--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a glorious destiny to be a member…" description: "\"It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg" --- # It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race… ![“It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg) > “It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity is noble yet flawed, capable of greatness and absurdity, making mistakes that shape our collective story. **In simple terms:** Humans are great but often foolish, making big errors. Key Takeaway Embrace humility while striving for better. Themes humanity absurdity mistakes Mood hopeful critical Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - social activism - education reform - personal growth - policy making Key Concepts philosophy ethics collective consciousness Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities arise from our shared flaws? - How can we balance hope with realism? A Different Perspective Idealism may overlook practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurdities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdities/) [Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) [Dedicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dedicated/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [Few things are more powerful than learning to trust that your path to a fulfilled life - and the glorious destiny that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stryker/few-things-are-more-powerful-than-learning-to-trust-that-your-path-to/) [Rod Stryker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stryker/) > [We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-share-one-heart-one-home-and-one-glorious-destiny/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“When a man has once brought himself to accept uncritically all the absurdities that religious doctrines put before him and even to overlook the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/when-a-man-has-once-brought-himself-to-accept-uncritically-all-the/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [The most pernicious of absurdities is that weak, blind, stupid faith is better than the constant practice of every human virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-most-pernicious-of-absurdities-is-that-weak-blind-stupid-faith-is/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The idea that each corporation can be a feudal monarchy and yet behave in its corporate action like a democratic citizen concerned for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-each-corporation-can-be-a-feudal-monarchy-and-yet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“More absurdity in myself, endless absurdities. My own childishness sometimes amused me. Would it amuse others? Were others like myself, hopelessly childish?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/more-absurdity-in-myself-endless-absurdities-my-own-childishness/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [Absurdities are great or small in proportion to custom or insuetude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/absurdities-are-great-or-small-in-proportion-to-custom-or-insuetude/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [How important the concept of God is, and how instead of valuing what has been given us, we with light hearts spurn it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/how-important-the-concept-of-god-is-and-how-instead-of-valuing-what/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [One is more certain to influence men, to produce more effect on them, by absurdities than by sensible ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/one-is-more-certain-to-influence-men-to-produce-more-effect-on-them/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [To all the rest of his Absurdities, (for vice is always unreasonable,) he adds one more, who expects that Vertue from another which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-astell/to-all-the-rest-of-his-absurdities-for-vice-is-always-unreasonable-he/) [Mary Astell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-astell/) > [False reasoners are often best confuted by giving them the full swing of their own absurdities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/false-reasoners-are-often-best-confuted-by-giving-them-the-full-swing/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [But whatever you do, take neither yourselves nor your fellow-creatures too seriously. There is tragedy enough in our daily routine, but there is room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/but-whatever-you-do-take-neither-yourselves-nor-your-fellow-creatures/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [“It is with philosophy as with religion : men marvel at the absurdity of other people's tenets, while exactly parallel absurdities remain in their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/it-is-with-philosophy-as-with-religion-men-marvel-at-the-absurdity-of/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [What monstrous absurdities and paradoxes have resisted whole batteries of serious arguments, and then crumbled swiftly into dust before the ringing death-knell of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/what-monstrous-absurdities-and-paradoxes-have-resisted-whole/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [Thought of the incomprehensible sequence of changes and chances that make up a life, all the beauties and horrors and absurdities whose conjunctions create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/thought-of-the-incomprehensible-sequence-of-changes-and-chances-that/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Love winter when the plant says nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-winter-when-the-plant-says-nothing/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“The wisdom of the flesh is a judgement that the ordinary ends of our natural appetites are the goods to which the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-wisdom-of-the-flesh-is-a-judgement-that-the-ordinary-ends-of-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I will no longer wound myself with the thoughts and questions that have surrounded me like thorns: that is a penance You do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-will-no-longer-wound-myself-with-the-thoughts-and-questions-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-means-rest-suspension-of-activity-withdrawal-into-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) [Explore all 851 Thomas Merton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More Absurdities quotes > [Thought of the incomprehensible sequence of changes and chances that make up a life, all the beauties and horrors and absurdities whose conjunctions create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/thought-of-the-incomprehensible-sequence-of-changes-and-chances-that/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [My work is not so much a direct commentary as it is an open-ended observation of the absurdities around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ori-gersht/my-work-is-not-so-much-a-direct-commentary-as-it-is-an-open-ended/) [Ori Gersht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ori-gersht/) > [What monstrous absurdities and paradoxes have resisted whole batteries of serious arguments, and then crumbled swiftly into dust before the ringing death-knell of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/what-monstrous-absurdities-and-paradoxes-have-resisted-whole/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [“It is with philosophy as with religion : men marvel at the absurdity of other people's tenets, while exactly parallel absurdities remain in their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/it-is-with-philosophy-as-with-religion-men-marvel-at-the-absurdity-of/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [But whatever you do, take neither yourselves nor your fellow-creatures too seriously. There is tragedy enough in our daily routine, but there is room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/but-whatever-you-do-take-neither-yourselves-nor-your-fellow-creatures/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [False reasoners are often best confuted by giving them the full swing of their own absurdities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/false-reasoners-are-often-best-confuted-by-giving-them-the-full-swing/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To all the rest of his Absurdities, (for vice is always unreasonable,) he adds one more, who expects that Vertue from another which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-astell/to-all-the-rest-of-his-absurdities-for-vice-is-always-unreasonable-he/) [Mary Astell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-astell/) > [“I have now gone through the examination of the four books ascribed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; and when it is considered that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-have-now-gone-through-the-examination-of-the-four-books-ascribed-to/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One is more certain to influence men, to produce more effect on them, by absurdities than by sensible ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/one-is-more-certain-to-influence-men-to-produce-more-effect-on-them/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [How important the concept of God is, and how instead of valuing what has been given us, we with light hearts spurn it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/how-important-the-concept-of-god-is-and-how-instead-of-valuing-what/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Absurdities are great or small in proportion to custom or insuetude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/absurdities-are-great-or-small-in-proportion-to-custom-or-insuetude/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [“More absurdity in myself, endless absurdities. My own childishness sometimes amused me. Would it amuse others? Were others like myself, hopelessly childish?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/more-absurdity-in-myself-endless-absurdities-my-own-childishness/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [The idea that each corporation can be a feudal monarchy and yet behave in its corporate action like a democratic citizen concerned for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-each-corporation-can-be-a-feudal-monarchy-and-yet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poor human reason, when it trusts in itself, substitutes the strangest absurdities for the highest divine concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/poor-human-reason-when-it-trusts-in-itself-substitutes-the-strangest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most pernicious of absurdities is that weak, blind, stupid faith is better than the constant practice of every human virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-most-pernicious-of-absurdities-is-that-weak-blind-stupid-faith-is/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) [Browse all 78 Absurdities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities and one which makes many terrible mistakes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Merton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member-of-the-human-race-though-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absurdities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member-of-the-human-race-though-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/thomas-merton-231_absurdity_it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member_1652456.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a glorious destiny to be a member of the human race, though it is a race dedicated to many absurdities…” — Thomas Merton", "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": "Thomas Merton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is a glorious destiny to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member-of-the-human-race-though-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-glorious-destiny-to-be-a-member-of-the-human-race-though-it/#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 } } ] } ```