--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person is a person because he…" description: "\"A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.\" — Desmond Tutu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg" --- # A person is a person because he recognizes others as… ![“A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.” quote by Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg) > “A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.” [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Asserts that recognizing others’ humanity defines our own. **In simple terms:** Treat others as persons, you become humane. Key Takeaway Practice empathy and respect. Themes humanity recognition equality Mood hopeful inspirational Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - community building - conflict resolution - leadership training Key Concepts ethics social philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing others change personal behavior? - What actions follow this recognition? A Different Perspective Recognition alone may not change systemic injustice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Person Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-person/) [Person Recognizes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-recognizes-3533169/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Recognizes Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognizes-persons-3533698/) ## Related quotes > [I am a person who recognizes the fallacy of humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-am-a-person-who-recognizes-the-fallacy-of-humans/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“A strong person recognizes his mistakes and acknowledges them Een sterk persoon ziet zijn fouten in en erkent ze”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-jansen-easy-branches/a-strong-person-recognizes-his-mistakes-and-acknowledges-them-een/) [Jan Jansen Easy Branches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-jansen-easy-branches/) > [We can be human only together. A person is a person to other persons. We so desperately long for all of us to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-can-be-human-only-together-a-person-is-a-person-to-other-persons-2/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [We can be human only together. A person is a person to other persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-can-be-human-only-together-a-person-is-a-person-to-other-persons/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [A person is a person through other persons. None of us comes into the world fully formed. We would not know how to think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/a-person-is-a-person-through-other-persons-none-of-us-comes-into-the/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I love the idea that 'a person is a person no matter how small'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-the-idea-that-a-person-is-a-person-no-matter-how-small/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world. ~unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-the-world-you-may-be-one-person-but-to-one-person-you-may-be-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In person, I am a person who doesn't talk about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akhil-akkineni/in-person-i-am-a-person-who-doesn-t-talk-about-myself/) [Akhil Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akhil-akkineni/) > [“I sounded like Horton the Elephant. "A person is a person no matter how small." What the hell was I doing standing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-sounded-like-horton-the-elephant-a-person-is-a-person-no-matter-how/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Im A Person That Doesnt Speak Upon Her Pain & Hurt. But Yet holds It All In. Im A Person. A Person Who Deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smilethroughitall/im-a-person-that-doesnt-speak-upon-her-pain-hurt-but-yet-holds-it-all/) [SmileThroughItAll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smilethroughitall/) > [“Life As A Human Being I’m learning to let things be and I’m learning to look at life as a person a person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rania-naim/life-as-a-human-being-i-m-learning-to-let-things-be-and-i-m-learning/) [Rania Naim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rania-naim/) > [A person's a person, no matter how tall. (P.S. I am tall)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/citlalli-v/a-person-s-a-person-no-matter-how-tall-p-s-i-am-tall/) [Citlalli V](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/citlalli-v/) > [An irresponsible person is a person who makes vague promises, then breaks his word, blames it on circumstances and expects other people to forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/an-irresponsible-person-is-a-person-who-makes-vague-promises-then/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [I believe in person to person. Every person is Christ to me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-believe-in-person-to-person-every-person-is-christ-to-me-and-since/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-downs/happy-person-is-not-a-person-in-a-certain-set-of-circumstances-but/) [Hugh Downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-downs/) ## More by Desmond Tutu > [Each of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God's hands. And God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-of-us-is-precious-to-god-because-each-of-us-has-their-name/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Freedom and liberty lose out by default because good people are not vigilant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/freedom-and-liberty-lose-out-by-default-because-good-people-are-not/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [We shall be free only together, black and white. We shall survive only together, black and white. We can be human only together, black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/we-shall-be-free-only-together-black-and-white-we-shall-survive-only/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Many people would be surprised that, in fact, I'm quite shy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/many-people-would-be-surprised-that-in-fact-i-m-quite-shy/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Too many people think that reconciliation means you soft-pedal differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/too-many-people-think-that-reconciliation-means-you-soft-pedal/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Our Christian faith is actually very subversive of the conventional notion of success - the notion that what invests a person with worth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/our-christian-faith-is-actually-very-subversive-of-the-conventional/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Every situation of justice is an occasion where someone is being humiliated and they want to restore their dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/every-situation-of-justice-is-an-occasion-where-someone-is-being/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Race should not be used to claim privileges and rights for one group, exclusively, which are denied other different groups. Then that is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/race-should-not-be-used-to-claim-privileges-and-rights-for-one-group/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [People are able to justify immense cruelty and say that it is something that is sanctioned by their faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/people-are-able-to-justify-immense-cruelty-and-say-that-it-is/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [South Africa, so utterly improbably, is a beacon of hope in a dark and troubled world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/south-africa-so-utterly-improbably-is-a-beacon-of-hope-in-a-dark-and/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I don't often want to speak. I try to be a reasonable person and to be diplomatic, but you go to that place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/i-don-t-often-want-to-speak-i-try-to-be-a-reasonable-person-and-to-be/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“child of God, known by name and whose very hairs are numbered. Praise and adore God and thank him for ever and ever. Amen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/child-of-god-known-by-name-and-whose-very-hairs-are-numbered-praise/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [To remain neutral in situations of injustice is to be complicit in that injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/to-remain-neutral-in-situations-of-injustice-is-to-be-complicit-in/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [It's a fantastic thing that from moment to the next moment if God were to have stopped for a split second we would disintegrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/it-s-a-fantastic-thing-that-from-moment-to-the-next-moment-if-god/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Once lost, trust can only be regained if we are as good as our word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/once-lost-trust-can-only-be-regained-if-we-are-as-good-as-our-word/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) [Explore all 558 Desmond Tutu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## More Person quotes > [“Always resemble yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-white/always-resemble-yourself/) [Cynthia White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-white/) > [“They're threatened by you,' she said. 'You chose to do something they'd never have the gumption to choose for themselves. Being their own person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/they-re-threatened-by-you-she-said-you-chose-to-do-something-they-d/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/) [Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Sometimes, the person you trust most is the one who trusts you the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-the-person-you-trust-most-is-the-one-who-trusts-you-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I sound New York. I sound East Coast much more than a blonde person from L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kavner/i-sound-new-york-i-sound-east-coast-much-more-than-a-blonde-person/) [Julie Kavner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kavner/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [I'd love to talk to myself at 40 and see what I've achieved and what I feel... but I will just be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/i-d-love-to-talk-to-myself-at-40-and-see-what-i-ve-achieved-and-what/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [I'm not the sort of person who would want to just lie on the sofa watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-m-not-the-sort-of-person-who-would-want-to-just-lie-on-the-sofa/) [Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“if you act (and dress) as if you have a fascinating inner life, you may soon find that you actually do—and that you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-act-and-dress-as-if-you-have-a-fascinating-inner-life-you-may/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) [Browse all 19,722 Person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Desmond Tutu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recognizes-others-as-persons/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recognizes-others-as-persons/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/desmond-tutu-442_persons_a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recogniz_1190793.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.” — Desmond Tutu", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Desmond Tutu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A person is a person because...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recognizes-others-as-persons/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/a-person-is-a-person-because-he-recognizes-others-as-persons/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```