--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human wholeness can never be found in the…" description: "\"Human wholeness can never be found in the denigration of another\" — John Shelby Spong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png" --- # Human wholeness can never be found in the denigration of… ![“Human wholeness can never be found in the denigration of another” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png) > “Human wholeness can never be found in the denigration of another” [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wholeness arises from mutual respect, not by demeaning others. **In simple terms:** Respect builds wholeness. Key Takeaway Treat others with dignity. Themes respect humanity integrity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - community building - conflict resolution - leadership - education Key Concepts ethical philosophy interpersonal dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor others while honoring yourself? - What habits foster mutual respect? A Different Perspective Neglecting self-care can undermine wholeness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Denigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denigration/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Wholeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wholeness/) ## Related quotes > [Jesus' power is the power of human wholeness that ultimately opens, invites and enables human beings to step beyond defense lines where incomplete humanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/jesus-power-is-the-power-of-human-wholeness-that-ultimately-opens/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Wholeness does not mean perfection: it means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life. Knowing this gives me hope that human wholeness -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-j-palmer/wholeness-does-not-mean-perfection-it-means-embracing-brokenness-as-2/) [Parker J. Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-j-palmer/) > [Ours is not a culture that respects the sick, the old or the vulnerable. We strive for independence, competence, and mastery. In embracing such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/ours-is-not-a-culture-that-respects-the-sick-the-old-or-the/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [And a building must be like a human being. It must have a wholeness about it, something that is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-yamasaki/and-a-building-must-be-like-a-human-being-it-must-have-a-wholeness/) [Minoru Yamasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minoru-yamasaki/) > [“The existence of language is, in a way, a continual denigration of words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/the-existence-of-language-is-in-a-way-a-continual-denigration-of-words/) [José Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [“the worst subsistence humanism promotes lies in refugee of denigration on mere inventions for their own brothers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-rehman/the-worst-subsistence-humanism-promotes-lies-in-refugee-of/) Abdul Rehman > [The denigration of those we love always detaches us from them in some degree. Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/the-denigration-of-those-we-love-always-detaches-us-from-them-in-some/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“That there are fashions in admiration and denigration is inevitable; they should not however be followed at the expense of truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/that-there-are-fashions-in-admiration-and-denigration-is-inevitable/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [All contempt for the sexual life, all denigration under the concept 'impure" is the essential crime against Life- against the Holy Spirit of Life".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/all-contempt-for-the-sexual-life-all-denigration-under-the-concept/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The denigration of business hurts America, because the secret sauce for our economy is confidence. I don't want to hear that nonsense that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-denigration-of-business-hurts-america-because-the-secret-sauce/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [“I do not understand," said Pepe, "why humans use that term as one of denigration, when a bitch is one of the most beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waverly-curtis/i-do-not-understand-said-pepe-why-humans-use-that-term-as-one-of/) Waverly Curtis > [“... nothing is easier than to distance ourselves from great figures, whether through a negative interpretation or through idealization. Denigration and idealization are twins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-sharaf/nothing-is-easier-than-to-distance-ourselves-from-great-figures/) Myron Sharaf > [“Majority of people prefer a good name to a bad name, but to me, anyone can call me anything, as long as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/majority-of-people-prefer-a-good-name-to-a-bad-name-but-to-me-anyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [And these two elements are at odds with one another because Freud is utterly adversary to almost all the ways of structuring the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/and-these-two-elements-are-at-odds-with-one-another-because-freud-is/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Some say that you should not want money at all because the desire for money is materialistic and not Spiritual. But we want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/some-say-that-you-should-not-want-money-at-all-because-the-desire-for/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) ## More by John Shelby Spong > [The way that I see Christianity is that its role is to enhance the life of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-way-that-i-see-christianity-is-that-its-role-is-to-enhance-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Sins of Scripture is an interesting title; most people don't put sins and scripture together in the same title. It jars people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-sins-of-scripture-is-an-interesting-title-most-people-don-t-put/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“When a human life is open to all that humanity can be, humanity and divinity flow together as one. It was and is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/when-a-human-life-is-open-to-all-that-humanity-can-be-humanity-and/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I don't see Jesus as rescuing the fallen; I see Jesus as expanding the potential of life. The primary reason the old idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-don-t-see-jesus-as-rescuing-the-fallen-i-see-jesus-as-expanding-the/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible interprets life from its particular perspective; it does not record in a factual way the human journey through history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-interprets-life-from-its-particular-perspective-it-does-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [My basis of morality is this: does this action enhance life, or does it denigrate life? Does it build up or does it tear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/my-basis-of-morality-is-this-does-this-action-enhance-life-or-does-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [I want the traditional family upheld, but I don't want it upheld to the detriment of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-want-the-traditional-family-upheld-but-i-don-t-want-it-upheld-to/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We live in a very pluralistic society today. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, atheists, Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Christians like me. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-live-in-a-very-pluralistic-society-today-there-are-buddhists/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [We are in a survival mentality, and that's hard-wired into our humanity, because we are the winners of an evolutionary struggle of millions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/we-are-in-a-survival-mentality-and-that-s-hard-wired-into-our/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some people think prayer stops bullets or rockets or land mines. It doesn't. That's magic, that's not God. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/some-people-think-prayer-stops-bullets-or-rockets-or-land-mines-it/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. They're deviant only if you say that anyone who is different from me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/benedict-xvi-kept-saying-that-homosexuals-are-deviant-they-re-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [ I find it fascinating that Paul \[the apostol\], writing to the Galatians, responds to the question, "What does it mean to live in Christ?"… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-find-it-fascinating-that-paul-the-apostol-writing-to-the-galatians/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) [Explore all 236 John Shelby Spong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) ## More Denigration quotes > [“Majority of people prefer a good name to a bad name, but to me, anyone can call me anything, as long as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/majority-of-people-prefer-a-good-name-to-a-bad-name-but-to-me-anyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“... nothing is easier than to distance ourselves from great figures, whether through a negative interpretation or through idealization. Denigration and idealization are twins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-sharaf/nothing-is-easier-than-to-distance-ourselves-from-great-figures/) Myron Sharaf > [“I do not understand," said Pepe, "why humans use that term as one of denigration, when a bitch is one of the most beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waverly-curtis/i-do-not-understand-said-pepe-why-humans-use-that-term-as-one-of/) Waverly Curtis > [The denigration of business hurts America, because the secret sauce for our economy is confidence. I don't want to hear that nonsense that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-denigration-of-business-hurts-america-because-the-secret-sauce/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [All contempt for the sexual life, all denigration under the concept 'impure" is the essential crime against Life- against the Holy Spirit of Life".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/all-contempt-for-the-sexual-life-all-denigration-under-the-concept/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“That there are fashions in admiration and denigration is inevitable; they should not however be followed at the expense of truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/that-there-are-fashions-in-admiration-and-denigration-is-inevitable/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [The denigration of those we love always detaches us from them in some degree. Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/the-denigration-of-those-we-love-always-detaches-us-from-them-in-some/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“the worst subsistence humanism promotes lies in refugee of denigration on mere inventions for their own brothers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-rehman/the-worst-subsistence-humanism-promotes-lies-in-refugee-of/) Abdul Rehman > [“The existence of language is, in a way, a continual denigration of words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/the-existence-of-language-is-in-a-way-a-continual-denigration-of-words/) [José Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) [Browse all 10 Denigration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denigration/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Human wholeness can never be found in the denigration of another", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Shelby Spong" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-the-denigration-of-another/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Denigration" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-the-denigration-of-another/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/john-shelby-spong-1488_denigration_human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-th_1355013.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Human wholeness can never be found in the denigration of another” — John Shelby Spong", "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": "John Shelby Spong", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Human wholeness can never be found...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-the-denigration-of-another/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/human-wholeness-can-never-be-found-in-the-denigration-of-another/#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 } } ] } ```