--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every form, not being the whole, must, of…" description: "\"Every form, not being the whole, must, of necessity, be imperfect; less than the whole, it cannot be identical with the whole, and being less than the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/annie-besant-2901_evil_every-form-not-being-the-whole-must-of-n_259636.jpg" --- # Every form, not being the whole, must, of necessity, be… ![“Every form, not being the whole, must, of necessity, be imperfect; less than the whole, it cannot be identical with the whole, and being less than the whole and, therefore, imperfect by itself, it shows imperfection as evil, and only the totality of a universe can mirror the image of God.” quote by Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/annie-besant-2901_evil_every-form-not-being-the-whole-must-of-n_259636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/annie-besant-2901_evil_every-form-not-being-the-whole-must-of-n_259636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30b/annie-besant-2901_evil_every-form-not-being-the-whole-must-of-n_259636.jpg) > “Every form, not being the whole, must, of necessity, be imperfect; less than the whole, it cannot be identical with the whole, and being less than the whole and, therefore, imperfect by itself, it shows imperfection as evil, and only the totality of a universe can mirror the image of God.” [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parts of reality are incomplete and flawed; only the whole can reflect divine perfection. **In simple terms:** Parts are imperfect, the whole is perfect. Key Takeaway Seek wholeness, not just parts. Themes philosophy theology perfection Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal growth - spiritual practice - artistic creation - scientific research Key Concepts holism imperfection divine metaphysics Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing imperfection shape your values? - Can you find wholeness in everyday life? A Different Perspective The whole may be unattainable, limiting practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Imperfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperfection/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [Considered logically this concept is not identical with the totality of sense impressions referred to; but it is an arbitrary creation of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/considered-logically-this-concept-is-not-identical-with-the-totality/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A Christian woman's true freedom lies on the other side of a very small gate...humble obedience...but that gate leads out into a largeness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/a-christian-woman-s-true-freedom-lies-on-the-other-side-of-a-very/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [The body is never more alive than when it is dead; but it is alive in its units, and dead in its totality; alive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/the-body-is-never-more-alive-than-when-it-is-dead-but-it-is-alive-in/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [I sometimes ask people, 'Can you be aware of your own presence? 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In other words, a really good piece of music is more than itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/a-composition-is-always-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts-in-other-words/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Every philosophy is complete in itself and, like a genuine work of art, contains the totality. Just as the works of Apelles and Sophocles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/every-philosophy-is-complete-in-itself-and-like-a-genuine-work-of-art/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [ The self is defined psychologically as the psychic totality of the individual. Anything that a \[person\] postulates as being a greater totality than \[oneself\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-self-is-defined-psychologically-as-the-psychic-totality-of-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) ## More by Annie Besant > [No philosophy, no religion, has ever brought so glad a message to the world as this good news of Atheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/no-philosophy-no-religion-has-ever-brought-so-glad-a-message-to-the/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [The Self in you is the same as the Self Universal. Whatever powers are manifested throughout the world, those powers exist in germ, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/the-self-in-you-is-the-same-as-the-self-universal-whatever-powers-are/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [When we recognise that unity of all living things, then at once arises the question - how can we support this life of ours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/when-we-recognise-that-unity-of-all-living-things-then-at-once-arises/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [In morals, theosophy builds its teachings on the unity, seeing in each form the expression of a common life, and therefore the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/in-morals-theosophy-builds-its-teachings-on-the-unity-seeing-in-each/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [Never yet has a God been defined in terms which were not palpably self-contradictory and absurd; never yet has a God been described so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/never-yet-has-a-god-been-defined-in-terms-which-were-not-palpably/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [After a study of some forty years and more of the great religions of the world, I find none so perfect, none so scientific,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/after-a-study-of-some-forty-years-and-more-of-the-great-religions-of/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [The human body is constantly undergoing a process of decay and of reconstruction. 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To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. 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