Awe Quote by Michael Lerner
“Instead of a bottom-line based on money and power, we need a new bottom-line that defines productivity and creativity as where corporations, governments, schools, public institutions, and social practices are judged as efficient, rational and productive not only to the extent they maximize money and power, but to the extent they maximize love and caring, ethical and ecological sensitivity, and our capacities to respond with awe and wonder at the grandeur of creation.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Bottom Line, Michael Lerner, 2005
Productivity should be measured by love, ethics, ecology, and awe, not just profit or power.
In simple terms: Success includes love, ethics, and wonder.
Key Takeaway
Redefine success beyond money and power.
Themes
ethics
environment
creativity
humanity
Mood
reflective
optimistic
Type
philosophical
practical
When to use this quote
- corporate strategy
- public policy
- education reform
- nonprofit management
Key Concepts
sustainable development
values-based metrics
Questions to Reflect On
- What would a love‑centered metric look like?
- How can organizations honor awe while staying viable?
A Different Perspective
Balancing love and awe with economic realities can be challenging.
![“. . . the upsurge of Spirit is the only plausible way to stop the ecological destruction of our planet. Even people who have no interest in a communal solution to the distortions in our lives will have to face up [to] this ecological reality. Unless we transform our relationship with nature, we…” quote by Michael Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/390/michael-lerner-34328_contemplation_the-upsurge-of-spirit-is-the-only-plausi_1184799.jpg)
