--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The notion is that human beings are born…" description: "\"The notion is that human beings are born, (as my Guru has explained many times,) with equivalent potential for both contraction and expansion. The ingr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_the-notion-is-that-human-beings-are-born_1285179.jpg" --- # The notion is that human beings are born, (as my Guru has… ![“The notion is that human beings are born, (as my Guru has explained many times,) with equivalent potential for both contraction and expansion. The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us, and then it's up to the individual (or the family, or the society) to decide…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_the-notion-is-that-human-beings-are-born_1285179.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_the-notion-is-that-human-beings-are-born_1285179.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/elizabeth-gilbert-131_balance_the-notion-is-that-human-beings-are-born_1285179.jpg) > “The notion is that human beings are born, (as my Guru has explained many times,) with equivalent potential for both contraction and expansion. The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us, and then it's up to the individual (or the family, or the society) to decide what will be brought forth - the virtues or the malevolence. The madness of this planet is largely a result of human being's difficulty in coming into virtuous balance with himself. Lunacy (both collective and individual) results.” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human beings contain equal capacity for good and evil; society shapes which emerges. **In simple terms:** We have both light and dark inside; choices decide which shows. Key Takeaway Cultivate balance, choose virtue. Themes human nature morality choice Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - family dynamics - social policy - mental health - education Key Concepts dualism potential balance Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals nurture virtue amid negative influences? - What societal changes support collective balance? A Different Perspective Balancing forces is complex, often hindered by systemic pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Darkness And Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness-and-light/) [Guru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guru/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light and darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-and-darkness/) [Lunacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunacy/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Malevolence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malevolence/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) ## Related quotes > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I focus a lot more on the collective than the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edinson-cavani/i-focus-a-lot-more-on-the-collective-than-the-individual/) [Edinson Cavani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edinson-cavani/) > [When you work with Mourinho, you have to know that the group, the collective is above the individual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-luis/when-you-work-with-mourinho-you-have-to-know-that-the-group-the/) [Filipe Luis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-luis/) > [Why should the railroad employees be parceled out among a score of different organizations? 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First, human beings are linguistic beings and, as we’ll show, live in concerns unavoidable for linguistic beings.        2. Second, human beings live in history:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-flores/1-first-human-beings-are-linguistic-beings-and-as-we-ll-show-live-in/) [Fernando Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-flores/) > [“Within Judaism we find divine beings who temporarily become human, semidivine beings who are born of the union of a divine being and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-d-ehrman/within-judaism-we-find-divine-beings-who-temporarily-become-human/) [Bart D. Ehrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-d-ehrman/) > [Beings who are born not only unaware of, but quite indifferent to, the aims and habits of the social group have to be rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/beings-who-are-born-not-only-unaware-of-but-quite-indifferent-to-the/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [All human beings are born entrepreneurs. Some get a chance to unleash that capacity. Some never got the chance, never knew that he or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/all-human-beings-are-born-entrepreneurs-some-get-a-chance-to-unleash/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) ## More by Elizabeth Gilbert > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/not-to-mention-that-i-have-finally-arrived-at-that-age-where-a-woman/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“The Buddha taught that all human suffering is rooted in desire. Don't we all know this to be true? 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I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) [Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. 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When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The notion is that human beings are born, (as my Guru has explained many times,) with equivalent potential for both contraction and expansion. The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us, and then it's up to the individual (or the family, or the society) to decide what will be brought forth - the virtues or the malevolence. The madness of this planet is largely a result of human being's difficulty in coming into virtuous balance with himself. 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