--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our defining gift as humans is our power…" description: "\"Our defining gift as humans is our power to choose, including our power to choose our collective future. It is a gift that comes with a corresponding m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/david-korten-12617_benefits_our-defining-gift-as-humans-is-our-power_177300.jpg" --- # Our defining gift as humans is our power to choose… ![“Our defining gift as humans is our power to choose, including our power to choose our collective future. It is a gift that comes with a corresponding moral responsibility to use that power in ways that work to the benefit of all people and the whole of life.” quote by David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/david-korten-12617_benefits_our-defining-gift-as-humans-is-our-power_177300.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/david-korten-12617_benefits_our-defining-gift-as-humans-is-our-power_177300.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/david-korten-12617_benefits_our-defining-gift-as-humans-is-our-power_177300.jpg) > “Our defining gift as humans is our power to choose, including our power to choose our collective future. It is a gift that comes with a corresponding moral responsibility to use that power in ways that work to the benefit of all people and the whole of life.” [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human freedom to choose shapes our collective destiny, imposing a moral duty to use that power for the common good. **In simple terms:** Choice carries responsibility for all. Key Takeaway Use your choices to benefit humanity. Themes responsibility choice collective future Mood hopeful serious Type inspirational ethical When to use this quote - political leadership - environmental activism - community planning Key Concepts ethics agency global stewardship Questions to Reflect On - How will you align personal choices with global well‑being? - What obstacles might hinder responsible decision‑making? A Different Perspective Choices can be limited by systemic constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-responsibility/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The future is not a gift-it is an achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-future-is-not-a-gift-it-is-an-achievement/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future. This is the essential challenge of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-future-is-not-a-gift-it-is-an-achievement-every-generation-helps/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Forgiveness is one of the greatest gift humans can give to others. It also helps in cleansing own clinging s to hatreds and ill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-is-one-of-the-greatest-gift-humans-can-give-to-others-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Time is God’s gift to us as humans”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-is-god-s-gift-to-us-as-humans/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“It is a gift we humans have, to hold on to beauty felt in a moment for a lifetime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-sankovitch/it-is-a-gift-we-humans-have-to-hold-on-to-beauty-felt-in-a-moment-for/) [Nina Sankovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-sankovitch/) > [Love is a gift. Mine comes in a box thats shaped like a coffin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f/love-is-a-gift-mine-comes-in-a-box-thats-shaped-like-a-coffin/) F > [“Every good and perfect gift comes from God”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible-society/every-good-and-perfect-gift-comes-from-god/) Bible Society > [Seeing is a gift that comes with practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-mills/seeing-is-a-gift-that-comes-with-practice/) [Stephanie Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-mills/) > [“Love is a gift. Mine comes in a box that’s shaped like a coffin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/love-is-a-gift-mine-comes-in-a-box-that-s-shaped-like-a-coffin/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [And every good artist knows that the gift comes from somewhere else, and it's there for a reason, and that's to make the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lee-burke/and-every-good-artist-knows-that-the-gift-comes-from-somewhere-else/) [James Lee Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lee-burke/) > [I was born with a great gift, and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-best/i-was-born-with-a-great-gift-and-sometimes-with-that-comes-a/) [George Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-best/) > [“Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light” (James 1:17 MSG).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/every-desirable-and-beneficial-gift-comes-out-of-heaven-the-gifts-are/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [I found that this life is a gift, and everything that comes with it is a gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/i-found-that-this-life-is-a-gift-and-everything-that-comes-with-it-is/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [“Love is a rare gift. It comes in many packages and forms, each one unique...each one a blessing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-a-rare-gift-it-comes-in-many-packages-and-forms-each-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sharing truth is not the kind of gift that comes in wrapping paper - ripped open once and, there, you're done. No, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/sharing-truth-is-not-the-kind-of-gift-that-comes-in-wrapping-paper/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More by David Korten > [Money is not wealth. Money is a claim on wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/money-is-not-wealth-money-is-a-claim-on-wealth/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [It is interesting to note that the 200 richest people have more assets than the 2 billion poorest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/it-is-interesting-to-note-that-the-200-richest-people-have-more/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [To create a world in which life can flourish and prosper we must replace the values and institutions of capitalism with values and institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/to-create-a-world-in-which-life-can-flourish-and-prosper-we-must/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [More humane societies are usually smaller, like the Scandinavian countries and Holland, where it is much easier to reach consensus and cooperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/more-humane-societies-are-usually-smaller-like-the-scandinavian/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [The EU will face problems similar to the US: an increasing gap between the citizens and decision makers in Brussels and a perceived or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/the-eu-will-face-problems-similar-to-the-us-an-increasing-gap-between/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [But in the past, US companies have been able to increase their profits through downsizing in the US, through colonizing other people's resources, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/but-in-the-past-us-companies-have-been-able-to-increase-their-profits/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [We can have democracy and a prosperous, just, and sustainable human future. 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