--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man really and practically looking…" description: "\"A man really and practically looking onwards to an immortal life, on whatever grounds, exhibits to us the human soul in an enobled attitude.\" — William..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png" --- # A man really and practically looking onwards to an… ![“A man really and practically looking onwards to an immortal life, on whatever grounds, exhibits to us the human soul in an enobled attitude.” quote by William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png) > “A man really and practically looking onwards to an immortal life, on whatever grounds, exhibits to us the human soul in an enobled attitude.” [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemplating immortality reveals a noble aspect of the human soul, showing an elevated, purposeful attitude. **In simple terms:** Thinking of eternity shows human nobility. Key Takeaway Pursue meaningful, lasting contributions. Themes immortality human soul elevated attitude Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - legacy building - scientific research - artistic creation - spiritual practice Key Concepts philosophy ethics existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - What lasting impact do you desire? - How does the idea of eternity shape your choices? A Different Perspective Fixation on immortality may cause neglect of present life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Human soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-soul/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Immortal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortal-life/) [Immortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [Immortal life is something to be earned, By slow self-conquest, comradeship with Pain, And patient seeking after higher truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/immortal-life-is-something-to-be-earned-by-slow-self-conquest/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [I am not sorry for a moment . It was worth every moment, every second we were together. I would not change it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/i-am-not-sorry-for-a-moment-it-was-worth-every-moment-every-second-we/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [“Before he knew he was immortal. Before life was no longer fragile. Those were the days when life truly meant something. When life was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-fine/before-he-knew-he-was-immortal-before-life-was-no-longer-fragile/) [Chelsea Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-fine/) > [Every idea is endowed of itself with immortal life, like a human being. All created form, even that which is created by man, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/every-idea-is-endowed-of-itself-with-immortal-life-like-a-human-being/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [O my soul, do not aspire to immortal life, but exhaust the limits of the possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pindar/o-my-soul-do-not-aspire-to-immortal-life-but-exhaust-the-limits-of/) [Pindar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pindar/) > [Now is eternity; now is the immortal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jefferies/now-is-eternity-now-is-the-immortal-life/) [Richard Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jefferies/) > [The best argument I know for an immortal life is the existence of a man who deserves one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-best-argument-i-know-for-an-immortal-life-is-the-existence-of-a/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [This is my firm persuasion, that since the human soul exerts itself with so great activity, since it has such a remembrance of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cato-the-younger/this-is-my-firm-persuasion-that-since-the-human-soul-exerts-itself/) [Cato the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cato-the-younger/) > [“ When Your Life Looks Back, When your life looks back-- As it will, at itself, at you--what will it say? Inch of colored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hirshfield/when-your-life-looks-back-when-your-life-looks-back-as-it-will-at/) [Jane Hirshfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hirshfield/) > [“Shall we not spend our immortal life together? Surely, surely, we have ransomed one another, with all this woe!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/shall-we-not-spend-our-immortal-life-together-surely-surely-we-have/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“I’m his subject, and he is my High Lord—” “You are no one’s subject.” I went rigid at the flash of teeth, the smoke-like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/i-m-his-subject-and-he-is-my-high-lord-you-are-no-one-s-subject-i/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“A book that I would recommend for everyone: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skloot/a-book-that-i-would-recommend-for-everyone-the-immortal-life-of/) Skloot > [“I chose to make your wish come true because I saw through your heart, Yeol. I know how it feels to be so profoundly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baeconandeggs/i-chose-to-make-your-wish-come-true-because-i-saw-through-your-heart/) baeconandeggs > [“God is, in truth, the whole universe: what was, what is and what beyond shall ever be. He is the God of life immortal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-in-truth-the-whole-universe-what-was-what-is-and-what-beyond/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/) [Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/) ## More by William Whewell > [In order that the facts obtained by observation and experiment may be capable of being used in furtherance of our exact and solid knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/in-order-that-the-facts-obtained-by-observation-and-experiment-may-be/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [“And so no force however great can stretch a cord however fine into a horizontal line that shall be absolutely straight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/and-so-no-force-however-great-can-stretch-a-cord-however-fine-into-a/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [We cannot observe external things without some degree of Thought; nor can we reflect upon our Thoughts, without being influenced in the course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/we-cannot-observe-external-things-without-some-degree-of-thought-nor/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [The catastrophist constructs theories, the uniformitarian demolishes them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-catastrophist-constructs-theories-the-uniformitarian-demolishes/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [The system becomes more coherent as it is further extended. The elements which we require for explaining a new class of facts are already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-system-becomes-more-coherent-as-it-is-further-extended-the/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [The present generation finds itself the heir of a vast patrimony of science; and it must needs concern us to know the steps by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-present-generation-finds-itself-the-heir-of-a-vast-patrimony-of/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [The object of science is knowledge; the objects of art are works. In art, truth is the means to an end; in science, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-object-of-science-is-knowledge-the-objects-of-art-are-works-in/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [The person who did most to give to analysis the generality and symmetry which are now its pride, was also the person who made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-person-who-did-most-to-give-to-analysis-the-generality-and/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [...the question undoubtedly is, or soon will be, not whether or no we shall employ notation in chemistry, but whether we shall use a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-question-undoubtedly-is-or-soon-will-be-not-whether-or-no-we/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [We need very much a name to describe a cultivator of science in general. I should incline to call him a scientist. \[The first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/we-need-very-much-a-name-to-describe-a-cultivator-of-science-in/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [The earlier truths are not expelled but absorbed, not contradicted but extended; and the history of each science, which may thus appear like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/the-earlier-truths-are-not-expelled-but-absorbed-not-contradicted-but/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [Astronomy is ... the only progressive Science which the ancient world produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/astronomy-is-the-only-progressive-science-which-the-ancient-world/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [Every failure is a step to success. Every detection of what is false directs us towards what is true: every trial exhausts some tempting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/every-failure-is-a-step-to-success-every-detection-of-what-is-false/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/it-is-a-test-of-true-theories-not-only-to-account-for-but-to-predict/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) > [Every failure is a step to success. Every detection of what is false directs us towards what is true: every trial exhausts some tempting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/every-failure-is-a-step-to-success-every-detection-of-what-is-false-2/) [William Whewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) [Explore all 36 William Whewell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) Isaiah Harden (Me > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) Sheye Hassan > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man really and practically looking onwards to an immortal life, on whatever grounds, exhibits to us the human soul in an enobled attitude.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Whewell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onwards-to-an-immortal-life-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attitude" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onwards-to-an-immortal-life-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/william-whewell-17887_attitude_a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onw_2372590.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man really and practically looking onwards to an immortal life, on whatever grounds, exhibits to us the…” — William Whewell", "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": "William Whewell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-whewell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man really and practically looking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onwards-to-an-immortal-life-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-whewell/a-man-really-and-practically-looking-onwards-to-an-immortal-life-on/#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 } } ] } ```