is an extension of life around him.

—Albert Schweitzer

wonder life prayer veneration

Very little of the great cruelty shown by men can really be attributed to cruel instinct. Most of it comes from thoughtlessness or inherited habit.The roots of cruelty, therefore, are not so much strong as widespread.But the time must come when inhumanity protected by custom and thoughtlessness will succumb before humanity championed by thought.

—Albert Schweitzer

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Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.

—Albert Schweitzer

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More quotations tagged with “existence”

Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist.

—René Magritte

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The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.

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Humans—despite their artistic pretensions, their sophistication, and their many accomplishments—owe their existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.

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I don't know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn't.

—Jules Renard

God existence reputation atheism

A God who let us prove his existence would be an idol.

—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

God existence idols proof

History

17 Jan 2015 Added