Creation Quote by William Penn
“True Godliness doesn't turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their endeavors to mend it. ...We have nothing that we can call our own; no, not our selves: for we are all but Tenants, and at Will, too, of the great Lord of our selves, and the rest of this great farm, the World that we live upon.”
About This Quote
Source Treat: Some Letters and Papers of William Penn, 1681-1718
Living responsibly in the world, not withdrawing, and working to improve it, recognizing our temporary stewardship of the Earth.
In simple terms: Live responsibly, improve the world, accept temporary stewardship.
Key Takeaway
Act to better your surroundings.
Themes
responsibility
stewardship
improvement
humility
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- community projects
- environmental activism
- personal development
- social entrepreneurship
Key Concepts
ethics
temporary ownership
environmental care
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance self‑care with improving the world?
- What does being a “tenant” of Earth mean to you?
A Different Perspective
May overlook personal well‑being while focusing on external change.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
