--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The intimate rapport with nature is one…" description: "\"The intimate rapport with nature is one of the most precious things in life. Nature is indeed very close to us; sometimes closer than hands and feet, o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/jan-smuts-29950_appeals_the-intimate-rapport-with-nature-is-one_582523.jpg" --- # The intimate rapport with nature is one of the most… ![“The intimate rapport with nature is one of the most precious things in life. Nature is indeed very close to us; sometimes closer than hands and feet, of which in truth she is but the extension. The emotional appeal of nature is tremendous, sometimes almost more than one can bear.” quote by Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/jan-smuts-29950_appeals_the-intimate-rapport-with-nature-is-one_582523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/jan-smuts-29950_appeals_the-intimate-rapport-with-nature-is-one_582523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/301/jan-smuts-29950_appeals_the-intimate-rapport-with-nature-is-one_582523.jpg) > “The intimate rapport with nature is one of the most precious things in life. Nature is indeed very close to us; sometimes closer than hands and feet, of which in truth she is but the extension. The emotional appeal of nature is tremendous, sometimes almost more than one can bear.” [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes deep, emotional connection to nature as essential and life, viewing nature as an extension of ourselves. **In simple terms:** Nature is intimately linked to human experience. Key Takeaway Cultivate reverence for the natural world. Themes environment philosophy spirituality Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - outdoor education - mindfulness practices - conservation activism Key Concepts ecology human-nature relationship Questions to Reflect On - How does nature influence personal well‑being? - What responsibilities arise from this connection? A Different Perspective May idealize nature, ignoring ecological challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appeals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeals/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Emotional appeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-appeal/) [Extensions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extensions/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands and feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-and-feet/) [Holism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holism/) [Intimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate/) [Intimate Rapport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate-rapport-4785160/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-nature/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-close-4785162/) [Nature Precious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-precious-3188625/) [Nature Tremendous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-tremendous-4785161/) [Precious things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precious-things/) [Rapport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapport/) [Rapport Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapport-nature-4785159/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/an-inexhaustible-good-nature-is-one-of-the-most-precious-gifts-of/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [“The entity should keep close to all of those things that have to do with outdoor activities, for it is the best way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cayce/the-entity-should-keep-close-to-all-of-those-things-that-have-to-do/) [Edgar Cayce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cayce/) > [Nature has always been close to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vatsal-sheth/nature-has-always-been-close-to-me/) [Vatsal Sheth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vatsal-sheth/) > [This is a photograph, so it is as you see: there are no lies and no deceptions. One can detect here, elevated to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/this-is-a-photograph-so-it-is-as-you-see-there-are-no-lies-and-no/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [Communism and fascism or nazism, although poles apart in their intellectual content, are similar in this, that both have emotional appeal to the type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-c-brown/communism-and-fascism-or-nazism-although-poles-apart-in-their/) [James A.C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-c-brown/) > [The genius of human society is in fact the ease with which alliances are formed, broken, and reconstituted, always with strong emotional appeals to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/the-genius-of-human-society-is-in-fact-the-ease-with-which-alliances/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [What I do respect is that Donald Trump knows that it is an emotional appeal and it might be emotional appeals that I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/what-i-do-respect-is-that-donald-trump-knows-that-it-is-an-emotional/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/no-one-can-persuade-another-to-change-each-of-us-guards-a-gate-of-2/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [Emotional appeals about working families trying to get by on $4.25 an hour are hard to resist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/emotional-appeals-about-working-families-trying-to-get-by-on-4-25-an/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [I don't remember the first image of a werewolf I saw, but I suspect it was the hybrid type, up on two legs, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/i-don-t-remember-the-first-image-of-a-werewolf-i-saw-but-i-suspect-it/) [Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/) > [In spreading his ideas, Plato was willing to employ emotional appeals, state propaganda, and the use of force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-spreading-his-ideas-plato-was-willing-to-employ-emotional-appeals/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Most of the arts, as painting, sculpture, and music, have emotional appeal to the general public. This is because these arts can be experienced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-lanczos/most-of-the-arts-as-painting-sculpture-and-music-have-emotional/) [Cornelius Lanczos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-lanczos/) > [Although I liked especially physics and mathematics for which I had considerable talent, I decided to study medicine. This profession had for me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renato-dulbecco/although-i-liked-especially-physics-and-mathematics-for-which-i-had/) [Renato Dulbecco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renato-dulbecco/) > [Preliminary drawings or sketches in oil or pastel often have an immediacy and emotional appeal far greater than the final canvas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mellon/preliminary-drawings-or-sketches-in-oil-or-pastel-often-have-an/) [Paul Mellon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mellon/) > [The big lie and monotonously repeated nonsense have more emotional appeal in a cold war than logic and reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joost-meerloo/the-big-lie-and-monotonously-repeated-nonsense-have-more-emotional/) [Joost Meerloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joost-meerloo/) ## More by Jan Smuts > [If a nation does not want a monarchy, change the nation's mind. If a nation does not need a monarchy, change the nation's needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/if-a-nation-does-not-want-a-monarchy-change-the-nation-s-mind-if-a/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [When I look at history, I am a pessimist...but when I look at prehistory, I am an optimist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/when-i-look-at-history-i-am-a-pessimist-but-when-i-look-at-prehistory/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [This is a good world. We need not approve of all the items in it, nor of all the individuals in it; but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/this-is-a-good-world-we-need-not-approve-of-all-the-items-in-it-nor/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [To me the greatest thing that has happened on this earth of ours is the rise of the human race to the vision of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/to-me-the-greatest-thing-that-has-happened-on-this-earth-of-ours-is/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [The mountain is not something eternally sublime; it has a great historic and spiritual meaning to us. It stands for us as the ladder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/the-mountain-is-not-something-eternally-sublime-it-has-a-great/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [If there was to be equal manhood suffrage the whites would be swamped all over South Africa by the blacks and the whole position…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/if-there-was-to-be-equal-manhood-suffrage-the-whites-would-be-swamped/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [History writes the word 'Reconciliation' over all her quarrels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/history-writes-the-word-reconciliation-over-all-her-quarrels/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [What was everybody's business in the end proved to be nobody's business. Each one looked to the other to take the lead, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/what-was-everybody-s-business-in-the-end-proved-to-be-nobody-s/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [...evolution is the gradual development and stratification of progressive series of wholes, stretching from the inorganic beginnings to the highest level of spiritual creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/evolution-is-the-gradual-development-and-stratification-of/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [In spite of the great advances which have been made in our knowledge, some fundamental gaps remain. Matter, life and mind still remain utter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/in-spite-of-the-great-advances-which-have-been-made-in-our-knowledge/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [Perhaps it is God's will to lead the people of South Africa through defeat and humiliation to a better future and a brighter day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/perhaps-it-is-god-s-will-to-lead-the-people-of-south-africa-through/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [A man is not defeated by his opponents but by himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/a-man-is-not-defeated-by-his-opponents-but-by-himself/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [Democracy, with its promise of international peace, has been no better guarantee against war than the old dynastic rule of kings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/democracy-with-its-promise-of-international-peace-has-been-no-better/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [Having no human companion I felt a spirit of comradeship for the objects of nature around me. In my childish way I communed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/having-no-human-companion-i-felt-a-spirit-of-comradeship-for-the/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) > [When in doubt, do the courageous things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-smuts/when-in-doubt-do-the-courageous-things/) [Jan Smuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) [Explore all 18 Jan Smuts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-smuts/) ## More Appeals quotes > [Quotations can be valuable, like raisins in the rice pudding, for adding iron as well as eye appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-bracken/quotations-can-be-valuable-like-raisins-in-the-rice-pudding-for/) [Peg Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-bracken/) > [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [It's an appeal as old as America and its presidency: This is an extraordinary country populated by hard-working, big-dreaming, freedom-loving people graced by God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-fournier/it-s-an-appeal-as-old-as-america-and-its-presidency-this-is-an/) [Ron Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-fournier/) > [I liked wrestling a lot better than boxing. 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An animal perfectly in harmony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-law-of-nature-we-overlook-that-intellectual-versatility-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,420 Appeals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appeals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The intimate rapport with nature is one of the most precious things in life. Nature is indeed very close to us; sometimes closer than hands and feet, of which in truth she is but the extension. 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