---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man, even if seriously sick or…"
description: "\"A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise of its higher functions, is and will be always a man ... [he] will never become a 'vegetable..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg"
---

#  A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise…

![“A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise of its higher functions, is and will be always a man ... &#91;he&#93; will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal,'&quot; the Pope said. &quot;The intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being does not change depending on their circumstances.” quote by Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg)

> “A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise of its higher functions, is and will be always a man ... \[he\] will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal,'" the Pope said. "The intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being does not change depending on their circumstances.”

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Every human retains intrinsic dignity regardless of condition; no one becomes less human.

**In simple terms:** Human dignity is constant.

Key Takeaway

Respect all lives equally.

Themes

human rights dignity equality

Mood

solemn hopeful

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- healthcare
- law
- education
- public policy

Key Concepts

intrinsic value ethical principle anthropology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we protect dignity in crisis?
- What policies affirm human worth?

A Different Perspective

Societal attitudes can undermine this principle.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Euthanasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/euthanasia/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Intrinsic value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intrinsic-value/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Personal dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-dignity/) [Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pope/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [Personal liberty is the paramount essential to human dignity and human happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/personal-liberty-is-the-paramount-essential-to-human-dignity-and/)

[Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/)

> [I make sure I get a lot of vegetables, a lot of fruit. I am a big fruit man; I am a vegetable man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/i-make-sure-i-get-a-lot-of-vegetables-a-lot-of-fruit-i-am-a-big-fruit/)

[Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/)

> [The normal food of man is vegetable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-normal-food-of-man-is-vegetable/)

[Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/)

> [There is no dignity when the human dimension is eliminated from the person. In short, the problem with pornography is not that it shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/there-is-no-dignity-when-the-human-dimension-is-eliminated-from-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The dignity of the human person is a transcendent value, always recognized as such by those who sincerely search for the truth. Indeed, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-dignity-of-the-human-person-is-a-transcendent-value-always/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The legal toleration of abortion or of euthanasia can in no way claim to be based on respect for the conscience of others, precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-legal-toleration-of-abortion-or-of-euthanasia-can-in-no-way-claim/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Laws which authorize and promote abortion and euthanasia are therefore radically opposed not only to the good of the individual but also to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/laws-which-authorize-and-promote-abortion-and-euthanasia-are/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The choice of euthanasia becomes more serious when it takes the form of a murder committed by others on a person who has in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-choice-of-euthanasia-becomes-more-serious-when-it-takes-the-form/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [As believers, how can we fail to see that abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are a terrible rejection of God's gift of life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/as-believers-how-can-we-fail-to-see-that-abortion-euthanasia-and/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, for example, risk reducing the human person to a mere object: life and death to order, as it were!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/abortion-euthanasia-human-cloning-for-example-risk-reducing-the-human/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [ Taking into account these distinctions, in harmony with the Magisterium of my Predecessors\[81\] and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/taking-into-account-these-distinctions-in-harmony-with-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Those who advocate euthanasia have capitalized on people's confusion, ambivalence and even fear about the use of modern life-prolonging technologies. Being able to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/those-who-advocate-euthanasia-have-capitalized-on-people-s-confusion/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Euthanasia and assisted suicide are never acceptable acts of mercy. They always gravely exploit the suffering and desperate, extinguishing life in the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide-are-never-acceptable-acts-of-mercy/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Laws which legitimize the direct killing of innocent human beings through abortion or euthanasia are in complete opposition to the inviolable right to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/laws-which-legitimize-the-direct-killing-of-innocent-human-beings/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/euthanasia-is-a-grave-violation-of-the-law-of-god-since-it-is-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

## More by Pope John Paul II

> [the path of goodness had a name it is called Love in it we find the key to every hope and has it's root…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-path-of-goodness-had-a-name-it-is-called-love-in-it-we-find-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Man always travels along precipices... His truest obligation is to keep his balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/man-always-travels-along-precipices-his-truest-obligation-is-to-keep/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The way Jesus shows you is not easy. Rather, it is like a path winding up a mountain. Do not lose heart! The steeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-way-jesus-shows-you-is-not-easy-rather-it-is-like-a-path-winding/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The Church must persist in the teaching transmitted to her by Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-must-persist-in-the-teaching-transmitted-to-her-by-christ/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [And Christ, through His own salvific suffering, is very much present in every human suffering, and can act from within that suffering by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/and-christ-through-his-own-salvific-suffering-is-very-much-present-in/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [“What is the difference between “creator” and “craftsman”? The one who creates bestows being itself, he brings something out of nothing— ex nihilo sui…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/what-is-the-difference-between-creator-and-craftsman-the-one-who/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The enemy of the human race...invented a means never before heard of, by which he might hinder the preaching of God's word of Salvation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-enemy-of-the-human-race-invented-a-means-never-before-heard-of-by/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Jesus Christ has taken the lead on the way of the cross. He has suffered first. He does not drive us toward suffering but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/jesus-christ-has-taken-the-lead-on-the-way-of-the-cross-he-has/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Do you think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/do-you-think-that-there-can-be-anything-greater-than-to-bring-jesus/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Do not be afraid to be saints. Follow Jesus Christ who is the source of freedom and light. Be open to the Lord so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/do-not-be-afraid-to-be-saints-follow-jesus-christ-who-is-the-source/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [Utilitarianism is a civilization of production and of use, a civilization of "things" and not of "persons," a civilization in which persons are used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/utilitarianism-is-a-civilization-of-production-and-of-use-a/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [ The world \[is\] tired of ideology \[and\] is opening itself to the truth. The time has come when the splendor of this truth has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-world-is-tired-of-ideology-and-is-opening-itself-to-the-truth-the/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The only struggle which religions can justify, the only struggle worthy of humans, is the moral struggle against humanity's own disordered passions, against every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-only-struggle-which-religions-can-justify-the-only-struggle/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-cemetery-of-the-victims-of-human-cruelty-in-our-century-is/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [The Church counters the culture of death with the culture of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-church-counters-the-culture-of-death-with-the-culture-of-love/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

[Explore all 525 Pope John Paul II quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

## More Animal quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

Mak\_786

> [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/)

[Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/)

[Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/)

[Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/)

[Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise of its higher functions, is and will be always a man ... [he] will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal,'\" the Pope said. \"The intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being does not change depending on their circumstances.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pope John Paul II"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevented-in-the-exercise-of-its/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animal"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevented-in-the-exercise-of-its/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/pope-john-paul-ii-485_animal_a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevente_2342630.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise of its higher functions, is and will be always a…” — Pope John Paul II",
                "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": "Pope John Paul II",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A man, even if seriously sick...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevented-in-the-exercise-of-its/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/a-man-even-if-seriously-sick-or-prevented-in-the-exercise-of-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
