Collaborating Quote by Wendell Berry
“We could say that the human race is a great coauthorship in which we are collaborating with God and nature in the making of ourselves and one another. From this there is no escape. We may collaborate either well or poorly or we may refuse to collaborate, but even to refuse to collaborate is to exert an influence and to affect the quality of the product. This is only a way of saying that by ourselves we have no meaning and no dignity; by ourselves we are outside the human definition, outside our identity.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Unsettling of America, Wendell Berry, 1977
Human existence is a collaborative creation with the divine and nature; meaning arises from partnership, not isolation.
In simple terms: We find purpose through cooperation with God, nature, and each other.
Key Takeaway
Embrace collaboration to create meaning.
Themes
cooperation
spirituality
environment
identity
meaning
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- community building
- environmental activism
- personal growth
- team projects
Key Concepts
interdependence
existentialism
ecology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you contribute to collective purpose?
- What prevents you from collaborating?
A Different Perspective
Collaboration can be hindered by selfishness or mistrust.
![“[Mikhail] Saakashvili will use all legal and illegal means possible to remain in power. People are being threatened to prevent them from collaborating with the opposition. At the same time, he is terrorizing the business world, which prevents the opposition from gaining any funding.” quote by Irakli Okruashvili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/256/irakli-okruashvili-37000_business_mikhail-saakashvili-will-use-all-legal-a_235563.jpg)