Allies Quote by Wendell Berry
“In the loss of skill, we lose stewardship; in losing stewardship we lose fellowship; we become outcasts from the great neighborhood of Creation. It is possible - as our experience in this good land shows - to exile ourselves from Creation, and to ally ourselves with the principle of destruction - which is, ultimately, the principle of nonentity. It is to be willing in general for being to not-be. And once we have allied ourselves with that principle, we are foolish to think that we can control the results. (pg. 303, The Gift of Good Land)”
About This Quote
Losing practical skill erodes our responsibility to the world, which then weakens community bonds and isolates us from nature's collective.
In simple terms: Loss of skill leads to loss of responsibility and community.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate skills to stay connected and responsible.
Themes
responsibility
community
environment
skill
isolation
Mood
reflective
concerned
Type
philosophical
environmental
When to use this quote
- gardening
- teaching
- community building
- environmental activism
- personal development
Key Concepts
stewardship
interdependence
nonentity
destruction
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does personal skill affect communal health?
- What responsibilities arise from our abilities?
A Different Perspective
If we ignore skill loss, we may become passive victims of larger forces.
![“No wonder that Churchill described this effort [the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than the buzz bombs and the rockets that Werner von Braun designed for a German victory, a weapon absolutely decisive, in the judgement of…” quote by Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c3/peter-hilton-61015_allies_no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this_4600.jpg)
