Let me outline briefly as I can what seem to me the…
““Let me outline briefly as I can what seem to me the characteristics of these opposite kinds of mind. I conceive a strip-miner to be a model exploiter, and as a model nurturer I take the old-fashioned idea or ideal of a farmer. The exploiter is a specialist, an expert; the nurturer is not. The standard of the exploiter is efficiency; the standard of the nurturer is care. The exploiter's goal is money, profit; the nurturer's goal is health -- his land's health, his own, his family's, his community's, his country's. Whereas the exploiter asks of a piece of land only how much and how quickly it can be made to produce, the nurturer asks a question that is much more complex and difficult: What is its carrying capacity? (That is: How much can be taken from it without diminishing it? What can it produce dependably for an indefinite time?) The exploiter wishes to earn as much as possible by as little work as possible; the nurturer expects, certainly, to have a decent living from his work, but his characteristic wish is to work as well as possible. The competence of the exploiter is in organization; that of the nurturer is in order -- a human order, that is, that accommodates itself both to other order and to mystery. The exploiter typically serves an institution or organization; the nurturer serves land, household, community, place. The exploiter thinks in terms of numbers, quantities, "hard facts"; the nurturer in terms of character, condition, quality, kind.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Contrasts two mindsets: exploitative efficiency versus nurturing care, emphasizing long‑term sustainability over short‑term profit.
In simple terms: Exploiter seeks profit, nurturer seeks health and lasting balance.
Prioritize care and capacity over immediate gain.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- farm management
- resource planning
- community development
- environmental policy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can organizations adopt nurturing principles without sacrificing viability?
- What trade‑offs exist between efficiency and care?
Nurturing may limit short‑term profits and require more effort.