--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is born into this world with only a…" description: "\"A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/chaim-potok-2254_born_a-man-is-born-into-this-world-with-only_1496478.png" --- # A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of… ![“A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The spark must be guarded like a treasure, it must be nurtured, it must be fanned into flame. It must learn to seek out other sparks, it must dominate…” quote by Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/chaim-potok-2254_born_a-man-is-born-into-this-world-with-only_1496478.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/chaim-potok-2254_born_a-man-is-born-into-this-world-with-only_1496478.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/chaim-potok-2254_born_a-man-is-born-into-this-world-with-only_1496478.png) > “A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell. The spark must be guarded like a treasure, it must be nurtured, it must be fanned into flame. It must learn to seek out other sparks, it must dominate the shell. Anything can be a shell, Reuven. Anything. Indifference, laziness, brutality, and genius. Yes, even a great mind can be a shell and choke the spark.” [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature contains a small innate goodness that must be protected and cultivated against surrounding negativity. **In simple terms:** A tiny spark of goodness exists within each person. Key Takeaway Guard and nurture your inner goodness. Themes human nature goodness corruption self‑development Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - education - leadership - overcoming cynicism Key Concepts spirituality psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you identify your own “shells”? - What practices keep your spark alive? A Different Perspective Even with nurture, external influences can overwhelm the spark. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Brutality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutality/) [Choke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choke/) [Choke Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choke-spark-5475992/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Goodness Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness-spark-5475993/) [Great minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-minds/) [Guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarded/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Laziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laziness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Shell Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shell-spark-5475995/) [Shells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shells/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spark God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spark-god-285499/) [Spark Guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spark-guarded-5475994/) [Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sparks/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [This world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-world/) [Tiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny/) [Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure/) [Ugliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugliness/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Know that you are a spark of God and can exist fully only within the realization of that profound truth. As such, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/know-that-you-are-a-spark-of-god-and-can-exist-fully-only-within-the/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) > [Christ cannot light a single spark in the heart of an individual, without that little tiny spark being for God. He gives the light,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wigram/christ-cannot-light-a-single-spark-in-the-heart-of-an-individual/) [George Wigram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wigram/) > [I offer a genuine insight into how you can, and should, be a rational, science-believing human being and at the same time know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-haisch/i-offer-a-genuine-insight-into-how-you-can-and-should-be-a-rational/) [Bernard Haisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-haisch/) > [If we are just specks of dust hit by lightning, if we have no spark of God in us, why not just take whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/if-we-are-just-specks-of-dust-hit-by-lightning-if-we-have-no-spark-of/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [If a tiny spark of God's love already burns within you, do not expose it to the wind, for it may get blown out……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-tiny-spark-of-god-s-love-already-burns-within-you-do-not-expose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Each Warrior of the Light contains within him the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/each-warrior-of-the-light-contains-within-him-the-spark-of-god/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“What to call it - the spark of God? 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The calm and balanced mind is the strong and great mind; the hurried and agitated mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/remember-that-poise-and-power-are-inseparably-associated-the-calm-and/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [Great minds think alike because a greater Mind is thinking through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/great-minds-think-alike-because-a-greater-mind-is-thinking-through/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [College is such a unique time because you're learning a little bit how to be an adult. You're learning how to take care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/college-is-such-a-unique-time-because-you-re-learning-a-little-bit/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [It is thus hardly surprising that so many of the great minds in recent history have concerned themselves with economic matters. Indeed, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-zane-pilzer/it-is-thus-hardly-surprising-that-so-many-of-the-great-minds-in/) [Paul Zane Pilzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-zane-pilzer/) > [The power of duly appreciating little things belongs to a great mind...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/the-power-of-duly-appreciating-little-things-belongs-to-a-great-mind/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) ## More by Chaim Potok > [“DW: Some critics have written that they don’t admire your so-called simple style. You have contended that your writing is a result of much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/dw-some-critics-have-written-that-they-don-t-admire-your-so-called/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“I cannot pray. I talk to God through my sculpture and painting.' 'That's also prayer.' He smiled faintly, the morning sun on his face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-cannot-pray-i-talk-to-god-through-my-sculpture-and-painting-that-s/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [I don't work on my Sabbath. I write five-and-a-half or six days a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-don-t-work-on-my-sabbath-i-write-five-and-a-half-or-six-days-a-week/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [And these two elements are at odds with one another because Freud is utterly adversary to almost all the ways of structuring the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/and-these-two-elements-are-at-odds-with-one-another-because-freud-is/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“How should a Jew feel? There we went through the seven gates of hell for matzos. Here I stand in matzos over my head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/how-should-a-jew-feel-there-we-went-through-the-seven-gates-of-hell/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“In our time... a man whose enemies are faceless bureaucrats almost never wins. It is our equivalent to the anger of the gods in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/in-our-time-a-man-whose-enemies-are-faceless-bureaucrats-almost-never/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Seeds must be sown everywhere. Only some will bear fruit. But there would not be the fruit from the few had the many not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/seeds-must-be-sown-everywhere-only-some-will-bear-fruit-but-there/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“Basically it’s none of our business how somebody manages to grow, if only he does grow, if only we’re on the trail of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/basically-it-s-none-of-our-business-how-somebody-manages-to-grow-if/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“I walked the streets and tasted the golden sun that lay across the city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-walked-the-streets-and-tasted-the-golden-sun-that-lay-across-the/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“Millions of people can draw. Art is whether there is a scream in you wanting to get out in a special way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/millions-of-people-can-draw-art-is-whether-there-is-a-scream-in-you/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [“When the alternative is possible disaster, a man must gamble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/when-the-alternative-is-possible-disaster-a-man-must-gamble/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [I will go wherever the truth leads me. It is secular scholarship, Rebbe; it is not the scholarship of tradition. In secular scholarship there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-will-go-wherever-the-truth-leads-me-it-is-secular-scholarship-rebbe/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [… the world will indulge you just so long Asher Lev. Then it will stop. You will simply have to grow accustomed to that truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/the-world-will-indulge-you-just-so-long-asher-lev-then-it-will-stop/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate, that's the way the world is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/no-one-knows-he-is-fortunate-until-he-becomes-unfortunate-that-s-the/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) [Explore all 175 Chaim Potok quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. 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I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. 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