--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Philosophically defined, growth is the…" description: "\"“Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle of life to control its environment or, rather, to include more and more of its environment within the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg" --- # Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle of life to… ![“Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle of life to control its environment or, rather, to include more and more of its environment within the area of its own self-knowing. Perfect freedom of expression is the goal of all life. All things, both animate and inanimate, are striving for that…” quote by Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg) > ““Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle of life to control its environment or, rather, to include more and more of its environment within the area of its own self-knowing. Perfect freedom of expression is the goal of all life. All things, both animate and inanimate, are striving for that freedom which lies in perfect expression. It naturally follows that there is but one freedom – perfection. Every creature is a slave to those parts of itself as yet unresponsive to the impulses of its internal life principle. Every individual consequently is a slave to his own material constitution; he is a prisoner held in by walls of unresponsive substance. Thus the natural expression of the inner life principle is to refine and improve the qualities of its outer vehicles that it may the more easily control and direct them. It is evident that the more refined the substance, the more easily it is influenced by subtle forces. By a certain definite organization, consciousness equips its outer nature with organs of responsiveness, so that the lower self comes ever more nearly en rapport with its own Cause. A common example is the radio, which is a mechanical contrivance constructed according to definite scientific principles which enable it to pick up vibratory rates of sound inaudible to even the delicate mechanism of the human ear.”” [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Growth is life’s drive to expand self‑knowledge and master its surroundings, seeking perfect expression and freedom. **In simple terms:** Life seeks to know and control more of its world. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑awareness to expand influence. Themes self‑development freedom consciousness growth Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal development - education - technology design - spiritual practice Key Concepts philosophy metaphysics self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - How does expanding self‑knowledge change your actions? - What limits your ability to control your environment? A Different Perspective Perfection may be unattainable, leading to frustration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-expression/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Inner life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-principle/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Struggle of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [To be more free is the goal of all our efforts, for only in perfect freedom can there be perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/to-be-more-free-is-the-goal-of-all-our-efforts-for-only-in-perfect/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Our happiness consists in sharing the happiness of God, the perfection of His unlimited freedom, the perfection of His love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/our-happiness-consists-in-sharing-the-happiness-of-god-the-perfection/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Custom, then, is the great guide of human life. It is that principle alone, which renders our experience useful to us, and makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/custom-then-is-the-great-guide-of-human-life-it-is-that-principle/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [This concept of turning dying into flying is a metaphor for my basic life principle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-potter/this-concept-of-turning-dying-into-flying-is-a-metaphor-for-my-basic/) [Dean Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-potter/) > [God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it seems unreasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-does-not-require-us-to-understand-his-will-just-obey-it-seems/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God tells us to come boldly into His presence. We believes must pray with AUTHORITY! Coming confidently to God asking Him to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-tells-us-to-come-boldly-into-his-presence-we-believes-must-pray/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life without prejudice, were it ever to be tried, would soon reveal itself to be a life without principle. For prejudices, as we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/life-without-prejudice-were-it-ever-to-be-tried-would-soon-reveal/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [God allows adversity to mold and shape you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-allows-adversity-to-mold-and-shape-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Base thy life on principle, not on rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/base-thy-life-on-principle-not-on-rules/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [You must place obedience at the top of your priority list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-place-obedience-at-the-top-of-your-priority-list/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Science regards man as an aggregation of atoms temporarily united by a mysterious force called the life-principle. To the materialist, the only difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/science-regards-man-as-an-aggregation-of-atoms-temporarily-united-by/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [The Holy Spirit enables you to walk obediently before God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-holy-spirit-enables-you-to-walk-obediently-before-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man, who preys both on the vegetable and animal species, is himself a prey to neither. He too possesses the reproductive principle far beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/man-who-preys-both-on-the-vegetable-and-animal-species-is-himself-a/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Reshaping life! People who can say that have never understood a thing about life—they have never felt its breath, its heartbeat—however much they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-pasternak/reshaping-life-people-who-can-say-that-have-never-understood-a-thing/) [Boris Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-pasternak/) > [“If you throw even a cursory glance into the past, at the life which lies behind you, not even recalling its most vivid moments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/if-you-throw-even-a-cursory-glance-into-the-past-at-the-life-which/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) ## More by Manly P. Hall > [“In the burning orb of the sun dwelt the mysterious spirits controlling fire, and in honor of this great light, fires burned upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/in-the-burning-orb-of-the-sun-dwelt-the-mysterious-spirits/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“Plato defined good as threefold in character: good in the soul, expressed through the virtues; good in the body, expressed through the symmetry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/plato-defined-good-as-threefold-in-character-good-in-the-soul/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“The world is the schoolroom of God. Our being in school does not make us learn, but within that school is the opportunity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/the-world-is-the-schoolroom-of-god-our-being-in-school-does-not-make/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“Universals cannot become particulars and particulars cannot become universals, but universals exist according to degrees and particulars exist according to conditions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/universals-cannot-become-particulars-and-particulars-cannot-become/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“The criers of the Mysteries speak again, bidding all men welcome to the House of Light. The great institution of materiality has failed. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/the-criers-of-the-mysteries-speak-again-bidding-all-men-welcome-to/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“Every truly intelligent man and woman who is working to spread light in the world is christened, or Lightened, by the actual labor which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/every-truly-intelligent-man-and-woman-who-is-working-to-spread-light/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as Mason his religion must be universal: Christ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/the-true-mason-is-not-creed-bound-he-realizes-with-the-divine/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [“The ability to feel 'with' rather than 'for' is the essential difference between consciousness and emotion. When we feel for things we are emotionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/the-ability-to-feel-with-rather-than-for-is-the-essential-difference/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) [Explore all 9 Manly P. Hall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle of life to control its environment or, rather, to include more and more of its environment within the area of its own self-knowing. Perfect freedom of expression is the goal of all life. All things, both animate and inanimate, are striving for that freedom which lies in perfect expression. It naturally follows that there is but one freedom – perfection. Every creature is a slave to those parts of itself as yet unresponsive to the impulses of its internal life principle. Every individual consequently is a slave to his own material constitution; he is a prisoner held in by walls of unresponsive substance. Thus the natural expression of the inner life principle is to refine and improve the qualities of its outer vehicles that it may the more easily control and direct them. It is evident that the more refined the substance, the more easily it is influenced by subtle forces. By a certain definite organization, consciousness equips its outer nature with organs of responsiveness, so that the lower self comes ever more nearly en rapport with its own Cause. A common example is the radio, which is a mechanical contrivance constructed according to definite scientific principles which enable it to pick up vibratory rates of sound inaudible to even the delicate mechanism of the human ear.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Manly P. Hall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-struggle-of-life-to-control-its/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-struggle-of-life-to-control-its/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44e/manly-p-hall-44604_freedom_philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-st_305071.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle of life to control its environment or, rather, to include…” — Manly P. Hall", "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": "Manly P. Hall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Philosophically defined, growth is the struggle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-struggle-of-life-to-control-its/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/philosophically-defined-growth-is-the-struggle-of-life-to-control-its/#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 } } ] } ```