Circles Quote by Percy Bysshe Shelley
“You ought to love all mankind; nay, every individual of mankind. You ought not to love the individuals of your domestic circles less, but to love those who exist beyond it more.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: “Prometheus Unbound”, 1820
Universal love surpasses preferential affection; we should extend compassion beyond familiar circles to all humanity.
In simple terms: Love everyone, not just close ones.
Key Takeaway
Expand empathy beyond your circle.
Themes
compassion
universality
ethics
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- family relationships
- community service
- global activism
- interpersonal conflicts
Key Concepts
humanism
altruism
moral duty
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you practice love for strangers daily?
- What limits your empathy for those unlike you?
A Different Perspective
Love for close ones may conflict with broader compassion.
![“Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out of season, the hitchinker stood by the side of the road and levelled his thumb in the calm calculus of reason. [...] Why does my mind circle around you? Why do planets wonder…” quote by Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ae/jim-morrison-1692_bird_tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-in_18280.jpg)
![“[Wise men] have tried to understand our state of being, by grasping at its stars, or its arts, or its economics. But, if there is an underlying oneness of all things, it does not matter where we begin, whether with stars, or laws of supply and demand, or frogs, or Napoleon Bonaparte. One measures…” quote by Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1e7/charles-fort-11887_art_wise-men-have-tried-to-understand-our-st_19788.jpg)
