--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As humanists, we urge today, as in the…" description: "\"As humanists, we urge today, as in the past that humans not look beyond themselves for salvation. We alone are responsible for our own destiny and the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dan-barker-10701_aspiration_as-humanists-we-urge-today-as-in-the-pas_1040470.jpg" --- # As humanists, we urge today, as in the past that humans… ![“As humanists, we urge today, as in the past that humans not look beyond themselves for salvation. We alone are responsible for our own destiny and the best we can do is muster our intelligence, courage, and compassion to realize our highest aspirations.” quote by Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dan-barker-10701_aspiration_as-humanists-we-urge-today-as-in-the-pas_1040470.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dan-barker-10701_aspiration_as-humanists-we-urge-today-as-in-the-pas_1040470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dan-barker-10701_aspiration_as-humanists-we-urge-today-as-in-the-pas_1040470.jpg) > “As humanists, we urge today, as in the past that humans not look beyond themselves for salvation. We alone are responsible for our own destiny and the best we can do is muster our intelligence, courage, and compassion to realize our highest aspirations.” [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanists claim responsibility for humanity’s future, urging reliance on intellect, bravery, and empathy rather than external saviors. **In simple terms:** People must shape their own destiny with reason and compassion. Key Takeaway Act with courage and compassion. Themes humanism responsibility self‑determination ethics empowerment Mood hopeful determined inspirational Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - policy making - community projects - personal growth Key Concepts rationalism collective agency moral autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What role should institutions play in humanist goals? - How can compassion be measured in action? A Different Perspective Overlooks systemic constraints on individual agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspiration/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Courage Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage-compassion-502400/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Highest Aspirations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest-aspirations-873434/) [Humanists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanists/) [Humanists Urge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanists-urge-2429134/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Muster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muster/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible/) [Responsible Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible-destiny-2429135/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Urges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urges/) ## Related quotes > [We are all responsible for our own destiny, the decisions we make daily contribute to our future successes or failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/we-are-all-responsible-for-our-own-destiny-the-decisions-we-make/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [We are responsible for our own destiny. What matters is how we improve ourselves from this moment forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/we-are-responsible-for-our-own-destiny-what-matters-is-how-we-improve/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [“No longer did I need to be responsible for my own destiny, to worry about what to do today, tomorrow, next year. I needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/no-longer-did-i-need-to-be-responsible-for-my-own-destiny-to-worry/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) > [“People always get exactly what they believe to deserve, despite the fact that they may be unhappy with what they have. We are 100%…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/people-always-get-exactly-what-they-believe-to-deserve-despite-the/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [Even if it is true that all cultures share a common morality, why does this prove a supreme intelligence? After all, don't we humanists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/even-if-it-is-true-that-all-cultures-share-a-common-morality-why-does/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [“I always say my life’s quote is, “Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/i-always-say-my-life-s-quote-is-far-away-there-in-the-sunshine-are-my/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Because the world to-day is so constructed that no one can do what he would like to do, and he is forced, instead, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-moravia/because-the-world-to-day-is-so-constructed-that-no-one-can-do-what-he/) [Alberto Moravia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-moravia/) > [Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/far-away-there-in-the-sunshine-are-my-highest-aspirations/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [My highest aspirations as a songwriter are that people would sing my songs or know songs I've written sometime in as far into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/my-highest-aspirations-as-a-songwriter-are-that-people-would-sing-my/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/far-away-there-in-the-sunshine-are-my-highest-aspirations-i-may-not-2/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [What would you love to achieve and accomplish? What would you feel great about doing in your life? What meaningful goals would you wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelig-pliskin/what-would-you-love-to-achieve-and-accomplish-what-would-you-feel/) [Zelig Pliskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelig-pliskin/) > [Let us today seek to find that place within each of us where dreams are made, where our highest aspirations take shape. Let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/let-us-today-seek-to-find-that-place-within-each-of-us-where-dreams/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/far-away-there-in-the-sunshine-are-my-highest-aspirations-i-may-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You have given them an ideal to aspire to, embodied their highest aspirations. They will race, and stumble, and fall and crawl…and curse…and finally……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/you-have-given-them-an-ideal-to-aspire-to-embodied-their-highest/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [The history in our country speaks to our highest values of people who did not accept things as they are and go along with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/the-history-in-our-country-speaks-to-our-highest-values-of-people-who/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) ## More by Dan Barker > [“The next time believers tell you that 'separation of church and state' does not appear in our founding document, tell them to stop using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/the-next-time-believers-tell-you-that-separation-of-church-and-state/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Some theists, observing that all 'effects' need a cause, assert that God is a cause but not an effect. But no one has ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/some-theists-observing-that-all-effects-need-a-cause-assert-that-god/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [I threw out all the bath water, and there was no baby there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/i-threw-out-all-the-bath-water-and-there-was-no-baby-there/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [You keep accusing me of blasphemy all of the time, but I cannot be convicted of a victimless crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/you-keep-accusing-me-of-blasphemy-all-of-the-time-but-i-cannot-be/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [“Faith is a cop-out. It is intellectual bankruptcy. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/faith-is-a-cop-out-it-is-intellectual-bankruptcy-if-the-only-way-you/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [It turns out that the word atheism means much less than I had thought. It is merely the lack of theism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/it-turns-out-that-the-word-atheism-means-much-less-than-i-had-thought/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [I took about a year to fully adjust. Like there's a death at the family or a divorce, you don't just snap your fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/i-took-about-a-year-to-fully-adjust-like-there-s-a-death-at-the/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Freethought is respectable. Freethought is crucial. Freethought needs to be publicized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/freethought-is-respectable-freethought-is-crucial-freethought-needs/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Truth does not demand belief...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/truth-does-not-demand-belief/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [I have something to say to the religionist who feels atheists never say anything positive: You are an intelligent human being. Your life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/i-have-something-to-say-to-the-religionist-who-feels-atheists-never/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Freethinkers reject faith as a valid tool of knowledge. Faith is the opposite of reason because reason imposes very strict limits on what can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/freethinkers-reject-faith-as-a-valid-tool-of-knowledge-faith-is-the/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [There are many gods which Christians reject. I just believe in one less god then they do. The reasons that you might give for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/there-are-many-gods-which-christians-reject-i-just-believe-in-one/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Not thinking critically, I assumed that the successful prayers were proof that God answers prayer while the failures were proof that there was something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/not-thinking-critically-i-assumed-that-the-successful-prayers-were/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [Faith is not the result of fuzy thinking. It is the cause of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/faith-is-not-the-result-of-fuzy-thinking-it-is-the-cause-of-it/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [For my money, I'll bet on reason and humanistic kindness. Even if I am wrong I will have enjoyed my life, the existence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/for-my-money-i-ll-bet-on-reason-and-humanistic-kindness-even-if-i-am/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) [Explore all 64 Dan Barker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) ## More Aspiration quotes > [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Noise has taken the place of punk rock. People who play noise have no real aspirations to being part of the mainstream culture. Punk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-moore/noise-has-taken-the-place-of-punk-rock-people-who-play-noise-have-no/) [Thurston Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurston-moore/) > [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/) [Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/) > [Our task today is to bring India to the threshold of the twenty-first century, free of burden of poverty, legacy of our colonial past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-gandhi/our-task-today-is-to-bring-india-to-the-threshold-of-the-twenty-first/) [Rajiv Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-gandhi/) > [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [“Don't die without fulfilling your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/don-t-die-without-fulfilling-your-purpose/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [“Eschew evil and it's machinations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/eschew-evil-and-it-s-machinations/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [ One of the great crimes of the Bloomberg/Klein administration \[in New York City\] is that they've removed themselves from communities, as if communities have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/one-of-the-great-crimes-of-the-bloomberg-klein-administration-in-new/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [You boys know what tropism is, it's what makes a plant grow toward the light. Everything aspires to the light. 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Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) [Browse all 1,137 Aspiration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspiration/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As humanists, we urge today, as in the past that humans not look beyond themselves for salvation. 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