--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's possible to make sense of what's…" description: "\"It's possible to make sense of what's morally at stake in an appreciation of the gift of life, or the gift of a child, without necessarily presupposing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/michael-sandel-10344_appreciation_it-s-possible-to-make-sense-of-what-s-mo_1324201.jpg" --- # It's possible to make sense of what's morally at stake in… ![“It's possible to make sense of what's morally at stake in an appreciation of the gift of life, or the gift of a child, without necessarily presupposing that there is a giver. What matters is that the gift - in this case, the child - not be wholly our own doing, our own product.” quote by Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/michael-sandel-10344_appreciation_it-s-possible-to-make-sense-of-what-s-mo_1324201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/michael-sandel-10344_appreciation_it-s-possible-to-make-sense-of-what-s-mo_1324201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/michael-sandel-10344_appreciation_it-s-possible-to-make-sense-of-what-s-mo_1324201.jpg) > “It's possible to make sense of what's morally at stake in an appreciation of the gift of life, or the gift of a child, without necessarily presupposing that there is a giver. What matters is that the gift - in this case, the child - not be wholly our own doing, our own product.” [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moral responsibility for life’s gifts involves acknowledging contributions beyond oneself. **In simple terms:** Recognize shared responsibility for gifts. Key Takeaway Honor collective origins. Themes ethics responsibility life Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - parenting - charitable work - policy debates - education Key Concepts philosophy politics social theory Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your moral decisions? - What responsibilities arise from shared gifts? A Different Perspective Attribution can be ambiguous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Gift Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift-child-293643/) [Gift Of Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gift-of-life/) [Gifts of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gifts-of-life/) [Giver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giver/) [Giver Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giver-matters-4421953/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Make sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-sense/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Morally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally/) [Morally Stake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morally-stake-4421954/) [Products](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/products/) [Sense Morally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-morally-357855/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) [What matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-matters/) ## Related quotes > [“A lie distorts the image of reality. It is a delusion of the human mind which can disrupt an individual's sense of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eraldo-banovac/a-lie-distorts-the-image-of-reality-it-is-a-delusion-of-the-human/) [Eraldo Banovac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eraldo-banovac/) > [Within legal enforcement of "morality," there is no sense of how to morally, ethically, or fairly help people live safer lives. It's all about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terre-thaemlitz/within-legal-enforcement-of-morality-there-is-no-sense-of-how-to/) [Terre Thaemlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terre-thaemlitz/) > [For the gift of life, the only true thanks was in living fully, and facing death with honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/for-the-gift-of-life-the-only-true-thanks-was-in-living-fully-and/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) > [The gift of life is the gift to suffer sometimes and to embrace it, heartbreak and all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/the-gift-of-life-is-the-gift-to-suffer-sometimes-and-to-embrace-it/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [To be young is surely the best, if the most precarious, gift of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/to-be-young-is-surely-the-best-if-the-most-precarious-gift-of-life/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [A wise man once said, 'Every one of us is given the gift of life, and what a strange gift it is. If it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/a-wise-man-once-said-every-one-of-us-is-given-the-gift-of-life-and/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [Each day's a gift of Life divine a precious jewel that's yours and mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcleod/each-day-s-a-gift-of-life-divine-a-precious-jewel-that-s-yours-and/) [John McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcleod/) > [Remember always, he said, that nothing is as precious to us as the magnificent gift of life. Let the moon and the stars always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/remember-always-he-said-that-nothing-is-as-precious-to-us-as-the/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Life's a test, mistakes are lessons, but the gift of life is knowing that you have made a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/life-s-a-test-mistakes-are-lessons-but-the-gift-of-life-is-knowing/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [In gratitude for God's gift of life to us we should share that gift with others. The art of giving encompasses many areas. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/in-gratitude-for-god-s-gift-of-life-to-us-we-should-share-that-gift/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/it-is-possible-to-become-discouraged-about-the-injustice-we-see/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [A new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God's gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished-not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/a-new-generation-of-christians-is-being-called-to-help-build-a-world/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Contentment with life is not a feeling, but it is a decision we must make. Contentment does not mean that we never want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/contentment-with-life-is-not-a-feeling-but-it-is-a-decision-we-must/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [The saddest part about being human is not paying attention. Presence is the gift of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/the-saddest-part-about-being-human-is-not-paying-attention-presence/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [I always think about which blood drive was going on in Georgia that day when that husband or mom or school teacher rolled up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-taylor/i-always-think-about-which-blood-drive-was-going-on-in-georgia-that/) [Niki Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-taylor/) ## More by Michael Sandel > [It is true that the Jewish tradition emphasizes the moral mandate to save life. It also has a different position from the Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-is-true-that-the-jewish-tradition-emphasizes-the-moral-mandate-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [If parents are aiming at choosing children who will be good athletes, or great musicians, or who will get into Ivy League schools, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/if-parents-are-aiming-at-choosing-children-who-will-be-good-athletes/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Aiming at giving our kids a competitive edge in a consumer society - that, in principle, is a goal that is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-giving-our-kids-a-competitive-edge-in-a-consumer-society/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-fertilized-eggs-fail-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [What I really want for my children is that they be loved and that they be happy and that they lead a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/what-i-really-want-for-my-children-is-that-they-be-loved-and-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Economics has increasingly become the science of human behavior in general, and it's all the more unlikely to think that it can possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/economics-has-increasingly-become-the-science-of-human-behavior-in/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [The relief of suffering is a great good. The curing of illness and disease - these are great human goods. This is the mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/the-relief-of-suffering-is-a-great-good-the-curing-of-illness-and/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do not argue that nature is sacrosanct in the sense that we must never tamper with nature. That would disempower, really, all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-not-argue-that-nature-is-sacrosanct-in-the-sense-that-we-must/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Today if you look at most economic textbooks, economics is not defined by subject matter. It's presented as a science of social choice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/today-if-you-look-at-most-economic-textbooks-economics-is-not-defined/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-arguments-and-the-ethical-status-of/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/to-argue-about-justice-is-unavoidably-to-argue-about-virtues-about/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Very often when we aim at the best, or what we may think is the best for our children, we aim really at lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/very-often-when-we-aim-at-the-best-or-what-we-may-think-is-the-best/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share a common life. What matters is that people of different backgrounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/democracy-does-not-require-perfect-equality-but-it-does-require-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Parenthood is a school for humility. We can't choose the precise traits of our children, and that is morally important. It teaches us what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/parenthood-is-a-school-for-humility-we-can-t-choose-the-precise/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) [Explore all 66 Michael Sandel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## More Appreciation quotes > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [A very small percentage of the people in this world will actually experience and live today. So many people will be stuck on another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/a-very-small-percentage-of-the-people-in-this-world-will-actually/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [Stop chasing the things you want and embrace all that you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-chasing-the-things-you-want-and-embrace-all-that-you-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/appreciation-is-the-purest-vibration-that-exists-on-the-planet-today/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“My thank-yous always come out rather labored. I often don't give them at all. People do what they're supposed to do and then wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-thank-yous-always-come-out-rather-labored-i-often-don-t-give-them/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“Like gratitude, authentic appreciation in the workplace is a realisation that can be nurtured and accessed with daily mindful practice. By and large, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/like-gratitude-authentic-appreciation-in-the-workplace-is-a/) [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Recognize and appreciate little things, and enjoy what Life has to offer”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/recognize-and-appreciate-little-things-and-enjoy-what-life-has-to/) [Cesar Nikko Caharian III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-nikko-caharian-iii/) > [Men, when it comes to women, value diamonds and put no stock into copper. Diamonds are rare. You can find copper anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/men-when-it-comes-to-women-value-diamonds-and-put-no-stock-into/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) [Browse all 2,528 Appreciation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's possible to make sense of what's morally at stake in an appreciation of the gift of life, or the gift of a child, without necessarily presupposing that there is a giver. 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