speech on love for humanity

The Four Desires Driving All Human Behavior: Bertrand Russell’s Magnificent Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech

By maria popova.

Later included in Nobel Writers on Writing ( public library ) — which also gave us Pearl S. Buck, the youngest woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, on art, writing, and the nature of creativity — his acceptance speech is one of the finest packets of human thought ever delivered from a stage.

Russell begins by considering the central motive driving human behavior:

All human activity is prompted by desire. There is a wholly fallacious theory advanced by some earnest moralists to the effect that it is possible to resist desire in the interests of duty and moral principle. I say this is fallacious, not because no man ever acts from a sense of duty, but because duty has no hold on him unless he desires to be dutiful. If you wish to know what men will do, you must know not only, or principally, their material circumstances, but rather the whole system of their desires with their relative strengths. […] Man differs from other animals in one very important respect, and that is that he has some desires which are, so to speak, infinite, which can never be fully gratified, and which would keep him restless even in Paradise. The boa constrictor, when he has had an adequate meal, goes to sleep, and does not wake until he needs another meal. Human beings, for the most part, are not like this.

Russell points to four such infinite desires — acquisitiveness , rivalry , vanity , and love of power — and examines them in order:

Acquisitiveness — the wish to possess as much as possible of goods, or the title to goods — is a motive which, I suppose, has its origin in a combination of fear with the desire for necessaries. I once befriended two little girls from Estonia, who had narrowly escaped death from starvation in a famine. They lived in my family, and of course had plenty to eat. But they spent all their leisure visiting neighbouring farms and stealing potatoes, which they hoarded. Rockefeller, who in his infancy had experienced great poverty, spent his adult life in a similar manner. […] However much you may acquire, you will always wish to acquire more; satiety is a dream which will always elude you.

In 1938, Henry Miller also articulated this fundamental driver in his brilliant meditation on how money became a human fixation . Decades later, modern psychologists would term this notion “the hedonic treadmill.” But for Russell, this elemental driver is eclipsed by an even stronger one — our propensity for rivalry:

The world would be a happier place than it is if acquisitiveness were always stronger than rivalry. But in fact, a great many men will cheerfully face impoverishment if they can thereby secure complete ruin for their rivals. Hence the present level of taxation.

Rivalry, he argues, is in turn upstaged by human narcissism. In a sentiment doubly poignant in the context of today’s social media, he observes:

Vanity is a motive of immense potency. Anyone who has much to do with children knows how they are constantly performing some antic, and saying “Look at me.” “Look at me” is one of the most fundamental desires of the human heart. It can take innumerable forms, from buffoonery to the pursuit of posthumous fame. […] It is scarcely possible to exaggerate the influence of vanity throughout the range of human life, from the child of three to the potentate at whose frown the world trembles.

But the most potent of the four impulses, Russell argues, is the love of power:

Love of power is closely akin to vanity, but it is not by any means the same thing. What vanity needs for its satisfaction is glory, and it is easy to have glory without power… Many people prefer glory to power, but on the whole these people have less effect upon the course of events than those who prefer power to glory… Power, like vanity, is insatiable. Nothing short of omnipotence could satisfy it completely. And as it is especially the vice of energetic men, the causal efficacy of love of power is out of all proportion to its frequency. It is, indeed, by far the strongest motive in the lives of important men. […] Love of power is greatly increased by the experience of power, and this applies to petty power as well as to that of potentates.

Anyone who has ever agonized in the hands of a petty bureaucrat — something Hannah Arendt unforgettably censured as a special kind of violence — can attest to the veracity of this sentiment. Russell adds:

In any autocratic regime, the holders of power become increasingly tyrannical with experience of the delights that power can afford. Since power over human beings is shown in making them do what they would rather not do, the man who is actuated by love of power is more apt to inflict pain than to permit pleasure.

But Russell, a thinker of exceptional sensitivity to nuance and to the dualities of which life is woven, cautions against dismissing the love of power as a wholesale negative driver — from the impulse to dominate the unknown, he points out, spring such desirables as the pursuit of knowledge and all scientific progress. He considers its fruitful manifestations:

It would be a complete mistake to decry love of power altogether as a motive. Whether you will be led by this motive to actions which are useful, or to actions which are pernicious, depends upon the social system, and upon your capacities. If your capacities are theoretical or technical, you will contribute to knowledge or technique, and, as a rule, your activity will be useful. If you are a politician you may be actuated by love of power, but as a rule this motive will join itself on to the desire to see some state of affairs realized which, for some reason, you prefer to the status quo.

Russell then turns to a set of secondary motives. Echoing his enduring ideas on the interplay of boredom and excitement in human life , he begins with the notion of love of excitement :

Human beings show their superiority to the brutes by their capacity for boredom, though I have sometimes thought, in examining the apes at the zoo, that they, perhaps, have the rudiments of this tiresome emotion. However that may be, experience shows that escape from boredom is one of the really powerful desires of almost all human beings.

He argues that this intoxicating love of excitement is only amplified by the sedentary nature of modern life, which has fractured the natural bond between body and mind. A century after Thoreau made his exquisite case against the sedentary lifestyle , Russell writes:

Our mental make-up is suited to a life of very severe physical labor. I used, when I was younger, to take my holidays walking. I would cover twenty-five miles a day, and when the evening came I had no need of anything to keep me from boredom, since the delight of sitting amply sufficed. But modern life cannot be conducted on these physically strenuous principles. A great deal of work is sedentary, and most manual work exercises only a few specialized muscles. When crowds assemble in Trafalgar Square to cheer to the echo an announcement that the government has decided to have them killed, they would not do so if they had all walked twenty-five miles that day. This cure for bellicosity is, however, impracticable, and if the human race is to survive — a thing which is, perhaps, undesirable — other means must be found for securing an innocent outlet for the unused physical energy that produces love of excitement… I have never heard of a war that proceeded from dance halls. […] Civilized life has grown altogether too tame, and, if it is to be stable, it must provide harmless outlets for the impulses which our remote ancestors satisfied in hunting… I think every big town should contain artificial waterfalls that people could descend in very fragile canoes, and they should contain bathing pools full of mechanical sharks. Any person found advocating a preventive war should be condemned to two hours a day with these ingenious monsters. More seriously, pains should be taken to provide constructive outlets for the love of excitement. Nothing in the world is more exciting than a moment of sudden discovery or invention, and many more people are capable of experiencing such moments than is sometimes thought.

Complement Nobel Writers on Writing with more excellent Nobel Prize acceptance speeches — William Faulkner on the artist as a booster of the human heart , Ernest Hemingway on writing and solitude , Alice Munro on the secret to telling a great story , and Saul Bellow on how literature ennobles the human spirit — then revisit Russell on immortality and why science is the key to democracy .

— Published September 21, 2015 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/09/21/bertrand-russell-nobel-prize-acceptance-speech/ —

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• Speech Topics For Kids
• Speech On Humanity

Speech on Humanity

The concept of humanity is built upon acts of kindness that connect the human race and the world. It can be regarded as a fellow feeling shared by all individuals. Do you want to learn more about humanity? Read the article and try to develop a good speech about humanity.

Table of Contents

Humanity speech in english, motivational speech about humanity, speech on humanity and kindness, top quotes to use in a speech on humanity, frequently asked questions on humanity, sample speeches on humanity.

A couple of sample speeches are given below. Go through them and prepare a short speech about humanity.

Humanity can be defined as a basic quality that differentiates human beings from other living organisms. Simply put, it is a trait that is expected to be exposed by humans. Humanity is a collective term to represent human beings’ love, affection, compassion, and concern for others. When given a choice between being right and being kind, a person with humanity chooses to be kind without much contemplation. The unconditional love for all human beings is the foundation of humanity. It eliminates the consciousness of gender, religion, caste, nationality, etc. from the minds of the people and connects everyone under one umbrella term – ‘humans’.

Humanity is not just about the actions that are happening between human beings; it’s also about how human beings interact with the whole world. Who are ‘humanitarians’? Any person who seeks to promote the welfare of all human beings is called a humanitarian. Humanitarians are the greatest blessings to a nation. The purity of our planet has been sustained with the presence of numerous great humanitarians in it. Some of the popular humanitarians are Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Oskar Schindler and Malala Yousafzai.

People all over the world celebrate the spirit of humanity on World Humanitarian Day. World Humanitarian Day promotes human welfare, and honours everyone who engages in humanitarian services in their lives. It is a commemoration of the day in 2003 when twenty-two workers were killed in a bombing at the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad.

Honesty and kindness are the two ways of expressing love to humankind. By being born as humans, we are gifted with the advantages of perceiving, thinking, choosing, and acting according to our own objectives to make our lives better. We are provided with the power to enjoy our lives. Like that, everyone around us also enjoy the same power. We have to realise the fact that we are all different souls living on the same planet. So finding happiness by stealing from others is never the course of action for human beings. We have to use the advantages of being human for the goodness of our lives and for others. Such deeds mark the dawn of kindness. Being kind is not just about bringing direct effects on others; it has a positive impact on ourselves as well.

Humanity and kindness are two inevitable characteristics required for the progress of the human race. However, as the living conditions of human beings are changing day by day, the purity of humanity has been expelled from the hearts of many. Replacing humanity with money, fame, and power marks the beginning of the human catastrophe. Humanity is not about serving humans; it means serving our nature. Like the words said by Ronald Reagan, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” By doing so, the smile of humanity could be brought to everyone. Let’s be humane and turn the world into a wonderful place.

Humanity is the path to happiness. A person performing deeds with concern for humanity will be the happiest person on this planet. Serving people with humanitarian considerations provides a lot of satisfaction to a person’s life. The real happiness of a person is the result of inner satisfaction. A person doesn’t have to be wealthy in order to show qualities of humanity. Any person can show their concern for the world through simple acts of kindness and love.

Have you heard the term ‘humanitarian crisis’ before? A humanitarian crisis can be defined as an emergency situation that threatens the well-being of an entire community or a large group of people. Some of the major causes of humanitarian crises include global warming, pollution, lack of biodiversity, the war between nations, the outbreak of diseases, etc. A majority of such crises is happening as an aftereffect of people’s negligence toward humanity.

“You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate – the unloved and the unnatural!” These are the final words from the final speech in Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. With the power of humanity within us, let’s comprehend the truth behind the statement – ‘We rise by lifting others.’

• “World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity.” – Dalai Lama.
• “What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly – that is the first law of nature.” – Voltaire.
• “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Tolstoy.
• “The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others.” – Albert Schweitzer.
• “The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.” – Mahatma Gandhi.
• “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” – Mahatma Gandhi.
• “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” – Nelson Mandela.
• “One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our humanity in this contemporary life and dedicate ourselves to that.” – Joseph Campbell.
• “We cannot despair of humanity since we ourselves are human beings.” – Albert Einstein.
• “Love, hope, fear, faith – these make humanity; these are its sign and note and character.” – Robert Browning.

Who are humanitarians, and why is the world celebrating World Humanitarian Day every year?

A humanitarian is a person who seeks to promote the welfare of all human beings. World Humanitarian Day promotes human welfare and honours everyone who engages in humanitarian services in their lives. Some of the popular humanitarians are Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Oskar Schindler and Malala Yousafzai. People all over the world celebrate the spirit of humanity on World Humanitarian Day. It is a commemoration of the day in 2003 when twenty-two workers were killed in a bombing at the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad.

What are humanitarian crises?

A humanitarian crisis can be defined as an emergency situation that threatens the well-being of an entire community or a large group of people. A majority of such crises is happening as an aftereffect of people’s negligence toward humanity. Some of the major causes of humanitarian crises include global warming, pollution, lack of biodiversity, the war between nations, outbreaks of diseases etc.

List some quotes to use in a speech on humanity.

• “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” – Mahatma Gandhi.
• “World belongs to humanity, not this leader, that leader or that king or prince or religious leader. World belongs to humanity.” – Dalai Lama.
• “What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly – that is the first law of nature.” – Voltaire.

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Office of the President

• For the Media

Love and Compassion

Graduates of the Class of 2024, family members, and friends: It gives me great pleasure to greet you today and to offer a few words on this celebratory occasion.

But first, there is a wonderful Yale tradition that I would like to honor right now:

May I ask all the families and friends here today to rise and to recognize the outstanding—and graduating—members of the Class of 2024?

And now, may I ask the Class of 2024 to consider all those who have supported your arrival at this milestone, and to please rise and recognize them ?

I remember well the pomp and pageantry of my commencement weekend. And I share in the many emotions you are likely feeling right now after being part of this community for several years, and as you consider how your roles will soon change from students to alumni—and mine from president to faculty member.

Like the Class of 2024, I graduated as my university president was completing his service. Unlike the Class of 2024, my first years in college had not been disrupted by a pandemic. Presumably like you, I wondered what message the president would impart for his final words. Of course, as I thought about what to say here today, I considered this same question. What came to mind was how each of us had different journeys to arrive at this day. Here is mine: Like many immigrants, my father’s parents were poor in means but rich in culture and spirit. They came to the United States by way of Warsaw and Jerusalem—and later met each other on a ship crossing the Atlantic, between their worlds, old and new.

When my grandfather arrived in New York, he not only had a new country but a new name. No longer Yitzchak Leib Soloveitchik, in America he became Louis Salovey. He changed his family name in an effort to fit into his new surroundings, but he made sure to retain four letters—l-o-v-e—“love,” which I like to think of as a tribute to the family he left behind and a foundation for the one he would build.

Love and compassion were creeds by which he lived. It was about these virtues that I spoke with you four years ago as you entered Yale—and now, here today, that I want to emphasize as you prepare to depart it. [1]

One of the earliest, if not most striking, demonstrations of compassion I recall took place soon after my seventh birthday, when a rabbi and a reverend marched together toward justice alongside other faith leaders. Cradling a Torah in his arms—and humanity in his heart—Rabbi Everett Gendler joined the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the streets of Selma, Alabama on what became known as “Turnaround Tuesday” in March 1965. One of Rabbi Gendler’s great contributions was involving American Jews in the civil rights movement. And many, including my parents, heeded that call.

The extraordinary image of Dr. King and Rabbi Gendler marching alongside one another is seared in my memory. Theirs was a coalition of different faiths but a shared morality against forces devoid of it. And, if I might add a postscript, not long after participating in the Selma campaign, Rabbi Gendler welcomed his first daughter into a world he was working to repair. Today, she sits behind me as dean of Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

As Rabbi Gendler noted at the time, “The effects of love, thought the ancients, were not simply personal, [but] social as well.” [2] “Love may not be all we need,” he added, “but neither is it entirely beside the point.” Dr. King echoed these sentiments while speaking to Rabbi Gendler in what would be his final public interview in 1968. “We need a movement now to transmute rage,” he said, “into a positive, constructive force.” [3] Those words resonate today. They remind us that we need to reject hate and rage—and instead find our common love for life, for community, and for peace.

Now, to be sure, the challenges before us—climate change, racial injustice, armed conflict, and extremism, to name only a few—stoke the indignation of any individual of conscience. And across this country, we’ve seen rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry. Without anger, we would be reconciled to accept the unacceptable, tolerate the intolerable, and thereby consign ourselves to a status quo in need of repair. Without anger, we would be bereft of the fuel necessary to fight against prejudice and violence around the globe.

So, what, then, are the grounds that support the translation of outrage into compassion, as Dr. King advised?

In thinking about the answer to this question, I am reminded of these lines of poetry from the Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray, eminent Yale graduate, civil rights icon, and namesake of one of our residential colleges:

But love, alas , holds me captive here

Consigned to sacrificial flame, to burn

And find no heart’s surcease until

Its more enduring uses I may learn. [4]

In the fall of 1963—at a pivotal moment in the civil rights struggle—the Yale Political Union invited George Wallace, Alabama’s hate-spewing governor, to speak on campus. The invitation ignited controversy at Yale—and provided occasion for activists like Pauli Murray to respond to his bigotry measure for measure. Instead, she showed the strength of her commitment to “destroy segregation by positive and embracing methods.” [5]

Wallace, of course, personified Southern hostility to integration. Earlier that year, he famously stood on the portico of the Alabama State Capitol and declared in his inaugural speech, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!” [6] And just days before he was invited to Yale, Klansmen bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, killing four Black schoolgirls and wounding 22 others—an act of domestic terrorism for which Wallace was blamed as an instigator.

So perhaps it comes as no surprise that Kingman Brewster, Yale’s president, urged students to rescind their invitation. New Haven Mayor Richard Lee, meanwhile—also concerned about the tensions Wallace would inflame—deemed him “officially unwelcome” in the city of New Haven. [7] More surprising is that Pauli Murray, a law school student at the time, disagreed. In an astonishing display of “drawing a circle of inclusion” large enough to incorporate George Wallace, she wrote to President Brewster in support of his right to speak at Yale.

To be sure, Dr. Murray loathed what Wallace represented. “By every cultural, spiritual, and psychological resource at my disposal,” she wrote, “I shall seek to destroy the institution of segregation…[but] I will not submit to segregation myself.” [8] Dr. Murray, rather, maintained an abiding belief in the power of redemption over retribution—even, and most especially, for a man who threatened the principles to which she had dedicated her life.

The division sowed by Wallace stands as one of this country’s darkest chapters. But his story has a postscript—one that affirms the might of Pauli Murray’s approach.

About a decade later, Wallace—then a candidate for president—was paralyzed after an assassination attempt and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. As he was recovering in the hospital from the shooting, he had an unexpected visitor: Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress and a rival to Wallace in 1972 presidential politics.

Understandably, Chisholm’s visit left her staff concerned. How could she sit by the bedside of someone she stood so fervently—so virtuously—against? “Sometimes,” she told them, “we have to remember we’re all human beings. And I may be able to teach him something, to help him regain his humanity, to maybe make him open his eyes to make him see something that he has not seen.” [9] And so she went.

In a remarkable expression of compassion and a common humanity, Chisholm told Wallace “I wouldn’t want what happened to you to happen to anyone.” The callous George Wallace wept. And to this day, his daughter maintains, “it was after [this] visit that he started to change.” [10] “Shirley Chisholm,” she continues, “planted a seed of new beginnings in my father’s heart,” culminating in the record number of appointments of African Americans he made to state positions during his final term as governor.

Wallace would later earn an honorary degree from the historically Black Tuskegee University—and the forgiveness of civil rights leaders like John Lewis, himself the recipient of an honorary degree from Yale, “because to do otherwise—to hate him,” Lewis posited, “would only perpetuate the evil system we sought to destroy.” [11]

Philosopher Hannah Arendt, on whom Yale also bestowed an honorary degree, eloquently advocated for this doctrine decades before Shirley Chisholm exemplified it. The “faculty of forgiving,” she wrote, “is the exact opposite of vengeance…whereby far from putting an end to the consequences of the first misdeed, everybody remains bound to the process, permitting the chain reaction…to take its unhindered course.” “Forgiving, in other words, is the only reaction which does not merely re-act but acts anew and unexpectedly, unconditioned by the act which provoked it and therefore freeing from its consequences.” [12]

Dr. King called this redemptive approach the Strength to Love , declaring in a refrain with which you are no doubt familiar that “returning hate for hate [only] multiplies hate.” [13] So, we can take pride in the fact that precisely sixty years ago, Yale presented Dr. King an honorary degree with a citation that extolled his “steadfast refusal to countenance violence in resistance to injustice.” [14]

For our part, as we face complex challenges that call out for concerted action, we would do well to heed his example, which requires us to inhibit our desire to dismiss those with whom we believe we cannot develop common purpose.

It is not enough to retreat into silos alongside those who are already inclined to agree with us. Nor is it effective to ostracize, call out, shame, or silence well-meaning others who do not.

Progress depends on our willingness to work together to solve common problems: to extend love and grace, compassion and cooperation, with one another, and, through these means, to build consensus.

By bridging differences—by daring to choose love and compassion over rage and hate—we can bring about the meaningful, sustainable change needed in society.

We can bring the world you will soon enter a little closer to the one we desire.

Let’s get started together. Let’s get started today.

And for me personally: At moments like this, speakers of Hebrew (my grandfather’s native language) don’t like to say “good-bye” but, rather, L’heit ra-oat; until we meet again.

Congratulations, Class of 2024.

[1] Salovey, Peter. “Compassion and Cooperation for Change.” Yale College Opening Assembly Address, New Haven, CT, August 29, 2020. https://president.yale.edu/president/speeches/compassion-and-cooperation-change .

[2] Gendler, Everett. “Cupid Goes to Shul.” Sermon preached at the Wellesley College Chapel, Wellesley, MA, February 14, 1971. https://gendlergrapevine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Cupid-Goes-to-Shul.pdf .

[3] “Conversation with Martin Luther King.” Conservative Judaism , Vol. 22, No. 3. (1968). https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/resources-ideas/cj/classics/1-4-12-civil-rights/conversation-with-martin-luther-king.pdf .

[4] Murray, Pauli. (1970). Dark Testament: and Other Poems . Norwalk: Silvermine.

[5] Murray, Pauli. (1945). “An American Credo.” Common Ground .

[6] Wallace, George. (January 14, 1963). Inaugural address delivered at the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, AL. https://digital.archives.alabama.gov/digital/collection/voices/id/2952 .

[7] Sigel, Efrem. “New Wallace Invitation Expected at Yale Today.” The Harvard Crimson , September 24, 1963. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1963/9/24/new-wallace-invitation-expected-at-yale/ .

[8] Murray. “An American Credo.”

[9] Capehart, Jonathan. “How Segregationist George Wallace Became a Model for Racial Reconciliation: ‘Voices of the Movement’ Episode 6.” The Washington Post , May 16, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/16/changed-minds-reconciliation-voices-movement-episode/ .

[10] Bernard, Diane. “How a Failed Assassination Attempt Pushed George Wallace to Reconsider His Segregationist Views.” Smithsonian Magazine , May 12, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-failed-assassination-attempt-pushed-george-wallace-to-reconsider-his-segregationist-views-180980063/ .

[11] Lewis, John. “Forgiving George Wallace.” The New York Times , September 16, 1998. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/16/opinion/forgiving-george-wallace.html .

[12] Arendt, Hannah. (1958). The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

[13] King, Martin Luther, Jr. (1963). Strength to Love . New York: Harper & Row.

[14] “Thousands View 263rd Commencement.” Yale Daily News , June 15, 1964.

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Can Love Change the World?

Can love be a positive force for change in the public sphere as well as in our private lives? Is there any scientific basis for believing that love can stretch beyond the boundaries of our intimate relationships? What do the latest developments in human biology and psychology have to say?

Barbara Fredrickson is better qualified than most other people to answer these questions. A professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a leading figure in the burgeoning positive psychology movement, her new book is titled Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become . In it, Fredrickson tries to show that love for others—all others—can be consciously cultivated and applied in every sphere of life.

Positive psychology has been criticized for ignoring the structural factors that underpin discrimination and inequality, and for over-emphasizing the power of individuals to shape their own horizons. But Fredrickson doesn’t see any conflict between accentuating the positive in our own lives and extending our concern to other people. Quite the opposite: she sees positive emotions, empathy and love (or what she calls “micro-moments of connection”) as points along the same continuum that can be strengthened by using exercises like “loving-kindness meditation.” To find out more, I spoke with Barbara Fredrickson.

Michael Edwards: You debunk the common understanding of love as romantic attachment, and explain it instead in terms of positive emotions that our bodies can understand, experience, and develop beyond our friends and families. But are positive emotions really the same thing as love?

Barbara Fredrickson: Love is both positive emotions and larger than the self. We typically think in western culture of emotions as belonging to a person—being confined to one person’s brain, mind, or skin. Here I’m arguing that actually people co-experience emotions, especially positive ones, and when they do, that’s when they are reminded in an experiential way that they are part of something larger than themselves, that they share a human connection, whether it’s with a person they know well or a stranger. It’s where we experience our common humanity .

The roots of my work come from evolutionary psychology, so I’m trying to describe experiences that are often called out as ineffable, spiritual, or transcendent and say well actually, these are products of our emotions. They are what we experience when we connect, a positive emotion that’s rolling through two brains and bodies at once. It’s a powerful, uplifting feeling and it turns out to be extraordinarily healthy. But the benefits accrue not just to one person’s health but to the health of communities, and that is where it connects really well to your idea of social transformation.

ME: By describing love in this way, isn’t there a danger that we will cut ourselves off from negative emotions such as anger and a sense of injustice that are essential to social struggle?

BF: No, I don’t think so. From an emotions perspective, I like to tell people that no emotion is meant to last forever, not even the ones that feel good. So the fact that we can understand love better doesn’t mean that we won’t have experiences of anger or outrage or sadness. Negative emotions are essential for flourishing and creativity and resilience.

One of the important empirical lessons that psychology has uncovered is that creativity is not just supported by increased positive emotions—a little bit of negativity is useful too. The key is to keep them in balance. To the extent that negativity dominates, you risk eroding your resilience, and I’m sure this is a perennial conversation around activism and how to keep yourself from being burned out. Part of the way to stay resilient is to be able to self-generate positive emotions that can sit side by side with the negative ones, not eclipsing them but helping to make us whole.

Exercises like loving-kindness meditation help to pull us out of our self-absorption. They can counter an excessive self-focus and build habits of greater other-focus, so that when we see others we see more of them—we see their humanity and we don’t just see them as a means to the end of what we want to accomplish that day. Being able to see and appreciate others in their full humanity is something that we get lulled out of by self-absorption or by our increasing reliance on technology.

ME: You say that love cannot be unconditional. Doesn’t that go against the driving force of the best of religion, spirituality, and social movements?

BF: Well, I’m being purposely provocative in trying to help people see these positivity levels, or love, or micro-moments of connection, as a particular emotional state that doesn’t arise no matter what, or regardless of conditions. I’m operating at a different level of analysis when I say “unconditional.” What I’m actually saying is that love is conditional on two preconditions. One is that people feel safe, and the other is that they feel a real-time sensory connection with another person.

There’s some suggestion that physiologically we have two modes of being: one in “self-survival” mode anytime we feel unsafe and have to pay attention to our own actions and what we need to survive; and the other being “species survival” mode where there’s more focus on caring for others. If we’re in self-survival mode and feel unsafe, then the other person is going to seem like a threat and we’re not going to want to connect or share anything with them. That’s probably the most important thing that prevents people from experiencing the benefits of micro-moments of connection.

We know that people who are depressed or chronically lonely experience encounters with another person almost always as a threat, whereas people who are enjoying better mental health see opportunity and connection. So the way you can expand people’s experiences of love is to expand the pool of moments in which they feel safe.

The other precondition is a real-time sensory connection, because so much of a shared positive emotional state requires a shared sensory experience—making eye contact, or through touch or shared voice, because so much emotional information is carried in the vocal tract. Studies suggest that when people don’t make eye contact and don’t mimic each other’s facial expressions, no neural simulations of what the other person is feeling get triggered, so there isn’t necessarily a shared biological state. The nice thing about knowing these things is that once you understand the importance of these preconditions you can actually build them up.

ME: The title of your book states that love affects everything we do, so how does it affect the way we behave in politics, economics, and social activism?

More on Loving Humanity

Take our quiz to measure how connected you feel to the rest of humanity .

Discover what happens when we try to love all humanity .

Learn how to increase your compassion bandwidth .

Read our analysis of the results of our "connection to humanity" quiz .

Learn more about Barbara Fredrickson's research into love .

BF: Well, I’m coming at this from the perspective of trying to understand emotions, so I have a particular stance. It’s not that I’m not interested—but that would have been another book. I’ve taken on a lot just by trying to change the way people think about this elemental piece of the puzzle. So I think it would be great for me or someone else to take these ideas in that direction. I think it’s crucial in terms of how we create any kind of human organization. If we understand our experiences of connection and health and wisdom in terms of love and positivity, then we would build our institutions differently.

It’s partly a challenge of interdisciplinary dialogue in that a lot of the things you’re describing are beyond the boundaries of psychology as a scientific discipline. They are fascinating and important, but we tend to work in silos, and the questions you are raising require connections across political science, psychology, sociology, and economics, whereas my work bridges more towards medicine. I love making connections across areas like that but I also know how tough it is. So you’ve planted an important seed.

A slightly different version of this Q&A originally appeared in the online journal Transformation , which tells the stories of people who are combining personal and social change in order to re-imagine their societies.

About the Author

Michael edwards.

Michael Edwards is a writer and activist based in upstate New York. He is the editor of the the online journal Transformation , which tells the stories of people who are combining personal and social change in order to re-imagine their societies. He is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos in New York. His latest books include Civil Society, Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World , and the Oxford Handbook of Civil Society . His website is futurepositive.org .

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• World Peace

A Human Approach to World Peace

When we rise in the morning and listen to the radio or read the newspaper, we are confronted with the same sad news: violence, crime, wars, and disasters. I cannot recall a single day without a report of something terrible happening somewhere. Even in these modern times it is clear that one's precious life is not safe. No former generation has had to experience so much bad news as we face today; this constant awareness of fear and tension should make any sensitive and compassionate person question seriously the progress of our modern world.   It is ironic that the more serious problems emanate from the more industrially advanced societies. Science and technology have worked wonders in many fields, but the basic human problems remain. There is unprecedented literacy, yet this universal education does not seem to have fostered goodness, but only mental restlessness and discontent instead. There is no doubt about the increase in our material progress and technology, but somehow this is not sufficient as we have not yet succeeded in bringing about peace and happiness or in overcoming suffering.   We can only conclude that there must be something seriously wrong with our progress and development, and if we do not check it in time there could be disastrous consequences for the future of humanity. I am not at all against science and technology - they have contributed immensely to the overall experience of humankind; to our material comfort and well-being and to our greater understanding of the world we live in. But if we give too much emphasis to science and technology we are in danger of losing touch with those aspects of human knowledge and understanding that aspire towards honesty and altruism.   Science and technology, though capable of creating immeasurable material comfort, cannot replace the age-old spiritual and humanitarian values that have largely shaped world civilization, in all its national forms, as we know it today. No one can deny the unprecedented material benefit of science and technology, but our basic human problems remain; we are still faced with the same, if not more, suffering, fear, and tension. Thus it is only logical to try to strike a balance between material developments on the one hand and the development of spiritual, human values on the other. In order to bring about this great adjustment, we need to revive our humanitarian values.   I am sure that many people share my concern about the present worldwide moral crisis and will join in my appeal to all humanitarians and religious practitioners who also share this concern to help make our societies more compassionate, just, and equitable. I do not speak as a Buddhist or even as a Tibetan. Nor do I speak as an expert on international politics (though I unavoidably comment on these matters). Rather, I speak simply as a human being, as an upholder of the humanitarian values that are the bedrock not only of Mahayana Buddhism but of all the great world religions. From this perspective I share with you my personal outlook - that:

1. Universal humanitarianism is essential to solve global problems; 2. Compassion is the pillar of world peace; 3. All world religions are already for world peace in this way, as are all humanitarians of whatever ideology; 4. Each individual has a universal responsibility to shape institutions to serve human needs.

Solving Human Problems through Transforming Human Attitudes

Of the many problems we face today, some are natural calamities and must be accepted and faced with equanimity. Others, however, are of our own making, created by misunderstanding, and can be corrected. One such type arises from the conflict of ideologies, political or religious, when people fight each other for petty ends, losing sight of the basic humanity that binds us all together as a single human family. We must remember that the different religions, ideologies, and political systems of the world are meant for human beings to achieve happiness. We must not lose sight of this fundamental goal and at no time should we place means above ends; the supremacy of humanity over matter and ideology must always be maintained.   By far the greatest single danger facing humankind - in fact, all living beings on our planet - is the threat of nuclear destruction. I need not elaborate on this danger, but I would like to appeal to all the leaders of the nuclear powers who literally hold the future of the world in their hands, to the scientists and technicians who continue to create these awesome weapons of destruction, and to all the people at large who are in a position to influence their leaders: I appeal to them to exercise their sanity and begin to work at dismantling and destroying all nuclear weapons. We know that in the event of a nuclear war there will be no victors because there will be no survivors! Is it not frightening just to contemplate such inhuman and heartless destruction? And, is it not logical that we should remove the cause for our own destruction when we know the cause and have both the time and the means to do so? Often we cannot overcome our problems because we either do not know the cause or, if we understand it, do not have the means to remove it. This is not the case with the nuclear threat.   Whether they belong to more evolved species like humans or to simpler ones such as animals, all beings primarily seek peace, comfort, and security. Life is as dear to the mute animal as it is to any human being; even the simplest insect strives for protection from dangers that threaten its life. Just as each one of us wants to live and does not wish to die, so it is with all other creatures in the universe, though their power to effect this is a different matter.   Broadly speaking there are two types of happiness and suffering, mental and physical, and of the two, I believe that mental suffering and happiness are the more acute. Hence, I stress the training of the mind to endure suffering and attain a more lasting state of happiness. However, I also have a more general and concrete idea of happiness: a combination of inner peace, economic development, and, above all, world peace. To achieve such goals I feel it is necessary to develop a sense of universal responsibility, a deep concern for all irrespective of creed, colour, sex, or nationality.   The premise behind this idea of universal responsibility is the simple fact that, in general terms, all others' desires are the same as mine. Every being wants happiness and does not want suffering. If we, as intelligent human beings, do not accept this fact, there will be more and more suffering on this planet. If we adopt a self-centred approach to life and constantly try to use others for our own self-interest, we may gain temporary benefits, but in the long run we will not succeed in achieving even personal happiness, and world peace will be completely out of the question.   In their quest for happiness, humans have used different methods, which all too often have been cruel and repellent. Behaving in ways utterly unbecoming to their status as humans, they inflict suffering upon fellow humans and other living beings for their own selfish gains. In the end, such shortsighted actions bring suffering to oneself as well as to others. To be born a human being is a rare event in itself, and it is wise to use this opportunity as effectively and skillfully as possible. We must have the proper perspective that of the universal life process, so that the happiness or glory of one person or group is not sought at the expense of others.   All this calls for a new approach to global problems. The world is becoming smaller and smaller - and more and more interdependent - as a result of rapid technological advances and international trade as well as increasing trans-national relations. We now depend very much on each other. In ancient times problems were mostly family-size, and they were naturally tackled at the family level, but the situation has changed. Today we are so interdependent, so closely interconnected with each other, that without a sense of universal responsibility, a feeling of universal brotherhood and sisterhood, and an understanding and belief that we really are part of one big human family, we cannot hope to overcome the dangers to our very existence - let alone bring about peace and happiness.   One nation's problems can no longer be satisfactorily solved by itself alone; too much depends on the interest, attitude, and cooperation of other nations. A universal humanitarian approach to world problems seems the only sound basis for world peace. What does this mean? We begin from the recognition mentioned previously that all beings cherish happiness and do not want suffering. It then becomes both morally wrong and pragmatically unwise to pursue only one's own happiness oblivious to the feelings and aspirations of all others who surround us as members of the same human family. The wiser course is to think of others also when pursuing our own happiness. This will lead to what I call 'wise self-interest', which hopefully will transform itself into 'compromised self-interest', or better still, 'mutual interest'.   Although the increasing interdependence among nations might be expected to generate more sympathetic cooperation, it is difficult to achieve a spirit of genuine cooperation as long as people remain indifferent to the feelings and happiness of others. When people are motivated mostly by greed and jealousy, it is not possible for them to live in harmony. A spiritual approach may not solve all the political problems that have been caused by the existing self-centered approach, but in the long run it will overcome the very basis of the problems that we face today.   On the other hand, if humankind continues to approach its problems considering only temporary expediency, future generations will have to face tremendous difficulties. The global population is increasing, and our resources are being rapidly depleted. Look at the trees, for example. No one knows exactly what adverse effects massive deforestation will have on the climate, the soil, and global ecology as a whole. We are facing problems because people are concentrating only on their short-term, selfish interests, not thinking of the entire human family. They are not thinking of the earth and the long-term effects on universal life as a whole. If we of the present generation do not think about these now, future generations may not be able to cope with them.

Compassion as the Pillar of World Peace

According to Buddhist psychology, most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for and attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities. The pursuit of the objects of our desire and attachment involves the use of aggression and competitiveness as supposedly efficacious instruments. These mental processes easily translate into actions, breeding belligerence as an obvious effect. Such processes have been going on in the human mind since time immemorial, but their execution has become more effective under modern conditions. What can we do to control and regulate these 'poisons' - delusion, greed, and aggression? For it is these poisons that are behind almost every trouble in the world.   As one brought up in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, I feel that love and compassion are the moral fabric of world peace. Let me first define what I mean by compassion. When you have pity or compassion for a very poor person, you are showing sympathy because he or she is poor; your compassion is based on altruistic considerations. On the other hand, love towards your wife, your husband, your children, or a close friend is usually based on attachment. When your attachment changes, your kindness also changes; it may disappear. This is not true love. Real love is not based on attachment, but on altruism. In this case your compassion will remain as a humane response to suffering as long as beings continue to suffer.   This type of compassion is what we must strive to cultivate in ourselves, and we must develop it from a limited amount to the limitless. Undiscriminating, spontaneous, and unlimited compassion for all sentient beings is obviously not the usual love that one has for friends or family, which is alloyed with ignorance, desire, and attachment. The kind of love we should advocate is this wider love that you can have even for someone who has done harm to you: your enemy.   The rationale for compassion is that every one of us wants to avoid suffering and gain happiness. This, in turn, is based on the valid feeling of '1', which determines the universal desire for happiness. Indeed, all beings are born with similar desires and should have an equal right to fulfill them. If I compare myself with others, who are countless, I feel that others are more important because I am just one person whereas others are many. Further, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition teaches us to view all sentient beings as our dear mothers and to show our gratitude by loving them all. For, according to Buddhist theory, we are born and reborn countless numbers of times, and it is conceivable that each being has been our parent at one time or another. In this way all beings in the universe share a family relationship.   Whether one believes in religion or not, there is no one who does not appreciate love and compassion. Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents; later in life, when facing the sufferings of disease and old age, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. If at the beginning and end of our lives we depend upon others' kindness, why then in the middle should we not act kindly towards others? The development of a kind heart (a feeling of closeness for all human beings) does not involve the religiosity we normally associate with conventional religious practice. It is not only for people who believe in religion, but is for everyone regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation. It is for anyone who considers himself or herself, above all, a member of the human family and who sees things from this larger and longer perspective. This is a powerful feeling that we should develop and apply; instead, we often neglect it, particularly in our prime years when we experience a false sense of security.   When we take into account a longer perspective, the fact that all wish to gain happiness and avoid suffering, and keep in mind our relative unimportance in relation to countless others, we can conclude that it is worthwhile to share our possessions with others. When you train in this sort of outlook, a true sense of compassion - a true sense of love and respect for others - becomes possible. Individual happiness ceases to be a conscious self-seeking effort; it becomes an automatic and far superior by-product of the whole process of loving and serving others.   Another result of spiritual development, most useful in day-to-day life, is that it gives a calmness and presence of mind. Our lives are in constant flux, bringing many difficulties. When faced with a calm and clear mind, problems can be successfully resolved. When, instead, we lose control over our minds through hatred, selfishness, jealousy, and anger, we lose our sense of judgement. Our minds are blinded and at those wild moments anything can happen, including war. Thus, the practice of compassion and wisdom is useful to all, especially to those responsible for running national affairs, in whose hands lie the power and opportunity to create the structure of world peace.

World Religions for World Peace

The principles discussed so far are in accordance with the ethical teachings of all world religions. I maintain that every major religion of the world - Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism - has similar ideals of love, the same goal of benefiting humanity through spiritual practice, and the same effect of making their followers into better human beings. All religions teach moral precepts for perfecting the functions of mind, body, and speech. All teach us not to lie or steal or take others' lives, and so on. The common goal of all moral precepts laid down by the great teachers of humanity is unselfishness. The great teachers wanted to lead their followers away from the paths of negative deeds caused by ignorance and to introduce them to paths of goodness.   All religions agree upon the necessity to control the undisciplined mind that harbours selfishness and other roots of trouble, and each teaches a path leading to a spiritual state that is peaceful, disciplined, ethical, and wise. It is in this sense that I believe all religions have essentially the same message. Differences of dogma may be ascribed to differences of time and circumstance as well as cultural influences; indeed, there is no end to scholastic argument when we consider the purely metaphysical side of religion. However, it is much more beneficial to try to implement in daily life the shared precepts for goodness taught by all religions rather than to argue about minor differences in approach.   There are many different religions to bring comfort and happiness to humanity in much the same way as there are particular treatments for different diseases. For, all religions endeavour in their own way to help living beings avoid misery and gain happiness. And, although we can find causes for preferring certain interpretations of religious truths, there is much greater cause for unity, stemming from the human heart. Each religion works in its own way to lessen human suffering and contribute to world civilization. Conversion is not the point. For instance, I do not think of converting others to Buddhism or merely furthering the Buddhist cause. Rather, I try to think of how I as a Buddhist humanitarian can contribute to human happiness.   While pointing out the fundamental similarities between world religions, I do not advocate one particular religion at the expense of all others, nor do I seek a new 'world religion'. All the different religions of the world are needed to enrich human experience and world civilization. Our human minds, being of different calibre and disposition, need different approaches to peace and happiness. It is just like food. Certain people find Christianity more appealing, others prefer Buddhism because there is no creator in it and everything depends upon your own actions. We can make similar arguments for other religions as well. Thus, the point is clear: humanity needs all the world's religions to suit the ways of life, diverse spiritual needs, and inherited national traditions of individual human beings.   It is from this perspective that I welcome efforts being made in various parts of the world for better understanding among religions. The need for this is particularly urgent now. If all religions make the betterment of humanity their main concern, then they can easily work together in harmony for world peace. Interfaith understanding will bring about the unity necessary for all religions to work together. However, although this is indeed an important step, we must remember that there are no quick or easy solutions. We cannot hide the doctrinal differences that exist among various faiths, nor can we hope to replace the existing religions by a new universal belief. Each religion has its own distinctive contributions to make, and each in its own way is suitable to a particular group of people as they understand life. The world needs them all.   There are two primary tasks facing religious practitioners who are concerned with world peace. First, we must promote better interfaith understanding so as to create a workable degree of unity among all religions. This may be achieved in part by respecting each other's beliefs and by emphasizing our common concern for human well-being. Second, we must bring about a viable consensus on basic spiritual values that touch every human heart and enhance general human happiness. This means we must emphasize the common denominator of all world religions - humanitarian ideals. These two steps will enable us to act both individually and together to create the necessary spiritual conditions for world peace.   We practitioners of different faiths can work together for world peace when we view different religions as essentially instruments to develop a good heart - love and respect for others, a true sense of community. The most important thing is to look at the purpose of religion and not at the details of theology or metaphysics, which can lead to mere intellectualism. I believe that all the major religions of the world can contribute to world peace and work together for the benefit of humanity if we put aside subtle metaphysical differences, which are really the internal business of each religion.   Despite the progressive secularization brought about by worldwide modernization and despite systematic attempts in some parts of the world to destroy spiritual values, the vast majority of humanity continues to believe in one religion or another. The undying faith in religion, evident even under irreligious political systems, clearly demonstrates the potency of religion as such. This spiritual energy and power can be purposefully used to bring about the spiritual conditions necessary for world peace. Religious leaders and humanitarians all over the world have a special role to play in this respect.   Whether we will be able to achieve world peace or not, we have no choice but to work towards that goal. If our minds are dominated by anger, we will lose the best part of human intelligence - wisdom, the ability to decide between right and wrong. Anger is one of the most serious problems facing the world today.

Individual Power to Shape Institutions

Anger plays no small role in current conflicts such as those in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the North-South problem, and so forth. These conflicts arise from a failure to understand one another's humanness. The answer is not the development and use of greater military force, nor an arms race. Nor is it purely political or purely technological. Basically it is spiritual, in the sense that what is required is a sensitive understanding of our common human situation. Hatred and fighting cannot bring happiness to anyone, even to the winners of battles. Violence always produces misery and thus is essentially counter-productive. It is, therefore, time for world leaders to learn to transcend the differences of race, culture, and ideology and to regard one another through eyes that see the common human situation. To do so would benefit individuals, communities, nations, and the world at large.   The greater part of present world tension seems to stem from the 'Eastern bloc' versus 'Western bloc' conflict that has been going on since World War II. These two blocs tend to describe and view each other in a totally unfavourable light. This continuing, unreasonable struggle is due to a lack of mutual affection and respect for each other as fellow human beings. Those of the Eastern bloc should reduce their hatred towards the Western bloc because the Western bloc is also made up of human beings - men, women, and children. Similarly those of the Western bloc should reduce their hatred towards the Eastern bloc because the Eastern bloc is also human beings. In such a reduction of mutual hatred, the leaders of both blocs have a powerful role to play. But first and foremost, leaders must realize their own and others' humanness. Without this basic realization, very little effective reduction of organized hatred can be achieved.   If, for example, the leader of the United States of America and the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics suddenly met each other in the middle of a desolate island, I am sure they would respond to each other spontaneously as fellow human beings. But a wall of mutual suspicion and misunderstanding separates them the moment they are identified as the 'President of the USA' and the 'Secretary-General of the USSR'). More human contact in the form of informal extended meetings, without any agenda, would improve their mutual understanding; they would learn to relate to each other as human beings and could then try to tackle international problems based on this understanding. No two parties, especially those with a history of antagonism, can negotiate fruitfully in an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and hatred.   I suggest that world leaders meet about once a year in a beautiful place without any business, just to get to know each other as human beings. Then, later, they could meet to discuss mutual and global problems. I am sure many others share my wish that world leaders meet at the conference table in such an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding of each other's humanness.   To improve person-to-person contact in the world at large, I would like to see greater encouragement of international tourism. Also, mass media, particularly in democratic societies, can make a considerable contribution to world peace by giving greater coverage to human interest items that reflect the ultimate oneness of humanity. With the rise of a few big powers in the international arena, the humanitarian role of international organizations is being bypassed and neglected. I hope that this will be corrected and that all international organizations, especially the United Nations, will be more active and effective in ensuring maximum benefit to humanity and promoting international understanding. It will indeed be tragic if the few powerful members continue to misuse world bodies like the UN for their one-sided interests. The UN must become the instrument of world peace. This world body must be respected by all, for the UN is the only source of hope for small oppressed nations and hence for the planet as a whole.   As all nations are economically dependent upon one another more than ever before, human understanding must go beyond national boundaries and embrace the international community at large. Indeed, unless we can create an atmosphere of genuine cooperation, gained not by threatened or actual use of force but by heartfelt understanding, world problems will only increase. If people in poorer countries are denied the happiness they desire and deserve, they will naturally be dissatisfied and pose problems for the rich. If unwanted social, political, and cultural forms continue to be imposed upon unwilling people, the attainment of world peace is doubtful. However, if we satisfy people at a heart-to-heart level, peace will surely come.   Within each nation, the individual ought to be given the right to happiness, and among nations, there must be equal concern for the welfare of even the smallest nations. I am not suggesting that one system is better than another and all should adopt it. On the contrary, a variety of political systems and ideologies is desirable and accords with the variety of dispositions within the human community. This variety enhances the ceaseless human quest for happiness. Thus each community should be free to evolve its own political and socio-economic system, based on the principle of self-determination.   The achievement of justice, harmony, and peace depends on many factors. We should think about them in terms of human benefit in the long run rather than the short term. I realize the enormity of the task before us, but I see no other alternative than the one I am proposing - which is based on our common humanity. Nations have no choice but to be concerned about the welfare of others, not so much because of their belief in humanity, but because it is in the mutual and long-term interest of all concerned. An appreciation of this new reality is indicated by the emergence of regional or continental economic organizations such as the European Economic Community, the Association of South East Asian Nations, and so forth. I hope more such trans-national organizations will be formed, particularly in regions where economic development and regional stability seem in short supply.   Under present conditions, there is definitely a growing need for human understanding and a sense of universal responsibility. In order to achieve such ideas, we must generate a good and kind heart, for without this, we can achieve neither universal happiness nor lasting world peace. We cannot create peace on paper. While advocating universal responsibility and universal brotherhood and sisterhood, the facts are that humanity is organized in separate entities in the form of national societies. Thus, in a realistic sense, I feel it is these societies that must act as the building-blocks for world peace. Attempts have been made in the past to create societies more just and equal. Institutions have been established with noble charters to combat anti-social forces. Unfortunately, such ideas have been cheated by selfishness. More than ever before, we witness today how ethics and noble principles are obscured by the shadow of self-interest, particularly in the political sphere. There is a school of thought that warns us to refrain from politics altogether, as politics has become synonymous with amorality. Politics devoid of ethics does not further human welfare, and life without morality reduces humans to the level of beasts. However, politics is not axiomatically 'dirty'. Rather, the instruments of our political culture have distorted the high ideals and noble concepts meant to further human welfare. Naturally, spiritual people express their concern about religious leaders 'messing' with politics, since they fear the contamination of religion by dirty politics.   I question the popular assumption that religion and ethics have no place in politics and that religious persons should seclude themselves as hermits. Such a view of religion is too one-sided; it lacks a proper perspective on the individual's relation to society and the role of religion in our lives. Ethics is as crucial to a politician as it is to a religious practitioner. Dangerous consequences will follow when politicians and rulers forget moral principles. Whether we believe in God or karma, ethics is the foundation of every religion.   Such human qualities as morality, compassion, decency, wisdom, and so forth have been the foundations of all civilizations. These qualities must be cultivated and sustained through systematic moral education in a conducive social environment so that a more humane world may emerge. The qualities required to create such a world must be inculcated right from the beginning, from childhood. We cannot wait for the next generation to make this change; the present generation must attempt a renewal of basic human values. If there is any hope, it is in the future generations, but not unless we institute major change on a worldwide scale in our present educational system. We need a revolution in our commitment to and practice of universal humanitarian values.   It is not enough to make noisy calls to halt moral degeneration; we must do something about it. Since present-day governments do not shoulder such 'religious' responsibilities, humanitarian and religious leaders must strengthen the existing civic, social, cultural, educational, and religious organizations to revive human and spiritual values. Where necessary, we must create new organizations to achieve these goals. Only in so doing can we hope to create a more stable basis for world peace.   Living in society, we should share the sufferings of our fellow citizens and practise compassion and tolerance not only towards our loved ones but also towards our enemies. This is the test of our moral strength. We must set an example by our own practice, for we cannot hope to convince others of the value of religion by mere words. We must live up to the same high standards of integrity and sacrifice that we ask of others. The ultimate purpose of all religions is to serve and benefit humanity. This is why it is so important that religion always be used to effect the happiness and peace of all beings and not merely to convert others.   Still, in religion there are no national boundaries. A religion can and should be used by any people or person who finds it beneficial. What is important for each seeker is to choose a religion that is most suitable to himself or herself. But, the embracing of a particular religion does not mean the rejection of another religion or one's own community. In fact, it is important that those who embrace a religion should not cut themselves off from their own society; they should continue to live within their own community and in harmony with its members. By escaping from your own community, you cannot benefit others, whereas benefiting others is actually the basic aim of religion.   In this regard there are two things important to keep in mind: self-examination and self-correction. We should constantly check our attitude toward others, examining ourselves carefully, and we should correct ourselves immediately when we find we are in the wrong.   Finally, a few words about material progress. I have heard a great deal of complaint against material progress from Westerners, and yet, paradoxically, it has been the very pride of the Western world. I see nothing wrong with material progress per se, provided people are always given precedence. It is my firm belief that in order to solve human problems in all their dimensions, we must combine and harmonize economic development with spiritual growth.   However, we must know its limitations. Although materialistic knowledge in the form of science and technology has contributed enormously to human welfare, it is not capable of creating lasting happiness. In America, for example, where technological development is perhaps more advanced than in any other country, there is still a great deal of mental suffering. This is because materialistic knowledge can only provide a type of happiness that is dependent upon physical conditions. It cannot provide happiness that springs from inner development independent of external factors.   For renewal of human values and attainment of lasting happiness, we need to look to the common humanitarian heritage of all nations the world over. May this essay serve as an urgent reminder lest we forget the human values that unite us all as a single family on this planet.   I have written the above lines To tell my constant feeling. Whenever I meet even a 'foreigner', I have always the same feeling: 'I am meeting another member of the human family., This attitude has deepened My affection and respect for all beings. May this natural wish be My small contribution to world peace. I pray for a more friendly, More caring, and more understanding Human family on this planet. To all who dislike suffering, Who cherish lasting happiness - This is my heartfelt appeal.

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Che guevara’s concept of revolutionary love.

There is a saying that love makes the world go ‘round. The power of love can be observed in a multitude of different relationships, including parental love, romantic love, brotherly love, and sexual love. However, the love experienced by a revolutionary has received inadequate attention.

Che Guevara states in his celebrated essay, Man and Socialism in Cuba that “the true revolutionary is guided by strong feelings of love.” (1) These feelings of love are a driving force in revolutionary life. This love is not just expressed to a few people, but rather towards humanity. The initial remark by Che focuses on the feelings of love. However, is love a feeling? Feelings are often transient and certain feelings are not always present in our lives. A wife can love her husband, but she may not always experience feelings of love toward him. The emphasis on the feelings of love also assumes that everyone experiences the same feelings. People often experience different feelings when they love someone. It could be joy, excitement, sympathy, empathy, intimacy, comfort, bonding as well as other feelings. These feelings may vary among people in terms of strength and extent. Consequently, the concept of feelings of love is not precise and may refer to different feelings in the loving process. We can also ask whether a true revolutionary needs to be motivated by strong feelings of love. Some revolutionaries may have difficulty, given their upbringing and environmental conditions, to experience strong feelings of love. Therefore, revolutionaries may or may not possess these feelings of love. The emphasis on feelings is an inadequate means of understanding revolutionary love.

Che claims that these loving feelings need to be transformed into concrete actions with a drive for creating justice in the world. He further maintains that this revolutionary fervor should not be limited to one area of the world, but extended to proletarian internationalism. (2) The emphasis now is on behavior. Feelings themselves that do not produce revolutionary behavior are of no avail.

Erich Fromm in The Art of Loving contends that love consists of the qualities of caring, responsibility, respect, and knowledge. (3) Caring involves a concern for the welfare of others, responsibility is meeting their needs by your actions, respect refers to wanting the best for others and knowledge is using certain facts in understanding a situation and acting wisely.

A revolutionary expresses his love by initially caring about the poverty and oppressive conditions that people endure without much hope for change within a political system. If one did not care or was ambivalent about the terrible conditions that the masses experience daily, then revolutionary activity would not ensue. The revolutionary has the responsibility to use the best means available to overthrow an oppressive regime. It receives the respect and support of the people by its continual effort to bring justice and equality within a political structure, and uses its knowledge of strategies and tactics to defeat the enemy. This may involve the use of guerilla warfare as occurred in Cuba, nonviolence as used by Gandhi in India or a variety of approaches as employed by Subcomandante Marcos in Mexico.

Essentially, revolutionary love needs to have a corresponding behavioral component. According to Che, there are additional components to revolutionary love.

First, a revolutionary is willing to make sacrifices. Fidel Castro was a lawyer and Che a medical doctor, and yet they both relinquished a bourgeois life in order to become revolutionaries. It necessitates a commitment to revolutionary activities with all the physical and emotional hardships that one will endure during those times. This would include fighting even though there is a lack of food, adequate shelter and medicines as well as overcoming interpersonal conflicts. Che experienced many bouts with asthma, but he still continued fighting. These sacrifices are made because revolutionaries know or have experienced the severe suffering and oppression that exists within the political system and want to change it.

Second, revolutionaries need to be courageous in battle and willing to undertake dangerous missions that might lead to their death. As a guerilla, Che had contempt for danger and a willingness to undertake perilous tasks in difficult situations. He was known to sometimes crawl under fire to obtain a dead enemy soldier’s weapon. Fidel said that Che’s Achilles heel was his excessive aggressiveness and disregard for danger. (4) They sometimes had to stop him from doing certain tasks because of the danger. This indomitable will and unrelenting behavior were part of Che’s character that can be traced back to earlier events in his life, namely, the dire hardships he endured while motorcycling throughout South America and mountain climbing in Mexico despite being susceptible to asthma attacks. All revolutionaries need to persevere in warfare under the most severe living conditions and setbacks. This takes courage.

Third, a model revolutionary is one that possesses intelligent ideas that can be used in revolutionary struggle, an intellectual   knowledge about overcoming the nature of oppression and a vision of a liberated and just society. Fidel claims that Che was a man of profound intelligence with broad cultural interests. (5) He was well read in the works of Marx, Engels, and Lenin and combined his intellectuality with political action. Che believed there was a need to change the consciousness of the masses to create a different human being for the 21st century. This person would not be concerned with material gains, but dedicated to helping others. Moral incentives would replace material incentives in life. Obviously, not all revolutionaries possess this characteristic, even though they may have played an important role in the revolution. Fidel and Che would fit this model of an intellectual combatant as well as Marti, Bolivar, Mao, and Lenin. (6)Fourth, a revolutionary experiences solidarity with humanity. However, this needs some clarification. “Humanity “does not refer to all people, since this would include the dominant and ruling class. It refers to the poor and oppressed people who are being exploited and treated unjustly.  This solidarity is enhanced by the masses supporting the revolutionaries with food, shelter, weapons, information, and recruits. As this solidarity increases, there is a greater bonding between the revolutionaries and their supporters. Michael Hart and Antonio Negri claim that this unity is an act of love. (7) It is a political conception of love emanating from collective actions, expansive encounters and continuous collaborations. Peter Kropotkin in his work Mutual Aid concurs with this view in contending that love does not precede solidarity, but rather love is a consequence of solidarity. He demonstrates this using the notion of mutual aid that exists within all kinds of species. (8) When human beings are in solidarity and aid each other, political love becomes a result of this type of human activity.

Fifth, a revolutionary exhibits altruistic behavior. An altruist is primarily concerned with the welfare of others and not his personal gain. He is also constantly discovering, renovating, acting, and reflecting about ways of contributing to society. (9) This person volunteers for all kinds of activities. Che volunteered for many missions during guerilla warfare.  After the Revolution, he worked six days a week and did volunteer work on Sundays with dock workers, miners, and sugar cane workers. He viewed volunteer work as a means of uniting different strata of workers in society, especially connecting mental and manual labor whenever possible. Che was the originator of volunteer work in Cuba that is currently practiced by minbrigades. His disdain for personal gain was evident by his austere life style in Cuba.

Since Che possessed all these characteristics, he has been a model of a true revolutionary for Cubans and revolutionaries throughout the world. There is a Pioneer saying that “we will be like Che.” There are probably other Ches in Cuba and in different countries. But there are special circumstances that are needed for the fruition of these characteristics and they are not always present. The pioneer saying is an excellent motivational device; however, it is unrealistic to expect all children or even adults to have the high motivation, dedication, and intelligence of Che Guevara. Che was a unique person and one that is rarely found in any society. This would also apply to Fidel. Fidel has described Che as a man without a flaw or blemish. (10) This is a literal interpretation of the Pioneer saying and Fidel’s viewpoint. It is doubtful that Fidel was saying that Che was perfect, given that all humans have imperfections. Fidel seems to be referring to Che as a revolutionary. A better interpretation of the Pioneer saying is that Che’s revolutionary values and commitments are norms that all people need to aspire.There are different levels of a revolutionary. The first level pertains to those who are fighting to overthrow a political system and willing to die in the process. Che, Fidel, and others are on this level. They exhibit the five characteristics of a true revolutionary, namely, sacrifice, courageousness, intellectual combativeness, solidarity with the masses and altruism. These true revolutionaries are on the highest level. Within this level there are also revolutionary fighters who do not possess all these qualities, but yet play an important role in revolutionary warfare. The second level is composed of those who are actively opposed to certain injustices and values in a society, but are not interested or involved in overthrowing a government. These are social revolutionaries and not political revolutionaries. Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr. would be on this level. Persons on this level would also possess the characteristics of a true revolutionary, including a willingness to risk their lives for a cause. As with the first level, there are some supporters within a social movement that have made significant contributions, however, they do not possess all the qualities of a true revolutionary.

Revolutionary love is not only expressed by individuals, but also by nations.  Cuba has utilized certain aspects of revolutionary love in aiding other nations. The Latin American School of Medicine in Havana trains students from other Latin American countries to become doctors free of charge, “Operation Miracle,” has restored and preserved the sight of thousands of people in Lain American countries  and the “Yo Si Puedo” method used to eliminate illiteracy has been very effective in teaching people how to read. These are examples how revolutionary love has been used to assist others to overcome difficulties and create a better world.

                                                                       Appendix

After the Revolution, Che spent long hours working at his various jobs and used his day off to volunteer his services. This was admirable, but as a husband and parent he limited his time with family members.  His wife and children also had needs that required a substantial time with them. The concepts of foreground and background are used in Gestalt psychology to demonstrate that one cannot focus on two things at the same time. If we focus on an object in the room (foreground), then the other things in the room (background) are diminished. The reverse is also true. This also happens in human relationships. This is a problem for great men who devote their lives almost exclusively to a career. Since marriage and family life entail certain duties and time spent with spouses and children, it is would have been better that Che was single and not been married with children.

• J. Gerassi (ed.), VENCEREMOS! THE SPEECHES AND WRITINGS OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA (New York: Macmillan, 1968), p.398.
• E. Fromm, THE ART OF LOVING (New York: Perennial, 1974), p.22.
• F. Castro, CHE: A MEMOIR BY FIDEL CASTRO (Melbourne, Australia: Ocean Press, 1994), p.45.
• IBID., p.74.
• R. Pina Freyre, “Che Guevara y la Filosofía Combate,” MARX AHORA, No. 3, 1997, p.32.
• M. Hart and A. Negri, MULTITUDE (New York: Penguin Press, 2004), p.351.
• P. Kropotkin, MUTUAL AID (Boston: Horizon Books, 1955), p.12.
• O. Fernández Rios, “Socialismo y Democracia en el Pensamiento Político de Che Guevara,” MARX AHORA, No.3, 1997, p.26.

Introduction

• Chapter 1: Humanistic Thinking
• Deep Comprehension
• Literature Toolkit
• Poetry Toolkit
• Visual Art Toolkit
• Music Toolkit
• Critical Analysis
• Elements of Critical Analysis
• Analyzing Arguments
• Identifying Fallacies
• Meaningful Contribution
• Chapter 2: Growth, Obstacles, and Grit
• The Garden of Eden
• "Paradise Lost" by John Milton
• "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley
• Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
• "Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee," Rembrandt van Rijn
• Chapter 3: Individual, Collective, and Identity
• Republic, Plato
• Apology, Plato
• The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle
• "Misery" by Anton Chekhov
• "I am!" by John Clare
• "Good Friday" by Christina Rossetti
• "On a Columnar Self" by Emily Dickinson
• "A Bar at the Folies-Bergère" by Édouard Manet
• "Melancholy" by Edvard Munch
• Chapter 4: Time, Memory, and Impermanence
• "Now I Become Myself" by May Sarton
• "The World is Too Much With Us" by William Wordsworth
• "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth
• "Loveliest of Trees" by A. E. Houseman
• "Impression, Sunrise" by Claude Monet
• "The Unanswered Question" by Charles Ives
• Byzantine Iconoclasm
• Christ as the Good Shepherd from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
• The Lamentation from the Church of Saint Panteleimon
• The Christ Pantocrator from St. Catherine's Monastery
• Apse Semi-Dome of the Basilica of Sant'Appolinare
• The Crucifixion of St. Catherine's Monastery
• The Holy Doors Diptych: Annunciation from St. Catherine's Monastery
• Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George from St. Catherine's Monastery
• Emperor Justinian Mosaic from San Vitale
• Ontological Exploration on Virtue 1
• Chapter 5: Life, Death, and Loss
• "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
• "To Autumn" by John Keats
• "When I am dead, my dearest" by Christina Rossetti
• "To Be or Not to Be," Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
• "Death, be not proud" by John Donne
• Kindertotenlieder, Gustav Mahler
• Chapter 6: Faith, Knowledge, and Inquiry
• An Overview of the Trial of Galileo
• Scriptural References
• Selected Letters
• Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems by Galileo Galilei
• The Conservative Judge
• The Liberal Judge
• The Conflicted Leader
• The Diplomat
• The Scientist
• "Disciple-Scholars" by Neal A Maxwell
• Chapter 7: Freedom, Law, and Responsibility
• Declaration of Independence
• Declaration of the Rights of Man
• Of the State of Nature by John Locke
• The American Crisis by Thomas Paine
• The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key
• The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
• The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus
• "Nuns Fret Not at their Convent's Narrow Room" by William Wordsworth
• High Waving Heather by Emily Jane Brontë
• Four Freedoms by Norman Rockwell
• Napoleon on His Imperial Throne by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
• Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 by Ludwig von Beethoven "Eroica"
• Ontological Exploration on Virtue 2
• Chapter 8: Truth, Error, and Perception
• Republic by Plato
• Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzche
• Truth—Is as Old as God— by Emily Dickinson
• XXVIII "Truth," Said a Traveler by Stephen Crane
• All is Truth by Walt Whitman
• A Legend of Truth by Rudyard Kipling
• Sonnet 138 by William Shakespeare
• Madonna and Child by Carlo Crivelli
• Vexierbilder by Erhard Schön
• The Madison Avenue Beat by Lester Lanin
• Chapter 9: Strength, Humility, and Meekness

Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech by Mother Teresa

• "I have a dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• We Shall Fight on the Beaches, Winston Churchill
• "Quit India" by Mahatma Gandhi
• The Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari
• Heiligenstadt Testament, Ludwig van Beethoven
• "Night Cafe in Arles" by Vincent Van Gogh
• Your Elusive Creative Genius by Elizabeth Gilbert
• "Pietà" by Michelangelo Buonarroti
• Translations

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Mother Teresa, the humble nun from Calcutta, India, known worldwide for her selfless service to the poor and destitute, stood before an international audience to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1979. In her acceptance speech, Mother Teresa, born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, echoed the prayer of St.   Francis of Assisi, calling for peace, love, forgiveness, harmony, truth, faith, hope, light, and joy.   She emphasized the importance of seeing God in each other and serving the hungry, the naked, and the homeless - not just those physically so, but also those hungry for love, those naked of human dignity, and those homeless for being forgotten. Ultimately, it is a call to action, a plea for compassion, and a manifesto of love. It is a testament to Mother Teresa’s unwavering faith and her commitment to the service of humanity. As we read her words, let us be inspired to spread love and peace in our own ways, just as she did.

Let us all together thank God for this beautiful occasion where we can all together proclaim the joy of spreading peace, the joy of loving one another and the joy acknowledging that the poorest of the poor are our brothers and sisters.

As we have gathered here to thank God for this gift of peace, I have given you all the prayer for peace that St Francis of Assisi prayed many years ago, and I wonder he must have felt the need what we feel today to pray for. I think you have all got that paper? We’ll say it together.

Lord, make me a channel of your peace, that where there is hatred, I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that where there is error, I may bring truth; that where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that where there is despair, I may bring hope; that where there are shadows, I may bring light; that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; to understand, than to be understood; to love, than to be loved. For it is by forgetting self, that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying, that one awakens to eternal life. Amen.

God loved the world so much that he gave his son and he gave him to a virgin, the blessed virgin Mary, and she, the moment he came in her life, went in haste to give him to others. And what did she do then? She did the work of the handmaid, just so. Just spread that joy of loving to service. And Jesus Christ loved you and loved me and he gave his life for us, and as if that was not enough for him, he kept on saying: Love as I have loved you, as I love you now, and how do we have to love, to love in the giving. For he gave his life for us. And he keeps on giving, and he keeps on giving right here everywhere in our own lives and in the lives of others.

It was not enough for him to die for us, he wanted that we loved one another, that we see him in each other, that’s why he said: Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

And to make sure that we understand what he means, he said that at the hour of death we are going to be judged on what we have been to the poor, to the hungry, naked, the homeless, and he makes himself that hungry one, that naked one, that homeless one, not only hungry for bread, but hungry for love, not only naked for a piece of cloth, but naked of that human dignity, not only homeless for a room to live, but homeless for that being forgotten, been unloved, uncared, being nobody to nobody, having forgotten what is human love, what is human touch, what is to be loved by somebody, and he says: Whatever you did to the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.

It is so beautiful for us  to become holy to this love, for holiness is not a luxury of the few, it is a simple duty for each one of us, and through this love we can become holy. To this love for one another and today when I have received this reward, I personally am most unworthy, and I having avowed poverty to be able to understand the poor, I choose the poverty of our people. But I am grateful and I am very happy to receive it in the name of the hungry, of the naked, of the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the leprous, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared, thrown away of the society, people who have become a burden to the society, and are ashamed by everybody.

In their name I accept the award. And I am sure this award is going to bring an understanding love between the rich and the poor. And this is what Jesus has insisted so much, that is why Jesus came to earth, to proclaim the good news to the poor.  And through this award and through all of us gathered here together, we are wanting to proclaim the good news to the poor that God loves them, that we love them, that they are somebody to us, that they too have been created by the same loving hand of God, to love and to be loved. Our poor people are great people, are very lovable people, they don’t need our pity and sympathy, they need our understanding love. They need our respect; they need that we treat them with dignity. And I think this is the greatest poverty that we experience, that we have in front of them who may be dying for a piece of bread, but they die to such dignity. I never forget when I brought a man from the street. He was covered with maggots; his face was the only place that was clean. And yet that man, when we brought him to our home for the dying, he said just one sentence: I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, love and care, and he died beautifully. He went home to God, for dead is nothing but going home to God. And he having enjoyed that love, that being wanted, that being loved, that being somebody to somebody at the last moment, brought that joy in his life.

And I feel one thing I want to share with you all, the greatest destroyer of peace today is the cry of the innocent unborn child. For if a mother can murder her own child in her own womb, what is left for you and for me to kill each other? Even in the scripture it is written: Even if mother could forget her child – I will not forget you – I have carved you in the palm of my hand. Even if mother could forget, but today millions of unborn children are being killed. And we say nothing. In the newspapers you read numbers of this one and that one being killed, this being destroyed, but nobody speaks of the millions of little ones who have been conceived to the same life as you and I, to the life of God, and we say nothing, we allow it. To me the nations who have legalized abortion, they are the poorest nations. They are afraid of the little one, they are afraid of the unborn child, and the child must die because they don’t want to feed one more child, to educate one more child, the child must die.

And here I ask you, in the name of these little ones, for it was that unborn child that recognized the presence of Jesus when Mary came to visit Elizabeth, her cousin. As we read in the gospel, the moment Mary came into the house, the little one in the womb of his mother, leapt with joy, recognized the Prince of Peace. And so today, let us here make a strong resolution, we are going to save every little child, every unborn child, give them a chance to be born. And what we  are doing, we are fighting abortion by adoption, and the good God has blessed the work so beautifully that we have saved thousands of children, and thousands of children have found a home where they are loved, they are wanted, they are cared. We have brought so much joy in the homes that there was not a child, and so today, I ask His Majesties here before you all who come from different countries, let us all pray that we have the courage to stand by the unborn child, and give the child an opportunity to love and to be loved, and I think with God’s grace we will be able to bring peace in the world. We have an opportunity here in Norway, you are with God’s blessing, you are well to do. But I am sure in the families and many of our homes, maybe we are not hungry for a piece of bread, but maybe there is somebody there in the family who is unwanted, unloved, uncared, forgotten, there isn’t love. Love begins at home. And love to be true has to hurt. I never forget a little child who taught me a very beautiful lesson. They heard in Calcutta, the children, that Mother Teresa had no sugar for her children, and this little one, Hindu boy four years old, he went home and he told his parents: I will not eat sugar for three days, I will give my sugar to Mother Teresa. How much a little child can give. After three days they brought into our house, and there was this little one who could scarcely pronounce my name, he loved with great love, he loved until it hurt. And this is what I bring before you, to love one another until it hurts, but don’t forget that there are many children, many children, many men and women who haven’t got what you have. And remember to love them until it hurts. Sometime ago, this to you will sound very strange, but I brought a girl child from the street, and I could see in the face of the child that the child was hungry. God knows how many days that she had not eaten. So I give her a piece of bread. And then the little one started eating the bread crumb by crumb. And I said to the child, eat the bread, eat the bread. And she looked at me and said: I am afraid to eat the bread because I’m afraid when it is finished I will be hungry again. This is a reality, and yet there is a greatness of the poor. One evening a gentleman came to our house and said, there is a Hindu family and the eight children have not eaten for a long time. Do something for them. And I took rice and I went immediately, and there was this mother, those little ones’ faces, shining eyes from sheer hunger. She took the rice from my hand, she divided into two and she went out. When she came back, I asked her, where did you go? What did you do? And one answer she gave me: They are hungry also. She knew that the next door neighbor, a Muslim family, was hungry.

What surprised me most, not that she gave the rice, but what surprised me most, that in her suffering, in her hunger, she knew that somebody else was hungry, and she had the courage to share, share the love. And this is what I mean, I want you to love the poor, and never turn your back to the poor, for in turning your back to the poor, you are turning it to Christ. For he had made himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, so that you and I have an opportunity to love him, because where is God? How can we love God? It is not enough to say to my God I love you, but my God, I love you here. I can enjoy this, but I give up. I could eat that sugar, but I give that sugar. If I stay here the whole day and the whole night, you would be surprised of the beautiful things that people do, to share the joy of giving. And so, my prayer for you is that truth will bring prayer in our homes, and the fruit of prayer will be that we believe that in the poor, it is Christ. And if we really believe, we will begin to love. And if we love, naturally, we will try to do something. First in our own home, our next door neighbor, in the country we live, in the whole world. And let us all join in that one prayer, God give us courage to protect the unborn child, for the child is the greatest gift of God to a family, to a nation and to the whole world. God bless you!

Reflection Questions

• How does Mother Teresa’s emphasis on seeing God in each other influence your understanding of service to others?
• In what ways does Mother Teresa’s speech challenge our understanding of poverty and need?
• How does Mother Teresa’s reference to the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi resonate with her message of peace and love?
• What does Mother Teresa’s speech reveal about her personal beliefs and values?

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Love is more powerful than hate

Speech written on 07-04-2024.

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"The Birth of a New Age," Address Delivered on 11 August 1956 at the Fiftieth Anniversary of Alpha Phi Alpha in Buffalo

Author:  King, Martin Luther, Jr.

Date:  January 1, 1956 to December 31, 1956

Location:  Chicago, Ill.

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Topic:  Montgomery Bus Boycott

The evening after testifying at the Democratic National Convention King delivered the featured speech at the fiftieth-anniversary convention banquet of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in Buffalo. He received the Alpha Award of Honor for “Christian leadership in the cause of first class citizenship for all mankind. ”Other award winners that evening included Autherine Lucy, Thurgood Marshall, and Arthur Shores. In his address King suggests how Alpha men and other African Americans can best prepare for the challenges and responsibilities of the “new order” that is replacing the “old order” of colonialism abroad and segregation at home. Declaring that “we will have to rise up in protest” to usher in this “new age,” King envisions “a beloved community . . . where men will live together as brothers.” The speech was transcribed for publication in an anniversary booklet published by the fraternity later in 1956.

Thank you so much for your kindness Brother Alexander. Brother Stanley, Brothers of Alpha, Ladies and Gentlemen, I need not pause to say how happy I am to be here this evening and to be a part of this auspicious occasion. 1  I can assure you that this is one of the happiest moments of my life. As I look over the audience I see so many familiar faces and so many dear friends that it is a real pleasure to be here. I only regret that certain responsibilities elsewhere made it impossible for me to be in on the other part of the sessions. My heart was here and I was here in spirit. I am very happy to share the platform with so many distinguished Alpha men and so many distinguished American citizens and I say once more that this is a high moment in my life.

I would like to take just a moment to express my personal appreciation to our General President, Brother Stanley in particular, and to all of the Alpha brothers over the country in general for the moral support and the financial contributions that you have given to those of us who walk the streets of Montgomery. I can assure that these things have given us renewed courage and vigor to carry on. The thing that we are doing in Montgomery we feel is bigger than Montgomery and bigger than 50,000 Negroes, and I assure you that we always appreciate your kind words and your contributions. I can remember those days, very dark days, when many of us confronted a trial in court and I could look out in the courtroom and see our very eminent General President. That made me feel very good as an Alpha man and I want to thank you for what you have done all along. But I did not come here tonight to talk about Montgomery and I know it is getting late. I am sure you don’t want to be bored with me too long and I am going to try to comply with your silent request.

I want to use as a subject, “The Birth of A New Age.” Those of us who lived in the 20th Century are privileged to live in one of the most momentous periods of human history. It is an exciting age, filled with hope. It is an age in which a new world order is being born. We stand today between two worlds—the dying old and the emerging new. I am aware of the fact that there are those who would argue that we live in the most ghastly period of human history. They would contend that the deepest of deep rumblings of the discontent in Asia, and we have risings in Africa, the naturalistic longings of Egypt and the racial tensions of America, are all indicative of the deep and tragic midnight which encounters our civilization. They would argue that we are going backwards instead of forward, that we are retrogressing instead of progressing. But far from representing retrogression or tragic hopelessness, the present tension represents the necessary pains that accompany the birth of anything new. It is both historically and biologically true that there can be no birth or growth without birth and growing pains. Wherever there is the emergence of the new and the fading of the old, that is historically true and so the tensions which we witness in the world today are indicative of the fact that a new world is being born and an old world is passing away.

We are all familiar with this old world that is dying, the old world that is passing away, we have lived with it, we have seen it, we look out and see it in its international proportion and we see it in the form of Colonialism and Imperialism. We realize that there are approximately 2,400,000,000 people on the face of the globe and the vast majority of these peoples in the world are colored. About 1,600,000,000 of these people of the world are colored and most of these people, if not all of the colored people of the world, have lived under the yoke of Colonialism and Imperialism, fifty years ago to twenty-five years ago. All of these people were dominated and controlled by some foreign power. We could look over to China and see the 600,000,000 men and women there under the yoke of the British and the Dutch and the French. We could look to Indonesia we could notice the 100,000,000 there under the pressing yoke of the Dutch. We could turn our eyes to India and Pakistan and notice there are 400,000,000 brown men and women under the pressing yoke of the British. We could turn our eyes to Africa and notice the 200,000,000 black men and women there dominated by the British, the Dutch, the French and the Belgian. All of these people lived for years and centuries under the yoke of foreign power and they were dominated politically, exploited economically, segregated and humiliated. But there comes a time when people grow tired, when the throbbing desires of freedom begin to break forth. There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of the tramper. There comes a time when people get tired of being plunged across the abyss of exploitation, where they have experienced the bleakness and madness of despair. There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life’s July and left standing in the pitying state of an Alpine November.

So with the coming of this time an uprising started and protest started and these peoples rose up against Colonialism and Imperialism and as a result, out of 1,600,000,000 colored people in the world today, 1,300,000,000 are free. They have their own government, their own economic system and their own educational system. They have broken aloose from the evils of Colonialism and they are passing through the wilderness of adjustment, through the promised land of cultural integration, and if we look back we see the old order of Colonialism and Imperialism thrown upon the seashores of the world and we see the new world of freedom and justice emerging on the horizon of the universe. But not only have we seen the emergence of this new order on the international scale, not only have we seen the old order on the international scale, we have seen the old order on the national scale. We see it on the national scale in the form of segregation and discrimination—that is the old order that we witness today passing away. We know the history of this old order in America.

You will remember that it was in the year 1619 that the first Negro slave was brought to the shores of this nation. They were brought here from the soils of Africa and unlike the Pilgrim fathers who landed here at Plymouth a year later, they were brought here against their will. For more than 200 years Africa was raped and plundered, a native kingdom disorganized, the people and rulers demoralized and throughout slavery the Negro slaves were treated in a very [ in? ]human form. This is expressed very clearly in the Dred Scott Decision in 1857 when the Supreme Court of this nation said in substance that the Negro is not a citizen of the United States, he is merely property subject to the dictates of his owner.

Then came 1896 when the same court, the Supreme Court of the nation, in the famous Plessy vs. Ferguson Case, established the doctrine of “separate but equal” as the law of the land. Now segregation had moral and legal sanction by the highest court in the land and of course, they were always interested in the separate aspect but never the equal and this doctrine “separate but equal” made for tragic inequality. It made for injustice, it made for exploitation, it made for suppression, and it went a long time but then something happened to the Negro himself. He had traveled and he was getting more education and getting greater economic power and he came to feel that he was somebody. He came to the point that he was now re-evaluating his natural investments and he came to the point of seeing that the basic thing about an individual is this fundamental, not in the texture or the quality of his hair, but the texture and quality of his soul, so he could now cry out with eloquent force. Fleecy locks and black complexion cannot scoff at nature’s claim, skin may differ but affection dwells in white and black the same. “Were I so tall as to reach the pole, or grasp the ocean with my span, It must be measured by my soul, the mind is the standard of man.” 2

With this new sense of dignity, with this new self respect, the Negro decided to rise up against this old order of segregation and discrimination. Then came May 17, 1954 in the same Supreme Court of the nation, passed unanimously the decision stating that the old “Separate Doctrine” must go now, that separate facilities are inherently unequal and that this segregation, therefore, on the basis of his race is to deny him equal protection of the law. With this decision we have been able to see the gradual death of the old order of segregation and discrimination.

We now see the new order of integration emerging on the horizon. Let nobody fool you, all the loud noises we hear today in terms of nullification and interposition are nothing but the death groans of the dying system. The old order is passing away, the new order is coming into being. But whenever there is anything new there are new responsibilities. As we think of this coming new world we must think of the challenge that we confront and the new responsibilities that stand before us. We must prepare to live in a new world.

I would like to suggest some things that we must do to live in this new world, to prepare to live in it, the challenges that confront us. The first thing is this, that we must rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns, with a broader concern for all humanity. You see, this new world is a world of geographical togetherness. No individual can afford to live alone now. The nation cannot live alone for we have been brought together. This has been done certainly by modern man with great scientific insight. Man through his scientific genius has been able to draw distance and save time and space. He has been able to carry highways through the stratosphere. We read just the other day that a rocket plane went 1900 miles in one hour. Twice as fast as the speed of sound. This is the new age. Bob Hope has described this new age, this jet age; it is an age in which planes will be moving so fast that we will have a non-stop flight from New York to Los Angeles, when you start out you might develop the hiccups and you will hic in New York and cup in Los Angeles. This is an age in which it will be possible to leave Tokyo on a Sunday morning and arrive in Seattle, Washington on the preceding Saturday night. When your friends meet you at the airport and ask what time did you leave Tokyo, you will have to say I left tomorrow. That is this new age. We live in one world geographically. We face the great problem of making it one spiritually.

Through our scientific means we have made of the world a neighborhood and now the challenge confronts us through our moral and spiritual means to make of it a brotherhood. We must live together, we are not independent we are interdependent. We are all involved in a single process. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly for we are tied together in a single progress. We are all linked in the great chain of humanity. As one man said, that no man is an Island, entirely of himself. Every man is a piece of a continent and a part of a main. I am involved in mankind, therefore we will not send to know for whom the bells toll, they toll for thee. 3  We must discover that and live by it . . . if we are to live meaningfully in this one world that is emerging. But not only that, we must be able to achieve excellency in our various fields of endeavor. In this new world doors will be opening that were not open in the old world. Opportunities will come now that did not come in the past and the next challenge confronting us is to be prepared for these opportunities as they come.

We must prepare ourselves in every field of human endeavor. We must extend our interest and we must accomplish a great deal now to be prepared for these doors to open. There are so many things, so many areas we need to be prepared in. We need more ingenuity. We have been relatively content with the relatively material posessions such as medicine, teaching, and law. All of these are noble and gracious but we must prepare ourselves. Doors will be opening in all of these areas and we need people, we need more kinds who can qualify in the area of engineering, more architects and even more in the medical profession. We need to do more in the area of specialization now because the opportunities are coming and we must be prepared. In this new world we can now compete with people, not Negro people. We must not go out to be a good Negro barber, a good Negro lawyer, a good Negro teacher, we will have to compete with people. We must go out to do the job. Ralph Waldo Emerson said in an Essay back in 1878 that, “if a man can write better books or preach a better sermon or make a better mouse trap than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.” 4  That will be increasingly true. We must be ready. We must confront the opportunities and we must be ready to go into these doors as they open.

No matter what area and all fields, we should be ready. We need more skilled laborers. We need more people who are competent in all areas and always remember that the important thing is to do a good job. No matter what it is. Whatever you are doing consider it as something having cosmic significance, as it is a part of the uplifting of humanity. No matter what it is, no matter how small you think it is, do it right. As someone said, do it so well that the living, dead, or the unborn could do it no better. 5  If your son grows up to be a street cleaner, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry, sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, “here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well”. If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill be a shrub on the side, but be the best shrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can’t be a tree, if you can’t be a highway be a trail, if you can’t be the sun be a star. It isn’t by size that you win or you fail. Be the best of whatever you are and that is the second challenge, that we confront the issues of today and prepare to live in this new age. 6

There is a third and basic challenge. We must prepare to go into this new age without bitterness. That is a temptation that is a danger to all of those of us who have lived for many years under the yoke of oppression and those of us who have been confronted with injustice, those of us who have lived under the evils of segregation and discrimination, will go into the new age with bitterness and indulging in hate campaigns. We cannot do it that way. For if we do it that way, it will be just a perpetuation of the old way. We must conquer the hate of the old age and the love of the new age and go into the new age with the love that is understanding for all men, to have with it a forgiving attitude, it has with it something that will cause you to look deep down within every man and see within him something of Godliness. That something that will cause you to stand up before him and love him.

As we move in this transition from the old age into the new we will have to rise up in protest. We will have to boycott at times, but let us always remember that boycotts are not ends within themselves. A boycott is just a means to an end. A boycott is merely a means to say, “I don’t like it.” It is merely a means to awaken a sense of shame within the oppressor but the end is reconciliation. The end is the creation of a beloved community.

The end is the creation of a society where men will live together as brothers. An end is not retaliation but redemption. That is the end we are trying to reach. That we would bring these creative forces together we would be able to live in this new age which is destined to come. The old order is dying and the new order is being born. You know, all of this tells us something about the meaning of the universe. It tells something about something that stands in the center of the cosma, it says something to us about this, that justice eventually rules in this world. This reminds us that the forces of darkness cannot permanently conquer the forces of light and this is the thing that we must live by. This is the hope that all men of goodwill live by, the belief that justice will triumph in the universe and the fact that the old order is passing away and a new order is being born is an eternal reminder of that truth that stands at the center of our faith.

It is something there that says this, that iniquity may occupy the throne of force but ultimately it must give way to the triumphant Jesus on the throne of Egypt. It says to us that evil may prevail again and the Caesar will occupy the palace and Christ the cross, but one day that same Christ will rise up and split history into A.D. and B.C. so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by His name. There is something in this universe that justified Carlisle in saying, “No lie can live forever.” There is something in the universe that justifies James Russell Lowell in saying, “Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne, yet that scaffold weighs the future and behind the demon, Wrong, stands God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.” There is something in the universe that justified William C. Bryant in saying, “Truth crushed down will rise again.” That is the meaning of this new age that is emerging. This is the hope that we can live by.

Now I am about to close, but I cannot close without giving a warning signal. I have talked a great deal about this coming new age, about this age that is passing away and about this age that is now coming into being. There is a danger that after listening to that you will become the victims of an optimism covered with superficiality. An optimism which says in substance we can sit down now and do nothing because this new age is inevitable. We can sit down and wait for the rolling in of the wheels of inevitability, we don’t need to do anything, it’s coming anyway. We cannot be complacent. We cannot sit idly by and wait for the coming of the inevitable. I would urge you not to take that attitude for it might be true that this new age is inevitable but we can speed it up, the coming of the new age. It might be true that old man segregation is on his deathbed but history has proven that social systems have a great last minute breathing power. The vanguards and the guardians of the status quo are always on hand with their obstacles in an attempt to keep the old order alive. So that we are not to think that segregation will die without an effort and working against it. Segregation is still a reality in America. We still confront it in the South and it is blaring in conspicuous forms. We still confront it in the North in its hidden and subtle form. But if democracy is to live, segregation must die. Segregation is evil, segregation is against the will of the Almighty God, segregation is opposed to everything that democracy stands for, segregation is nothing but slavery covered up with the niceties of complexities. So we must continue to work against it.

We must continue to stand up, we must gain the ballot . . . that is important . . . we cannot overlook the importance of the ballot. By gaining the ballot we will gain political power and doing that we will be able to persuade the Executive and Legislative branches of the government to follow the examples so courageously set by the Judicial clan. We must continue to get the ballot. We must continue to work through legislation and that is an important avenue, we can never overlook that. It may be true that they cannot make them live more moral, that might be true, I don’t know. But that never was the intention of the law anyway. The law doesn’t seek so much to change a man’s internal feelings but it seeks to control the external effect of those internal feelings. So that we must continue to support the N.A.A.C.P. which has done such a noble and courageous job in this area. They may try to outlaw this organization in Alabama and Louisiana but it still remains true that this is the greatest organization in the nation working for the Civil Rights of our people.

Then, in order to gain this freedom and to move away from the cycles of segregation we have got to go down in our pockets and give some money. I assure you that integration is not some lavish gift that the white man will pass out on a silver platter while the Negro merely furnishes the appetite. If we are to gain it we have got to work for it, we have got to sacrifice for it. We have got to pay for it. We cannot use the excuse any more that we don’t have the money. The national income of the Negro now is more than 16 billion dollars, more than the national income of Canada. We have the money, we can do it. We have it for everything else that we want. We have the biggest and the finest cars in the world and we can spend it for all those frivolities, now let us use our money for something lasting, not merely for extravagances. I am not the preacher that would condemn social life and recreational activities . . . those are important aspects of life . . . but I would urge you not to put any of these things before this pressing and urgent problem of Civil Rights. We must spend our money not merely for the adolescent and transitory things, but this eternal, lasting something that we call freedom.

Finally, in order to do this job we have got to have more dedicated, consecrated, intelligent and sincere leadership. This is a tense period through which we are passing, this period of transition and there is a need all over the nation for leaders to carry on. Leaders who can somehow sympathize with and calm us and at the same time have a positive quality. We have got to have leaders of this sort who will stand by courageously and yet not run off with emotion. We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom. God give us leaders. A time like this demands great leaders. Leaders whom the fog of life cannot chill, men whom the lust of office cannot buy. Leaders who have honor, leaders who will not lie. Leaders who will stand before a pagan god and damn his treacherous flattery. 7

God grant from this noble assembly, this noble assembly of fraternity men some of the leaders of our nation will emerge. God has blessed you, he has blessed you with great intellectual resources and those of you who represent the intellectual powers of our race. God has blessed many of you with great wealth and never forget that those resources came from people in the back doing a little job in a big way. Never forget that you are where you are today because the masses have helped you get there and they stand now out in the wilderness, not being able to speak for themselves, they stand walking the streets in protest just not knowing exactly what to do and the techniques. They are waiting for somebody out in the midst of the wilderness of life to stand up and speak and take a stand for them.

God grant that the resources that you have will be used to do that, the great resources of education, the resources of wealth and that we will be able to move into this new world, a world in which men will live together as brothers; a world in which men will no longer take necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes. A world in which men will throw down the sword and live by the higher principle of love. The time when we shall be able to emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity to man into the bright and glittering daylight of freedom and justice. That there will be the time we will be able to stand before the universe and say with joy—The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and our Christ! And he shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah! 8

1.  King refers to Raymond Pace Alexander, toastmaster for the evening, and Frank L. Stanley, Alpha Phi Alpha general president.

2.  These lines are a composite of passages from William Cowper’s “The Negro’s Complaint” (1788) and Isaac Watts’s “False Greatness” (1706). See note 5 to the “The ‘New Negro’ of the South: Behind the Montgomery Story,” June 1956, p. 283 in this volume.

3.  These three sentences are from John Donne’s poem “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions” (1624). In later speeches King included longer quotations from the poem. See, for example, “Facing the Challenge of a New Age,” 3 December 1956, pp. 456-457 in this volume.

4.  The source of this quotation, often attributed to Emerson, is uncertain; see note 6 to “Mother’s Day in Montgomery,” 18 May 1956, p. 266 in this volume.

5.  When giving this speech to an Atlanta audience, King attributed the quotation to Benjamin Mays (see King, “Facing the Challenge of a New Age,” 1 January 1957, Paul H. Brown Collection, in private hands).

6.  King paraphrases the poem “Be the Best of Whatever You Are” (1926) by Douglas Malloch.

7.  Cf. Josiah Gilbert Holland’s ‘‘Wanted” (1872), in  Garnered Sheaves: The Complete Poetical Works of J. G. Holland  (New York: Scribner/Armstrong, 1873), p. 377: “God give us men! A time like this demands / Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands; / Men whom the lust of office does not kill; / Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy; / Men who possess opinions and a will; / Men who have honor,—men who will not lie; / Men who can stand before a demagogue, / And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!” In a 3 December 1956 speech that included these lines, King noted that he was paraphrasing Holland (see “Facing the Challenge of a New Age,” p. 461 in this volume). See also King’s use of Holland’s poem in “Desegregation and the Future,” 15 December 1956. p. 477 in this volume.

8.  Revelations 11:15.

Source:  CSKC-INP, Coretta Scott King Collection, In Private Hands, Sermon file, folder 159, Speeches--Reprints in Various Magazines, M. L. King.

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100 Humanity Quotes That Will Touch Your Heart

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page .

Here are 100 of the best humanity quotes I could find.

What’s my goal?

Simply to inspire you with great words from the most loving and unifying people in history.

You’ll discover quotes by Einstein, Obama, Martin Luther King Jr, and more.

Politeness is the flower of humanity. Joseph Joubert

Pray for your health first, then pray for humanity. Maxime Lagacé

Humanity should be our race. Love should be our religion. Unknown

Be a good human being, a warm hearted, affectionate person. That is my fundamental belief. 14th Dalai Lama

If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Mother Teresa

Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people. Roy T. Bennett

Kindness is the best form of humanity. Doris Lee

You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right. Rosa Parks

The next evolutionary step for humankind is to move from man to kind. Unknown

Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others. Unknown

My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. Thomas Paine

The more we take, the less there is for future generations. Phil Kingston

All I have is a sense of duty toward all people and an attachment to those with whom I have become intimate. Albert Einstein

Humanity has only scratched the surface of its real potential. Peace Pilgrim

We are very, very small, but we are profoundly capable of very, very big things. Stephen Hawking

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The Best Humanity Quotes

We cannot despair of humanity, since we ourselves are human beings. Albert Einstein

I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. Jackie Robinson

Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato

One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. Malala Yousafzai

Moral courage is the highest expression of humanity. Ralph Nader

Each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity. Marie Curie

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy

The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity. Leo Tolstoy

I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains. Anne Frank

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed. Mahatma Gandhi

The simplest way to be happy is to do good. Helen Keller

Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back. Arthur Rubinstein

I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole. Malcolm X

Angry people want you to see how powerful they are. Loving people want you to see how powerful you are. Chief Red Eagle

If you want to awaken all of humanity, awaken all of yourself. Lao Tzu

Praise what you want to see in the world. Maxime Lagacé

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Martin Luther King Jr

We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers. Martin Luther King Jr

We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity; more than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness . Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. Charlie Chaplin

Find the sweetness in your own heart, then you may find the sweetness in every heart. Rumi

To be a man is to feel that one’s own stone contributes to building the edifice of the world. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. Desmond Tutu

Since we live in this world, we have to do our best for this world. Aung San Suu Kyi

This is my creed: Happiness is the only good; reason the only torch; justice the only worship, humanity the only religion, and love the only priest. Robert Green Ingersoll

Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind. Theodore Roosevelt

To think ill of mankind and not wish ill to them, is perhaps the highest wisdom and virtue. William Hazlitt

No religion is higher than humanity. Abdul Sattar Edhi

Humanity is so much more than the sum of humans. Unknown

Part 2. Humanity Quotes That Are…

The most famous humanity quotes.

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Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. Helen Keller

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. Mother Teresa

This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Neil Armstrong

Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Mahatma Gandhi

The human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate-sized planet, orbiting around a very average star in the outer suburb of one among a hundred billion galaxies. We are so insignificant that I can’t believe the whole universe exists for our benefit. That would be like saying that you would disappear if I closed my eyes. Stephen Hawking

Embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important. Pope Francis

Be certain that you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity. Maya Angelou

The great moral teachers of humanity were in a way artistic geniuses in the art of living. Albert Einstein

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. Albert Einstein

The future of humanity is in our hands. 14th Dalai Lama

Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future. Nelson Mandela

If our tears do not lead us to act then we have lost the reason of our humanity, which is compassion. 14th Dalai Lama

We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race. We all share the same basic values. Kofi Annan

My friends, our challenge today is not to save Western civilization – or Eastern, for that matter. All civilization is at stake, and we can save it only if all peoples join together in the task. Kofi Annan

In the midst of economic recovery and global upheaval, disasters like this remind us of the common humanity that we share. Barack Obama (On Japan, March 17, 2011)

I believe that mankind’s destiny lies in the stars. Neil Gaiman

This is American leadership at its best. We stand with people who fight for their own freedom, and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity. Barack Obama

This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in. Theodore Roosevelt

The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. Jimmy Carter

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. Desmond Tutu

Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity. Confucius

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane. Kurt Vonnegut

You must not lose faith in humanity. Mahatma Gandhi

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Mahatma Gandhi

The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family as one. Mahatma Gandhi

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. Martin Luther King Jr

We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. Because of our involvement in humanity we must be concerned about every human being . Martin Luther King Jr

Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock. Sigmund Freud

Each person must live their life as a model for others. Rosa Parks

Short Humanity Quotes

Comedy is the only hope for humanity. Roseanne Barr

Humanity needs to weep, and this is the time to weep. Pope Francis

Truth is on the side of the oppressed. Malcolm X

Above all else, we’re human. We’re one tribe. Lex Fridman ( Source )

The perfect normal person is rare in our civilization. Karen Horney

The moment we stop fighting for each other, that’s the moment that we lose our humanity. Adrian Hemlsley (In the movie “2012”)

The universe is my country and the human family is my tribe. Kahlil Gibran

The human race has improved everything, but the human race. Adlai E. Stevenson

It’s all about humanity, humility, and integrity. Debra Wilson

We are not broken, we are just unfinished. Dawna Markova

Humanity is the virtue of a woman, generosity that of a man. Adam Smith

The more I see of man, the more I like dogs. Madame de Stael

Every step we take on earth brings us to a new world. Federico Garcia Lorca

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. Marie Curie

My humanity is a constant self-overcoming. Friedrich Nietzsche

The only real nation is humanity. Paul Farmer

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Unknown

You don’t need a reason to help people. Unknown

Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity. Pema Chödrön

Sometimes a hug is worth more than a thousand words. Unknown

I am not a human being; I am a human becoming. Unknown

Be the reason someone smiles today. Unknown

Humanity is beautiful, even in the darkest times. Lex Fridman ( Source )

There is nothing on earth divine except humanity. Walter Savage Landor

The strides of humanity are slow, they can only be counted in centuries. Georg Buchner

The planet is fine. The people are fucked. George Carlin

I would never trust a man who didn’t cry. Norman Schwarzkopf

All of our humanity is dependent upon recognizing the humanity in others. Desmond Tutu

To err is human, to forgive, divine. Alexander Pope

How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world. William Shakespeare

Key Takeaways

• Best way to build humanity? Be kind to people.
• Your health
• Your people
• To be a good human being
• YOU can make a difference in people’s lives. You don’t need to ask permission. You don’t have to wait.
• Remember: make the world your country, and make love your religion.
• Don’t separate. Unite. Don’t build walls. Build bridges.

Further Readings

• Topic: Education
• 100 Education Quotes That Will Inspire You To Keep Growing
• 100 Music Quotes From The Best Musicians In The World
• 200 Travel Quotes To Feed Your Wanderlust
• 210 History Quotes That Will Surprise And Inspire You
• 150 Art Quotes To Bring Out Your Inner Artist
• 25 Ways to Help a Fellow Human Being Today (zenhabits.net)

Hope you liked these beautiful humanity quotes. If you did, please share them with one of your friends!

What gives you hope in humanity? What’s your favorite humanity quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

Table Of Contents

Part 1 Top 15 Images Best Quotes

Part 2 Humanity Quotes That ARE Famous Short

Part 3 Conclusion

Was this helpful?

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." -Aristotle

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Speech on Humanity

Humanity speech in english.

One essential characteristic that sets people apart from other living things is what is known as humanity. The value of humanity is another thing that unites us. The word "humanity" refers to all people who love, care about, and are compassionate toward one another . Here are a few sample speeches on humanity.

10 Lines Speech on Humanity

Humanity is more than just the interactions between people; it also refers to how people interact with their environment.

A humanitarian is someone who seeks to advance human welfare and humanity.

It is crucial because it enables us to put aside our interests when helping those in need.

When people do something significant, it is typically referred to as an accomplishment for humanity or the human race.

The value of humanity is another thing that unites us.

Humanitarian service to others gives one's life a great deal of fulfillment. An individual's true happiness comes from feeling happy inside.

Happiness can be found by embracing humanity. On this globe, the happiest people do good things out of care for humanity.

Being humane doesn't require money. Everyone may display humanity. Through modest actions of compassion and love, everyone may demonstrate their concern for the world.

Human values are essential things in life; they are so vital that individuals are and should be willing to honestly live by them. Some of the ultimate values include truthfulness, integrity, love, and happiness.

Mother Teresa, Swami Vivekananda, and Nelson Mandela are just a few well-known humanitarians.

Short Speech on Humanity

The most popular definition of humanity is the importance of showing love and sympathy to other living things. The most unselfish act and compassion are the sources of humanity. An act of humanity should never be carried out to gain personal benefit, including celebrity, wealth, or power.

Humanitarians

Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela are just a handful of outstanding people who have performed numerous acts of generosity . As an illustration of a humanitarian, Mother Teresa's life was devoted to helping the needy and impoverished in a country where she had no connection. She viewed the people she worked with as fellow beings and members of her fraternity.

Gitanjali, the Nobel Prize-winning poem by the renowned Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, is a powerful expression of Tagore's profoundly religious and humanistic convictions. He held that worshipping humans was necessary to communicate with the divine. His true faith was in humanity.

Humanity is a crucial aspect of life, which teaches us to attempt to understand people, see their difficulties from our perspective, and try to be helpful to them. You don't have to be wealthy to demonstrate humanity; anyone can lend a hand or share some of our meagre resources with others. All religions teach important lessons about compassion, peace, and love.

Long Speech on Humanity

“The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane.” – Mahatma Gandhi.

One primary characteristic that sets people apart from other living things is what is known as humanity. The word "humanity" refers to all people who love, care about, and are compassionate toward one another. A person with humanity decides without much thought to be nice when given the option between being right and kind. The core of humanity is unwavering affection for every human being.

Humanity and Life

The key to happiness is humanity. The happiest individual on this earth will be someone who does good things out of care for humanity. A person's life is greatly enhanced by serving others with humanitarian concerns. Inner fulfilment leads to a person's true happiness. Humane traits can be displayed by everyone, regardless of money.

Anyone can perform simple acts of compassion and love to demonstrate their concern for the planet. The capacity to care for others is one of the most fundamental qualities of being human. Another aspect of humanity is the capacity for empathy and understanding of others' emotions.

Humanity is not simply about the interactions between people; it also refers to how people interact with their environment. A humanitarian is a person who works to elevate the well-being of all people. The greatest gifts to a nation are humanitarians. Because so many outstanding humanitarians have lived on our planet, its purity has been preserved.

Never engage in humanitarian work to gain popularity or a status symbol. We can quickly become famous for the work we undertake. Helping mom with her work is humanity, as is lifting an older woman's heavy bag, assisting someone in their career, assisting the disabled in crossing the street, etc. Helping anyone in need is humanity. The reason we are here on Earth is immediately satisfied as soon as we realise how crucial humanity is to daily existence.

Two irrefutable qualities necessary for advancing the human species are humanity and kindness. However, humanity's purity has been driven from many people's hearts due to the daily advancements in human living conditions. The human catastrophe begins when money, celebrity, and power replace humanity. Serving our nature is what it means to be human, not only serving other people. Everyone can help someone, even though we can't help everyone. Everyone could gain by doing this, bringing humanity to all. Let's be kind to one another and create a beautiful world.

Our planet's purity has been preserved courtesy of the many outstanding humanitarians who have lived there. Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Oskar Schindler, and Malala Yousafzai are a few well-known humanitarians.

Mother Teresa was a woman who spent her whole life helping the needy and homeless in the country.

Nelson Mandela spent his entire life serving the underprivileged as a renowned humanitarian. He never made any distinctions based on race, gender, creed, or anything else.

Mahatma Gandhi is a fantastic example of someone who dedicated their entire life to serving and liberating his country. He gave his life in the line of duty, aiming to make his country better. Therefore, we must all be motivated by such outstanding individuals.

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Essay on Humanity

500 words essay on humanity.

When we say humanity, we can look at it from a lot of different perspectives. One of the most common ways of understanding is that it is a value of kindness and compassion towards other beings. If you look back at history, you will find many acts of cruelty by humans but at the same time, there are also numerous acts of humanity. An essay on humanity will take us through its meaning and importance.

Importance of Humanity

As humans are progressing as a human race into the future, the true essence of humanity is being corrupted slowly. It is essential to remember that the acts of humanity must not have any kind of personal gain behind them like fame, money or power.

The world we live in today is divided by borders but the reach we can have is limitless. We are lucky enough to have the freedom to travel anywhere and experience anything we wish for. A lot of nations fight constantly to acquire land which results in the loss of many innocent lives.

Similarly, other humanitarian crisis like the ones in Yemen, Syria, Myanmar and more costs the lives of more than millions of people. The situation is not resolving anytime soon, thus we need humanity for this.

Most importantly, humanity does not just limit to humans but also caring for the environment and every living being. We must all come together to show true humanity and help out other humans, animals and our environment to heal and prosper.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

The Great Humanitarians

There are many great humanitarians who live among us and also in history. To name a few, we had Mother Teresa , Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana and more. These are just a few of the names which almost everyone knows.

Mother Teresa was a woman who devoted her entire life to serving the poor and needy from a nation. Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian poet who truly believed in humanity and considered it his true religion.

Similarly, Nelson Mandela was a great humanitarian who worked all his life for those in needs. He never discriminated against any person on the basis of colour, sex, creed or anything.

Further, Mahatma Gandhi serves as a great example of devoting his life to free his country and serve his fellow countrymen. He died serving the country and working for the betterment of his nation. Thus, we must all take inspiration from such great people.

The acts and ways of these great humanitarians serve as a great example for us now to do better in our life. We must all indulge in acts of giving back and coming to help those in need. All in all, humanity arises from selfless acts of compassion.

Conclusion of the Essay on Humanity

As technology and capitalism are evolving at a faster rate in this era, we must all spread humanity wherever possible. When we start practising humanity, we can tackle many big problems like global warming, pollution , extinction of animals and more.

FAQ of Essay on Humanity

Question 1: What is the importance of humanity?

Answer 1: Humanity refers to caring for and helping others whenever and wherever possible. It means helping others at times when they need that help the most. It is important as it helps us forget our selfish interests at times when others need our help.

Question 2: How do we show humanity?

Answer 2: All of us are capable of showing humanity. It can be through acknowledging that human beings are equal, regardless of gender, sex, skin colour or anything. We must all model genuine empathy and show gratitude to each other and express respect and humility.

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Speech on Love

Love, a simple four-letter word, yet it holds a world of emotions within. It’s like a warm hug that soothes your heart and a force that moves mountains.

This feeling is not just about romance. It extends to friends, family, and even strangers. A kind smile, a helping hand, that’s love too.

1-minute Speech on Love

Ladies and gentlemen, today I stand before you to talk about a simple yet powerful word – Love. Love is not just a word, it is a feeling that can be as soft as a feather and as strong as a storm.

Love is like a beautiful song that touches your heart. When you love someone, you care for them more than yourself. You want to see them happy, even if it means giving up your own happiness. Love can make you do things you never thought you could. It gives you strength and courage. It’s like a light that brightens your path in the darkest times.

Love is also about understanding and respect. It’s about listening to each other, even when you disagree. Love is patient, it doesn’t rush. It waits, it understands, it forgives. It’s not just about saying “I love you”, it’s about showing it through your actions every day.

But remember, love is not just for others. It’s also about loving yourself. It’s about treating yourself with kindness and respect. You can’t truly love others until you learn to love yourself. It’s like a flower. You need to water it, give it sunlight, and protect it from harm, so it can bloom and spread its fragrance to the world.

So, let us all promise today to spread love everywhere we go. Let us not just say it, but show it in our actions. Let’s make the world a better place with love. Because love, my friends, is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Also check:

• Essay on Love
• 10-lines on Love

2-minute Speech on Love

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let’s talk about love. Love, a simple four-letter word, holds a universe of feelings. It’s like the sun, shining bright, spreading warmth, and making life beautiful. Love is what makes us kind, patient, and understanding. It’s a powerful force that can create miracles.

Think about your family. The people who care for you, who look out for you. Your parents, brothers, sisters, they all love you. They would do anything for you. That’s the magic of love. It makes us brave. It gives us the strength to move mountains if we need to. Love in a family is like the roots of a tree, it keeps us grounded, it gives us our identity.

Now, imagine your friends. People you laugh with, people you share your secrets with. They might not be related to you, but they love you and you love them. Love among friends is like a cool breeze on a hot day. It brings relief, comfort, and joy. It makes life fun. It helps us grow.

Then, there is the love that makes your heart race, that makes you feel butterflies in your stomach. Yes, I am talking about romantic love. When you fall in love, you see the world through rose-colored glasses. Everything seems wonderful. This love is like a beautiful song that you want to keep listening to. It gives life a new meaning.

But love is not always easy. Sometimes it can be tough. Sometimes it can hurt. But even when it hurts, it teaches us. It makes us grow. It makes us better. Like a rainstorm that may be scary but leaves the earth fresh and green, love can bring tears but also joy and growth.

Lastly, let’s not forget about self-love. The love you have for yourself. This love is like a mirror. It shows you who you really are. It helps you understand yourself. It makes you strong. It helps you to love others better.

So, let’s celebrate love. Let’s cherish it. Let’s spread it. Because love can change the world. It can bring peace. It can bring happiness.

In the end, love is all we need. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world. Love is not just a feeling, it’s a way of life. Let’s make love our way of life.

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BE LOVE is a growing movement of courageous acts to achieve justice.

Celebrate be love events.

BE LOVE Day

• Save the Date
• BE LOVE Day 2024
• Friday, July 12, 2024

#BeLove #ShiftTheCulture

Be Love Democracy In Peril

Rethink podcast, nv365® the prescription for the escalating violence in our world, beloved community talks be love end the housing crisis pt1, be love day concert with algebra blessett and anthony david, be love day challenges.

• Register or verify your voting status via headcount.com:  https://www.headcount.org/verify-voter-registration/
• Join the movement to stop global warming. Things we can do:  https://www.northwestern.edu/fm/fm-staff/10-ways-to-stop-global-warming.htm…
• Learn more about renewable energy and about a clean energy future: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/raising-ambition/renewable-energy
• Connect with Everytown and the organization’s plan to end #GunViolence: https://www.everytown.org/
• Read about ‘The High Cost of Housing’:  https://nlihc.org/oor – Share what you learned and what you think you can do to help. Tag #TheKingCenter and #BeLoveDay.
• Share why and how you will commit to Be Love today and for the next 365 days – tag #TheKingCenter and #BeLoveDay.

WHY BE LOVE

The Path Forward

BE LOVE is a movement born amid the immense uncertainty and global tension of the past year, to help society answer three critical questions facing humanity:

(1) Who must we be?

(2) What must we do?

(3) What are we to accomplish?

The King Center is leading the way to answer these questions.

Our work is grounded in the iconic words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who in his notable and inspirational writing Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? professed that

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”

We can achieve the Beloved Community by studying the King Philosophy – Nonviolence365 ® , and working every day to put it into practice. It is not enough to learn it; we must live it.

Join us. Pledge to BE LOVE. 

TAKE THE PLEDGE

People around the world are pledging to Be Love.

Join Us Around the World in Taking the Pledge

People who have taken the pledge

• Youth Pledge

I acknowledge three things:

( 1 ) The violence, oppression, inequity, injustice, and hate in our world has to stop.

( 2 ) I have a responsibility and role to play in creating social change for a more just, humane, equitable, and peaceful world.

( 3 ) The decision is mine whether to do nothing in this moment, or to have the courage to stand up for justice.

And I have made my decision.

Starting today, I make a personal choice to BE LOVE.

I pledge to allow love to drive my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions, and honor the humanity of every individual.

I pledge to speak the truth to power in love. I pledge to focus on defeating injustice and not destroying the person. I pledge to support leaders who demonstrate a love for humanity.

I pledge to promote unity and refuse to perpetuate or magnify division.

I pledge to demonstrate a life of courage, care, and compassion as I boldly confront anything that stands in opposition to love.

By signing this pledge, I’m helping to create what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called The Beloved Community.

Take the Pledge

3 Things are True:

( 1 ) Hate and unfairness in our world has to stop

( 2 ) I pledge to help make the world a better place

( 3 ) The choice is mine to do nothing or stand up for what is right

Starting today, I make the personal choice to do something and BE LOVE.

I pledge to let my words and actions show love I pledge to treat people like they matter I pledge to Kindly remind everyone that they should lead with love

I pledge to focus on changing the things that are wrong, not hurting the people who are doing wrong things I pledge to help bring people together and celebrate our differences

I pledge to be courageous and caring while acting with love to ensure others are not being harmed I pledge to always do and say what is right

Reconozco tres cosas:

( 1 ) La violencia, la opresión, la inequidad, la injusticia y el odio en mi país tienen que parar.

( 2 ) Tengo una responsabilidad y un papel que desempeñar en la creación de un cambio social por un mundo más justo, humano, equitativo y pacífico.

( 3 ) La decisión es mía si no hacer nada en este momento o tener el valor de defender la justicia.

Y he tomado mi decisión.

A partir de hoy, tomo la decisión personal de SER AMOR.

Me comprometo a permitir que el amor guíe mis pensamientos, palabras, decisiones y acciones, y honrar la humanidad de cada individuo.

Me comprometo a decir la verdad al poder con amor. Me comprometo a centrarme en derrotar la injusticia y no en destruir a la persona. Me comprometo a apoyar a los líderes que demuestran amor por la humanidad.

Me comprometo a promover la unidad y a negarme a perpetuar o magnificar la división.

Me comprometo a demostrar una vida de valor, cuidado y compasión mientras me enfrento con valentía a todo lo que se opone al amor.

Al firmar este compromiso, estoy ayudando a crear lo que Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. llamó La Comunidad Amada.

Je reconnais trois choses :

La violence, l’oppression, l’inégalité, l’injustice et la haine dans mon pays doivent cesser.

J’ai une responsabilité et un rôle à jouer dans la création de changements sociaux pour un monde plus juste, plus humain, plus équitable et plus pacifique.

Le choix m’appartient de ne rien faire pour l’instant ou d’avoir le courage de défendre la justice.

Et j’ai pris ma décision.

À partir d’aujourd’hui, je prends la décision personnelle d’ÊTRE AMOUR.

Je m’engage à laisser l’amour guider mes pensées, mes paroles, mes décisions et mes actions, et d’honorer l’humanité de chaque individu.

Je m’engage à dire la vérité au pouvoir avec amour. Je m’engage à me concentrer sur la lutte contre l’injustice et non sur la destruction de l’individu. Je m’engage à soutenir les dirigeants qui font preuve d’amour pour l’humanité.

Je m’engage à promouvoir l’unité et je refuse de perpétuer ou d’amplifier la division.

Je m’engage à faire preuve de courage, d’attention et de compassion tout en affrontant courageusement tout ce qui fait obstacle à l’amour.

En signant cette promesse, je contribue à créer ce en quoi je crois le Dr Martin Luther King Jr. a appelé:

La communauté bien-aimée.

I pledge to allow love to drive my thoughts, words, decisions, and actions,

and honor the humanity of every individual.

我承诺让爱去引导我的思想，话语，决定和行为， 并且荣耀每个人的人性。

I pledge to speak the truth to power in love.

我承诺因着爱的力量诉说真理。

I pledge to focus on defeating injustice and not destroying the person.

我承诺关注挫败不公正以及非毁灭人的行为。

I pledge to support leaders who demonstrate a love for humanity.

我承诺去支持那些展示人性之爱的领袖。

我承诺去推动合一以及拒绝永久或放大性的分裂。

I pledge to demonstrate a life of courage, care, and compassion

as I boldly confront anything that stands in opposition to love.

我承诺去展示一个有勇气，关爱和同情的生活（生命）。就像我大胆的面对任何相反于爱的事情。

By signing this pledge, I’m helping to create what

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called

通过签署这一承诺，我正在帮助创造那由马丁路德金博士所号召的。

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Each evening’s session spoke to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King’s principles and teachings of creating The Beloved Community, which they believed must operate together with Power, Love and Justice, by REDEFINING LOVE, REVOLUTIONARY LOVE, and RECONCILIATORY LOVE.

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• Speech Writing /

Speech on Love for School Students in English

• Updated on  
• Feb 8, 2024

Speech on Love: Love is an emotional feeling with a strong and intense affection for another person. It involves care, attachment, devotion, and responsibility. When people are in love, they experience warm emotions and desire to be close to those they have feelings for.

Love helps us to connect. The connection of love is beyond selfish needs and leads to care and sacrifice. Love can exist between romantic partners, family members, friends, and even animals can fall in love. Love is something that comes through personal experience that shapes one’s life and relationships. 

Also Read: Speech on Love is More Powerful Than Hate

Table of Contents

• 1 Speech on Love in English: Sample 1
• 2 Speech on Love in English: Sample 2
• 3 10 Lines on Speech on Love

Speech on Love in English: Sample 1

‘Ladies and gentlemen, respected faculty and dear friends, today I am here to present to present with you my perspective on the speech on love.

Love comes to us in many ways. The most fundamental form of love is the love for our family and friends. The love of our mother holds us close from the moment we are born. She feeds us with unconditional love. As we grow, our deep bonds with siblings, grandparents, relatives, and friends grow stronger with each passing year. We share laughs, tears, hopes, and dreams with them. Our togetherness supports each other in the ups and downs of life. 

Let me help to understand love with an example. Last year when my sister Shalini had a severe accident, our entire family came together to take care of her. We take care of her treatments, meals, and finances. Furthermore, we keep her spirits high by playing music of her choice and spending quality time together. With the power of love and care, she recovered fast. This experience taught me the importance of family bonds and care which is unbreakable and is difficult in the most difficult times of our life. 

Do we share the same bonds with our friends too? Yes, the same love is true for our close friends. Friends are the next family to us. They are yet another member of our family which we choose for ourselves. They know us deeply and accept us for what we are. My best friend 

Aswani is my childhood friend and has been by my side since middle school. We went through many struggles together but still, we share an unbreakable bond. He brings ice cream and movie tickets to comedy movies whenever I am upset, just to cheer me up. That is the power of true love for friends and friendship.

Love gives us strength, comfort, and courage to face any circumstance of life. The love of family and friends is precious. It is important to express our love and appreciation to our dear ones every day. Thank you.’

Also Read: 10 Best Idioms for Love to Express Your Heart

Speech on Love in English: Sample 2

‘To the honorable guest, teachers, and my dear classmates: Today I am honoured to keep my point of view through my speech on love. 

As soon as we listen to the word love, a picture of our loved and dear ones fills our hearts. It’s very natural to love our parents, siblings and friends. But love is not limited to human beings only. We love our home, our community, our natural environment, and our country. 

Our country provides us with identity, security, and freedom to pursue our dreams. We can in return pay our patriotism and civic responsibilities as gifts to the nation.

For example, we should follow our fundamental duties, vote in elections, keep peace in the country, and take part in social events for the betterment of the society as well as for the country. My parents who are immigrants cast their vote than anything. They never miss any election either local or national. Their dedication is something that motivates me to exercise my love for the betterment of the nation in the form of civil duty.

Another way to serve our country love is through community service. Last year, I volunteered at the Save Earth From Plastic program. The team of volunteers removed many plastics from our local rivers. Through this small action, I connected with the love for the beauty of nature as well as the country. With this small service, I felt proud that I protected my nation from being polluted. 

Furthermore, our love for the country also includes humanity and treating all citizens with humanity and dignity. No matter what the circumstances are, we should not forget the love of equality among us. Participating in protests against injustice serves the purpose of the warmth of different and similar views on the subject.

Our country is a secular and sovereign state. Loving the differences as well as the similarities helps us to give courage, compassion, and love to all who care about our homeland. Let us love our country more for generations to come.

Thank you.’

Also Read: 99+ Psychology Facts About Human Behaviour You Would Find Interesting

10 Lines on Speech on Love

Let us understand the 10 lines of speech on love sweetly and shortly.

1. Love is a strong and intense, long-going, deep affection for another person. It involves care, attachment, devotion, and responsibility.

2. Love helps humans to connect deeply.

3. Love can exist between romantic partners, family members, and friends or between people, and concepts or ideals.

4. The most fundamental form of love is the love for our family and friends.

5. The love of our mother holds us close from the moment we are born. She feeds us with unconditional love.

7. We share laughs, tears, hopes, and dreams with them. Our togetherness supports each other in the ups and downs of life. 

8. As soon as we listen to the word love, a picture of our loved and dear ones fills our hearts. But can I say that in addition to loving our family and friends, it is important to love our country too?

9. Our country provides us with identity, security, and freedom to pursue our dreams. We can in return pay our patriotism and civic responsibilities as gifts to the nation as love.

10. Loving the differences as well as the similarities helps us to give courage, compassion, and love to all who care about our homeland. Let us love our country more for generations to come.

Also Read: 5 Best Social-Emotional Learning Activities

Ans: In my speech, love is a strong and intense, long-going, deep affection for another person as well as for the country. 

Ans: Love supports us in hard times. Also, it helps us to bear our responsibilities towards our family, friends, and country.

Ans. ‘When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching–they are your family.’ – Jim Butcher

Ans: I express my love by making sad people happy by gifting them their favorite things and marking my presence whenever they need me. 

Related Blogs

This was all about the speech on love. We hope we were able to provide you with every detail that you were looking for. For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu.

Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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‘Humanity in the Highest Regard’: Incoming BU President Speaks at HMS Class Day

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BOSTON — Incoming Boston University President Melissa L. Gilliam urged graduates to “love yourself, love another, and love mankind” in a keynote speech at the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine Class Day on Thursday.

During the graduation ceremony, students also staged silent protests by writing pro-Palestine messages on their regalia and bringing flags and keffiyeh on stage while receiving their diplomas.

Earlier on Thursday, more than 1,000 people walked out of the University-wide Commencement ceremonies in protest of Harvard preventing 13 College seniors from graduating over their participation in the pro-Palestine encampment of Harvard Yard .

Gilliam, who was announced as Class Day speaker last month, graduated from HMS in 1993 and served as provost of Ohio State University — the first Black woman to hold the post — through 2023. She will assume her role as the 11th president of BU on July 1.

Gilliam began her speech with a story about her mother, who overcame racism to become the first Black woman reporter at the Washington Post.

“To file a story, she would stand at the bus stop and write her story in shorthand, because no taxi would pick her up, but she knew she had to have it in by the deadline,” Gilliam said. “But she endured. She knew there were stories that only she could tell.”

Gilliam went on to talk about her father, abstract painter Sam Gilliam, and his dedication to art despite barriers he had to overcome because of his race.

“The thread here — and what I want for you — is a love of self that is so strong and so passionate that you fulfill your abilities,” Gilliam said.

Gilliam then discussed the importance of listening to patients, telling the graduates that “if we are going to care for people, then you must see people and hold your humanity in the highest regard.”

Gilliam recalled her first research study as a resident, during which she realized the many hurdles preventing first-time Black mothers from attending six-week postpartum visits, such as losing electricity or getting kicked out of school.

“If I had not had the opportunities to hear from the people for whom we care — people who were having lived experiences different than my own — I would have patted myself on the back for completing my project, but never really have helped those I most wanted to,” Gilliam said.

Prior to Gilliam’s speech, HMS student Victor A. Lopez-Carmen — the only U.S. tribal member in the graduating class — delivered a land acknowledgement, concluding his speech by advocating for Palestine.

“I pray that future Palestinian children can thrive in their sacred land, nourished by the olive trees that will grow back stronger for generations,” he said.

Lopez-Carmen’s speech was met by cheers from many in the crowd. Some graduates wrote “Harvard Divest” on their graduation caps or brought Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, posters with them on stage while receiving their degrees.

During a speech by HMS Dean George Q. Daley ’82, protesters on one side of the tent held up a poster saying “Dean Daley, genocide is not a consequence of war.” The protesters remained there for the duration of the ceremony.

Daley continued on despite the protest, encouraging graduates to use their talents to carry out the Medical School’s mission to “relieve suffering and improve health and wellbeing for all.”

“I’m inspired by your intellect, by your passion, by your dedication, and by your pursuit of social justice for all people,” he said.

—Staff writer Akshaya Ravi can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @akshayaravi22 .

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Short Speech on Humanity in English

Respected Teachers, Principal, and my dear friends.

Very good morning to all of you. Today I am here to present my speech on the topic- ‘Humanity’.

The most important religion is humanity.

Humanity can simply be defined as the quality of being human. It is the peculiar nature of man by which he is being distinguished from other beings.

Humanity means helping and caring for others. Amongst so many species, humans have the capacity to show love and care and to help others.

Humanity means forgetting your own interests when someone needs your assistance. Mother Teresa, is a perfect example who thought about humanity and worked for it. Not all humans can portray humanity.

Only human beings have the power to comprehend humanity. We don’t need a lot of money for humanitarian tasks. Giving a glass of water to a thirsty man or helping someone to cross the road is also a humanitarian task.

Humanitarian activities should not be done for fame or for a reward in return. It should be done as a part of our nature and duty. When we perform such activities, we get inner peace and blessings from the person whom we helped.

Every religion teaches us humanity, love, and care. And there is no religion above humanity. This is the reason we often hear people saying that humanity is their religion.

We should offer people our assistance irrespective of caste, creed, religion, and region.

Being human is our first identity. So we must comprehend humanity in our day to day lives as it is a reason behind our existence.

Thank you, everyone, for listening to me patiently.

Table of Contents

Question on Humanity

What is humanity simple words.

Humanity can simply be defined as the quality of being human such as kindness, mercy and sympathy. It is the peculiar nature of man by which he is being distinguished from other beings.

How do we maintain humanity?

It should be done as a part of our nature and duty. When we perform such activities, we get inner peace and blessings from the person whom we helped. We should offer people our assistance irrespective of caste, creed, religion, and region.

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Biden’s speech at the Holocaust remembrance ceremony, annotated

By Zachary B. Wolf and Annette Choi , CNN

Published May 7, 2024

President Joe Biden talked about the documented increase of antisemitism in the United States during the annual US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Days of Remembrance ceremony at the US Capitol building. Every recent president has made remarks at least once at the event, but Biden’s remarks came as pro-Palestinian protests have disrupted classes and commencements at multiple US universities . At times, rhetoric at those protests has veered into antisemitism, offended Jewish students and sparked a fierce debate about free speech.

Biden talked in-depth about the Hamas terror attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, and the Israeli hostages that remain in captivity . He did not mention Israel’s heavy-handed response, which has not only destroyed much of Gaza and cost tens of thousands of lives but has also driven a wedge between Biden and many progressives, particularly on college campuses. See below for what he said , along with context from CNN.

Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, Stu Eizenstat, for that introduction, for your leadership of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum . You are a true scholar and statesman and a dear friend.

Speaker Johnson , Leader Jeffries, members of Congress and especially the survivors of the Holocaust. If my mother were here, she’d look at you and say, “God love you all. God love you all.”

Abe Foxman and all other survivors who embody absolute courage and dignity and grace are here as well.

During these sacred days of remembrance we grieve, we give voice to the 6 million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II. We honor the memory of victims, the pain of survivors, the bravery of heroes who stood up to Hitler's unspeakable evil. And we recommit to heading and heeding the lessons that one of the darkest chapters in human history to revitalize and realize the responsibility of never again.

The Days of Remembrance commemoration has been an annual event since 1982. Every US president since Bill Clinton has spoken at least once at a remembrance event.

House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke shortly before Biden and tried to compare the situation on college campuses today with that on college campuses in Germany in the 1930s.

Never again, simply translated for me, means never forget, never forget. Never forgetting means we must must keep telling the story, we must keep teaching the truth, we must keep teaching our children and our grandchildren. And the truth is we are at risk of people not knowing the truth.

That's why, growing up, my dad taught me and my siblings about the horrors of the Shoah at our family dinner table.

Shoah is the Hebrew term for the Holocaust.

That's why I visited Yad Vashem with my family as a senator, as vice president and as president. And that's why I took my grandchildren to Dachau , so they could see and bear witness to the perils of indifference, the complicity of silence in the face of evil that they knew was happening.

Biden visited Yad Vashem , Israel’s Holocaust remembrance site, in 2022 as president.

As vice president, he toured the Nazi concentration camp outside Munich in 2015 with his granddaughter during a trip for an annual security conference.

Germany, 1933, Hitler and his Nazi party rise to power by rekindling one of the world's oldest forms of prejudice and hate — antisemitism.

His rule didn't begin with mass murder. It started slowly across economic, political, social and cultural life — propaganda demonizing Jews, boycotts of Jewish businesses, synagogues defaced with swastikas, harassment of Jews in the street and in the schools, antisemitic demonstrations, pogroms, organized riots.

With the indifference of the world, Hitler knew he could expand his reign of terror by eliminating Jews from Germany, to annihilate Jews across Europe through genocide the Nazis called the final solution. Concentration camps, gas chambers, mass shootings. By the time the war ended, 6 million Jews, one out of every three Jews in the entire world, were murdered.

This ancient hatred of Jews didn't begin with the Holocaust. It didn't end with the Holocaust either, or after, even after our victory in World War II. This hatred continues to lie deep in the hearts of too many people in the world and requires our continued vigilance and outspokenness.

The Holocaust survivor Irene Butter wrote for CNN Opinion in 2021 about Adolf Hitler’s rise and echoes of Nazism in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

That hatred was brought to life on October 7th in 2023. On the sacred Jewish holiday, the terrorist group Hamas unleashed the deadliest day of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Read mo re about Hamas .

Driven by ancient desire to wipe out the Jewish people off the face of the Earth, over 1,200 innocent people — babies, parents, grandparents — slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a music festival, brutally raped, mutilated and sexually assaulted .

Evidence of sexual violence has been documented. Here’s the account of one Israeli woman who has spoken publicly about her experience.

Thousands more carrying wounds, bullets and shrapnel from the memory of that terrible day they endured. Hundreds taken hostage, including survivors of the Shoah.

Now here we are, not 75 years later but just seven-and-a-half months later and people are already forgetting, are already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror. That it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis. It was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you, and we will not forget.

On May 7, 1945, the German High Command agreed to an unconditional surrender in World War II, 79 years ago.

And as Jews around the world still cope with the atrocities and trauma of that day and its aftermath, we've seen a ferocious surge of anti s emitism in America and around the world.

In late October, FBI Director Christopher Wray said reports of antisemitism in the US were reaching “ historic ” levels.

Vicious propaganda on social media, Jews forced to keep their — hide their kippahs under baseball hats, tuck their Jewish stars into their shirts.

On college campuses, Jewish students blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class . Antisemitism, antisemitic posters , slogans calling for the annihilation of Israel, the world's only Jewish state.

Many Jewish students have described feeling intimidated and attacked on campuses. Others have said they support the protests , citing the situation in Gaza.

Last month, the dean of the University of California Berkeley Law School described antisemitic posters that targeted him.

Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing, ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October 7th, including Hamas' appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews. It's absolutely despicable and it must stop.

Silence. Silence and denial can hide much but it can erase nothing.

Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous they cannot be married – buried, no matter how hard people try.

In my view, a major lesson of the Holocaust is, as mentioned earlier, is it not, was not inevitable.

We know hate never goes away. It only hides. And given a little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks.

We also know what stops hate. One thing: All of us. The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described antisemitism as a virus that has survived and mutated over time.

Together, we cannot continue to let that happen. We have to remember our basic principle as a nation. We have an obligation. We have an obligation to learn the lessons of history so we don't surrender our future to the horrors of the past. We must give hate no safe harbor against anyone. Anyone.

From the very founding, our very founding, Jewish Americans , who represented only about 2% of the US population , have helped lead the cause of freedom for everyone in our nation. From that experience we know scapegoating and demonizing any minority is a threat to every minority and the very foundation of our democracy.

As of 2020, Jewish Americans made up about 2.4% of the US population, according to the Pew Research Center , or about 5.8 million people.

So moments like this we have to put these principles that we're talking about into action.

I understand people have strong beliefs and deep convictions about the world .

In America we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard . I understand. That's America.

The complaint of many protesters is that Israel’s response to the terror attack has claimed more than 30,000 lives and destroyed much of Gaza .

But there is no place on any campus in America, any place in America, for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind.

Whether against Jews or anyone else, violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest. It's against the law and we are not a lawless country. We're a civil society. We uphold the rule of law and no one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves.

To the Jewish community, I want you to know I see your fear, your hurt and your pain.

Let me reassure you as your president, you're not alone. You belong. You always have and you always will.

And my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad, even when we disagree.

My administration is working around the clock to free remaining hostages, just as we have freed hostages already, and will not rest until we bring them all home.

My administration, with our second gentleman's leadership, has launched our nation's first national strategy to counter antisemitism. That's mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.

But we know this is not the work of government alone or Jews alone. That's why I’m calling on all Americans to stand united against antisemitism and hate in all its forms.

My dear friend — and he became a friend — the late Elie Wiesel said, quote, “One person of integrity can make a difference.”

Elie Wiesel , the Holocaust survivor, writer and activist, died in 2016.

We have to remember that, now more than ever.

Here in Emancipation Hall in the US Capitol, among the towering statues of history is a bronze bust of Raoul Wallenberg . Born in Sweden as a Lutheran, he was a businessman and a diplomat. While stationed in Hungary during World War II, he used diplomatic cover to hide and rescue about 100,000 Jews over a six-month period.

Read more about Wallenberg , the Holocaust hero and Swedish diplomat who was formally declared dead in 2016, 71 years after he vanished.

Among them was a 16-year-old Jewish boy who escaped a Nazi labor camp. After the war ended, that boy received a scholarship from the Hillel Foundation to study in America. He came to New York City penniless but determined to turn his pain into purpose. Along with his wife, also a Holocaust survivor, he became a renowned economist and foreign policy thinker, eventually making his way to this very Capitol on the staff of a first-term senator.

That Jewish refugee was Tom Lantos and that senator was me. Tom and his wife and Annette and their family became dear friends to me and my family. Tom would go on to become the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, where he became a leading voice on civil rights and human rights around the world. Tom never met Raoul, who was taken prisoner by the Soviets, never to be heard from again.

Read more about Lantos , the longtime congressman and Holocaust survivor who died in 2008. Lantos worked for Biden early in his career.

But through Tom's efforts, Raoul’s bust is here in the Capitol. He was also given honorary US citizenship, only the second person ever after Winston Churchill. The Holocaust Museum here in Washington is located in a road in Raoul’s name.

The story of the power of a single person to put aside our differences, to see our common humanity, to stand up to hate and its ancient story of resilience from immense pain, persecution, to find hope, purpose and meaning in life, we try to live and share with one another. That story endures.

Let me close with this. I know these days of remembrance fall on difficult times. We all do well to remember these days also fall during the month we celebrate Jewish American heritage, a heritage that stretches from our earliest days to enrich every single part of American life today.

There are important topics Biden did not address. He referenced the October 7 attacks on Israel but not Israel’s controversial response, which has drawn furious protests. He failed to mention Gaza, where Israel’s military campaign has killed so many, and which has led the World Food Programme to warn of a “full-blown famine .”

A great American — a great Jewish American named Tom Lantos — used the phrase “the veneer of civilization is paper thin.” We are its guardians, and we can never rest.

My fellow Americans, we must, we must be those guardians. We must never rest. We must rise Against hate, meet across the divide, see our common humanity. And God bless the victims and survivors of the Shoah.

May the resilient hearts, the courageous spirit and the eternal flame of faith of the Jewish people forever shine their light on America and around the world, pray God.

Thank you all.

Invoking Struggle and Faith, Biden Reaches Out at Morehouse

Addressing graduates of the historically Black college in Georgia, Mr. Biden spoke to a crucial segment of the electorate and sought to distinguish himself from Donald J. Trump.

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Katie Rogers and Maya King

Here’s what to know about Biden’s remarks.

Biden calls on morehouse college graduates to defend democracy, in a commencement speech at morehouse, the historically black men’s college in atlanta, president biden condemned white supremacy and “extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of morehouse.”.

You started college just as George Floyd was murdered and there was a reckoning on race. It’s natural to wonder if democracy you hear about actually works for you. What is democracy if Black men are being killed in the street? What is democracy if the trail of broken promises still leave Black communities behind? What is democracy if you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot? Well that’s my commitment to you. To show you democracy, democracy, democracy, is still the way. That Black men are being killed in the streets, we bear witness. For me, that means to call out the poison of white supremacy. Graduates, this is what we’re up against: extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse. And they peddle a fiction, a caricature, of what being a man is about — tough talk, abusing power, bigotry. But that’s not you. It’s not us. You all know and demonstrate what it really means to be a man. Being a man is about strength of respect and dignity. It’s about showing up because it’s too late, if you have to ask. It’s about giving hate no safe harbor.

President Biden invoked scripture and lessons from his own tragic past on Sunday in a commencement address to hundreds of young Black men at Morehouse College, saying he believes there are “extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message” of the prestigious institution.

Mr. Biden’s speech, delivered at the historically Black men’s college in Atlanta, put him directly in front of hundreds who represent a slice of the electorate that is drifting away from him over the war in Gaza and growing apathy about their choices ahead of the election. Mr. Biden used the moment to say that manhood was not about “tough talk” and “bigotry” but about calling out hate.

“Their idea of being a man is toxic,” Mr. Biden told the graduates, a reference to adversaries he did not name — but, given that his other events this weekend were focused on attacking his Republican competitor, Donald J. Trump, it was little mystery who he was talking about. “That is not you. That is not us. Being a man is about strength and respect and dignity.”

Those who stormed the Capitol with Confederate flags “are called patriots by some,” he said — a clear reference to Mr. Trump. “Not in my house.”

Mr. Biden’s speech was his first significant appearance before college students since protests over the war in Gaza began roiling campuses. For a ceremony in which students are discouraged even from decorating their caps, the signs of protest were respectful but noticeable: A small group of graduates turned to sit with their backs to Mr. Biden as he spoke, and several graduates wore the kaffiyeh, a traditional scarf associated with the Palestinians, draped over their shoulders. Some parents urged their graduating sons not to protest.

Mr. Biden also called for an immediate cease-fire and said that his administration was working to secure one. He said that members of his family had been upset by the war, a group that includes Jill Biden, the first lady, who has urged her husband in private to bring a stop to it.

“What’s happening in Gaza, in Israel, is heartbreaking,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

In a statement, Morehouse said that discussions between White House officials and students, faculty and alumni had helped shape Mr. Biden’s speech and his calls for a cease-fire in Gaza. The school also praised its graduates. “It is fitting that a moment of organized, peaceful activism would occur on our campus while the world is watching to continue a critical conversation,” the statement read.

During his 27-minute speech, Mr. Biden tried to stress to the graduates — none of whom stood for him as he took the lectern — that throughout his life he had respected and espoused the same ideas they care about.

He said he had worked throughout his life, as a public defender, senator and president, to correct inequalities. He outlined the work his administration has done that he and his advisers believe deserves more credit than it receives, including the forgiveness of large amounts of student loan debt and reducing the poverty rate for Black children.

“We know Black history is American history,” Mr. Biden said at one point, urging the crowd to “check my record,” which includes choosing the first Black female Supreme Court justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and the first Black woman to hold the vice presidency, Kamala Harris.

By focusing on matters of adversity and strength, Mr. Biden also sought to strike a contrast with Mr. Trump not on the grounds of politics or policy but through the lessons of keeping faith in moments of hopelessness. He spoke of the death of his first wife and daughter as well as his eldest son, Beau, from brain cancer.

He told the Morehouse graduates, a class that weathered the chaos of the pandemic and the tumult of widespread protests over the police killings of Black men, that it was natural for them to question whether there was a place for them in democracy at all.

“What is democracy when Black men are being killed in the streets?” he said. “What is democracy when a trail of broken promises still leave Black communities behind? What is democracy when you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?”

Repeatedly, Mr. Biden reached for religious inspiration, recalling that Jesus was buried on Friday and resurrected on Sunday, leaving Saturday as a day of hopelessness. He suggested that 2020 — the year he was elected, with its twin traumas of the Covid-19 pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd — had been one such Saturday.

At one point, Mr. Biden said, “I’ve learned there was no easy optimism but by faith, by faith you can find redemption.”

Mr. Biden, who has a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office — and who is old enough to have shared his memories of Dr. King’s assassination in his speech — walked into commencement on Sunday unsure of how the crowd would receive him.

Morehouse, which was established in Atlanta in 1867, is a school whose culture is steeped in tradition. Students spend their years working toward becoming the embodiment of the Morehouse man: well traveled, well read and civically engaged. As the alma mater of Dr. King, there is also a proud history of protesting for social justice.

Mr. Biden’s visit to Morehouse drew the objections of some faculty members, alumni and students, who have voiced anger over the war in Gaza and the American government’s support for Israel. The tension drew so much attention that the school’s president, David A. Thomas, publicly warned that he would stop the commencement if graduates shouted at the president or disrupted the event.

The men of Morehouse found ways to work their opposition to the war into the ceremony. DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher, the class valedictorian, took the stage with the Palestinian flag pinned on his stole and on his cap.

“It is my stance as a Morehouse man, nay, as a human being, to call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, in the Gaza Strip,” Mr. Fletcher said. Mr. Biden joined the crowd in standing up and clapping when Mr. Fletcher finished, and he shook the graduate’s hand.

But by the end of Mr. Biden’s speech, signs of support were visible, too. As Mr. Biden received an honorary doctorate of law, Mr. Thomas praised the president for listening to the concerns of the graduating class. And some people chanted “four more years” as Mr. Biden left the stage.

After addressing Morehouse, Mr. Biden was set to travel to Detroit to speak at a dinner hosted by the N.A.A.C.P.

Hitting two battleground states in eight hours was the clearest sign yet that Mr. Biden is serious about reintroducing himself to voters who carried him to the White House in 2020 and whose support he will need to win to stay in office for a second term.

In 2020 , 95 percent of Black women and 87 percent of Black men voted for Mr. Biden, according to the Pew Research Center. But in April, only 55 percent of Black voters told Pew that they approved of his job performance. A recent poll by Ipsos and The Washington Post showed that 62 percent of Black Americans planned to vote in 2024, down from 74 percent in 2020.

In recent days, both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris have traveled outside of Washington to host events geared toward bringing those voters back into the fold.

Mr. Biden’s trip to Detroit comes as the latest New York Times/Siena College poll shows him winning support from less than half of Black voters in Michigan in a five-way race. In 2020, he won more than 90 percent of Black voters in the state, exit polls show.

The war in Gaza and concerns about the economy are driving factors behind what analysts say is an increase in apathy. In Michigan, nearly nine in 10 Black voters rated the economy as being in “fair” or “poor” condition, a higher rate than white voters, the Times/Siena poll found.

Alexis Wiley, the founder of a strategic communications firm in Detroit and a former member of the Democratic National Committee, said the Biden administration had to do more to communicate its victories.

“I think that they’re finally catching up to the fact that people aren’t feeling great,” Ms. Wiley said, “and now there’s this mad dash to try to correct it.”

Reporting was contributed by Nicholas Nehamas in Washington and Chevaz Clarke-Williams , Alan Blinder and Sean Keenan in Atlanta.

Biden asks Black voters to align with him in defending democracy.

President Biden on Sunday appealed to the graduating men of Morehouse College, and Black voters by extension, to align themselves with him on the side of democracy and against the forces of white supremacy that have coursed through American politics.

“It’s natural to wonder if the democracy you hear about actually works for you,” he said in a half-hour commencement speech. “What is democracy when Black men are being killed in the streets? What is democracy when a trail of broken promises still leave Black communities behind? What is democracy when you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?”

He condemned both the “extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse” and what he called false notions of what “manhood” really is.

Repeatedly, Mr. Biden reached for religious inspiration, recalling that Jesus was buried on Friday and resurrected on Sunday, leaving Saturday as a day of hopelessness. He suggested that 2020 — the year he was elected, with its twin traumas of the Covid-19 pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd and the protests that it ignited — had been one such Saturday.

“In our lives, in our nation, we have those Saturdays to bear witness to the day before glory,” he said to the graduating class, largely made up of students who were barred from in-person high school graduations because of the pandemic. “What work is done on Saturday can move pain to purpose.”

Left unsaid was how Mr. Biden’s administration and the current political moment fit into that metaphor.

Mr. Biden highlighted policies that he said had disproportionately harmed Black voters, like a law enacted in Georgia in 2021 that placed more restrictions on ballot access. One provision outlawed giving voters water or snacks while they wait in line and has drawn the ire of Democrats nationwide.

“What the hell is that all about?” Mr. Biden asked.

He also underlined the policies his administration has championed that he said were meant to improve Black communities, like increased funding to historically Black colleges and reconnecting Black neighborhoods decimated by highway construction. “Instead of forcing you to be 10 times better,” he said, “we’re breaking down doors to save 100 more opportunities.”

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Sean Keenan

After spending most of the morning marching on sidewalks outside campus, as police requested, a group of about 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators has taken to the street. The march, which includes some Morehouse students and faculty members, is now blocking southbound traffic on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, a road named for the late minister and civil rights leader.

Chevaz Clarke

As Biden concluded his speech, guests seated in the V.I.P. section chanted “four more years.”

As Biden was being presented with his honorary degree, several students walked out .

This moment, where Biden is receiving an honorary degree, was more protested than his speech itself in some circles. Now that he’s received the recognition, Biden could technically be considered a “Morehouse man” — something many students and alumni disagreed with.

1 00:00:00,000 —> 00:00:05,178 I confer upon you, Joseph R. Biden Jr., 2 00:00:05,178 —> 00:00:07,490 the honorary doctor of laws, 3 00:00:07,490 —> 00:00:10,310 honoris causa, with all the rights, 4 00:00:10,310 —> 00:00:13,940 privileges and responsibilities appertaining 5 00:00:13,940 —> 00:00:15,450 thereunto. 6 00:00:15,450 —> 00:00:19,064 Congratulations, Dr. Joseph Biden. 7 00:00:19,064 —> 00:00:21,421 [cheering]

Katie Rogers

Biden makes a bit of a show for the cameras, smiling and pointing to his stole, after receiving his honorary degree.

That was a difficult needle to thread for the president, who went into this speech aware that there was a protest movement against his appearance here. But the president of Morehouse just praised him for “listening” to the concerns of the graduating class.

Alan Blinder

The president is finished. I clocked Biden’s speech at roughly 27 minutes, a bit shorter than Barack Obama’s 33-minute commencement address at Morehouse in 2013.

Black leaders and Democratic strategists have long warned that the biggest challenge this November will not be Black voters’ drift to voting for Trump or other Republican candidates but that they may stay home altogether. This speech — with its heavy allusions to democracy, manhood and the rich history of Black institutions like Morehouse — is meant to inspire groups like this to vote. And, even more, to get others in their communities to do the same.

Shane Goldmacher

When Biden puts it in such quick succession, his links to the Black community’s top political leaders are fairly remarkable. He was vice president to the first Black president; he named the first Black woman to serve as vice president; he appointed the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Yet early polls show him winning a smaller share of Black voters that most Democrats.

It was not a foregone conclusion that Biden’s address would continue without protests. But he spoke largely uninterrupted.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

“Whether you’re young or old, I know what endures. The strength and wisdom of faith endures,” Biden says, acknowledging a concern among many young voters who I have talked to: the president’s age.

“I know I don’t look like I’ve been around very long,” Biden jokes, crossing himself.

“She’s tough, guys,” he adds.

Biden said that a Morehouse Man would become president one day, right after an “A.K.A. from Howard,” all but name-checking the vice president, Kamala Harris.

1 00:00:00,000 —> 00:00:02,570 I’ve been vice president of the first Black president 2 00:00:02,570 —> 00:00:04,863 and become my close friend 3 00:00:04,863 —> 00:00:07,925 and president of the first woman vice president. 4 00:00:08,652 —> 00:00:10,247 [cheers] 5 00:00:12,160 —> 00:00:13,810 Well, I have no idea — 6 00:00:13,810 —> 00:00:18,348 no doubt that a Morehouse man will be president one day — 7 00:00:18,348 —> 00:00:21,834 just after an A.K.A. from Howard. 8 00:00:21,834 —> 00:00:23,276 [laughs]

Biden lays out the stakes of 2024 for this crowd, saying there are “extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse.”

Biden says those who stormed the Capitol with Confederate flags “are called patriots by some” — a clear reference to Donald Trump. “Not in my house,” he says.

President Biden also makes mention of Georgia’s stringent election laws. One provision that outlaws giving water or snacks to those waiting in line at the polls drew outrage nationwide.

The invoking of his own family’s frustration was very revealing.

Biden said that his family was angry and affected by what is happening in Gaza. We reported recently that Jill Biden, the first lady, has urged him to find a way to stop it .

Biden seems to be spending more time talking about Israel and Gaza than he spent discussing, say, student loan debt or education policy.

“What’s happening in Gaza in Israel is heartbreaking,” Biden says. “It’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” Biden says he’s been “working around the clock” for an immediate ceasefire. Jake Sullivan, his national security adviser, is Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend for talks with top leaders.

This Biden speech shows a president torn between the frustrated feelings of many voters of his and the nation’s shortcomings, and the economic statistics that he hopes take hold in their view of his presidency this fall. “Record numbers of Black Americans have jobs,” he says, while acknowledging that is not enough.

From hate speech to hope: A rebuttal to Harrison Butker's hateful comments

Right now, the world needs unity and compassion more than ever. Love and understanding should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Unfortunately, there are folks like Harrison Butker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, who would rather focus on tearing down the progress being made and building up walls of religious nationalism.

On May 11, 2024, Butker delivered a commencement speech at Benedictine College. In his speech, he attacked minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, people of Jewish faith, men who break toxic masculinity norms, and women who choose not to rush into motherhood and instead have successful careers. The Kansas City Star published an article defending Harrison’s hateful remarks, so I decided to write this article in defense of those targeted by said comments. My name is Willard Gene Harris. I’m responsible for the Change.org petition that reached over 200,000 signatures in one week and calls for the KC Chiefs to fire Harrison for his comments.

One of the most pugnacious parts of Butker’s speech was his characterization of LGBTQ+ Pride Month as a celebration of “deadly sins.” His comments were made with the intention of harming those who use Pride Month as a time to gather and honor their history while also advocating for equal rights. His choice to label consensual love as “deadly sins” broadcasts a narrative of exclusion against a group that is already marginalized. There’s also a chance that someone in the LGBTQ+ community was among those in the audience, possibly even one of the students graduating. This is nothing new for Harrison, though. He has previously condemned the Catholic Church for burying a trans rights activist and accepting LGBTQ+ members.

Butker also made comments about gender roles that didn’t sit well with a large majority of Americans. He started off by congratulating the women who were graduating on their accomplishments and then immediately switched gears to inform them about how they had been told “diabolical lies” in choosing their careers instead of homemaking and childbearing. He likened a woman’s true purpose to being a traditional wife and mother who puts building a family over having a career they’re happy in. Not only was this choice of language dismissive, it was also hypocritical, as Harrison was raised by a mother who is an accomplished physicist and has an older sister who is an OBGYN. Suggesting that women will not find true purpose unless they submit to toxic and harmful gender norms when powerful career-leading women run in your family doesn’t seem like you're sharing personal views but instead pushing a political agenda. This view is a false dichotomy that has been used for centuries to limit and hold back women.

Harrison later stated that men should be “unapologetic in [their] masculinity. It’s easy to just see this statement as encouraging men to embrace their strength and identity, but this statement, combined with his other statements, clearly advocates for traditional and restrictive gender roles. The understanding of gender has constantly evolved, and modern views encourage men to embrace cooperation, empathy, and vulnerability — all traits the far right movement has been pushing as “feminine” and “detrimental to males,” while in reality, ignoring those traits can not only harm men but also those around them. Substantial research has shown that rigid and pressured adherence to traditional masculine values causes poorer mental health, difficulties in relationships, and higher rates of violence. Butker’s advocations for these toxic, traditional traits can lead to a more toxic form of masculinity that harms men and society altogether.

Harrison Butker’s attacks didn’t stop there; he also made sure to speak up in opposition to the passage of congressional bills targeting antisemitism. He stated that “we fear speaking the truth, because now, unfortunately, the truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill stating something as basic as the biblical teaching that "whoever killed Jesus could land you in jail." This is in reference to the Jews in the Bible who went to the government over their issue with Jesus, but it’s also been a constant resource for those who attack and discriminate against Jews around the world. His comments on minority cultures as “degenerate” are an entire article on their own. He would not be where he is if it weren’t for minority communities throughout society.

If Harrison had just spoken on how his religion motivated and helped him grow in his life personally, that would have been one thing. Pushing his religious laws and ideologies into other Americans who are entitled to a constitutional freedom from that very action, is a completely different story. He was supposed to give a commencement speech that inspires and uplifts graduates as they venture into society. What happened instead was an unhealthy dishing of sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, antisemitism, and religious nationalism. Civil discourse has no place for those forms of hate. They especially have no place in an event meant to celebrate the hard work of young adults and welcome them into a diverse and interconnected world.

To all the graduates who were subjected to those harmful words, I hope you know that his views do not reflect the values of the majority of society. Your years of hard work and determination to turn a passion into a career are celebrated by those of us who believe in mutual respect, diversity, and equality. You are the ones responsible for shaping our world, not a guy who kicks a ball because getting sacked by other players would mess up their product-filled hair.

I applaud the Sisters of Benedictine College who stood strong against Harrison’s comments and condemned his speech. As a nation and humanity as a whole, we must confront and challenge hate whenever and however it arises. This means supporting policies and leaders that work towards justice and inclusivity for all. It also means calling out hate and bigotry when we see it and bridging divides instead of deepening them.

The emanation of support for those targeted by Butker’s remarks shows that there is a powerful, growing commitment against intolerance. If we keep going, one day we will build a society where hate speech is unequivocally condemned and everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Hate will not prevail!

Willard Gene Harris lives in Branson.

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• Cannes Film Festival Winners Analysis: Comedy, Humanity Takes Jury’s Heart Over Politics

By Pete Hammond

Pete Hammond

Awards Columnist/Chief Film Critic

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• Cannes Film Festival 2024: Read All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews, Including Palme d’Or Winner ‘Anora’
• 1964 Palme d’Or Winner ‘The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg’ Celebrates 60th In Cannes With Special Screening & Two New Documentaries – Cannes Film Festival

Often, the juries at the Cannes Film Festival will try to make a political statement in their choices for the winners of the world’s most famous film festival. Not this year. At least, not in the way they might have.

I rather thought that director Mohammad Rasoulof would take the Palme d’Or for his stirring The Seed Of The Sacred Fig . It deals with the oppressive regime in Iran and the crisis in one family, where the daughters rise up to protest against the wishes of their father, a judge handing out death sentences for those who make their voices heard.

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He made his way to Cannes, where his film deservedly received a rapturous welcome yesterday on the festival’s last night of screenings. Alas, the jury, headed by Greta Gerwig, handed the film only a “Special” Jury Prize, not even one of the major awards given. And though it gave Rasoulof a world platform to talk about the many reasons this film was necessary in today’s tinderbox environment in his country and elsewhere, a Palme d’Or for a film whose lead actors still can’t even leave the country would have been a major statement.

This special award was really as close as anything political that this jury got, even though films they completely ignored, such as the Donald Trump origins movie, The Apprentice ( which Trump and his lawyers have a cease and desist complaint against); Paul Schrader’s Oh Canada, which deals in part with resistance against an unjust war; Kiril Serebbrennikov’s Luminov-The Ballad, about a controversial Russian activist, with a sensational lead performance by Ben Whishaw; and even Francis Ford Coppola’s divisive Megalopolis, which contains some of the legendary director’s urgent concerns about the state of the world, were all completely shut out.

But the top honor, Palme d’Or, is a raucous wildly entertaining comedy, Anora , from director Sean Baker, that blew the roof off the Grande Lumiere, and represents yet another Palme d’Or win for NEON, which seems to triumph every single year (they will also be releasing The Seed Of The Sacred Fig). It is a hilarious, rollicking movie with superb performances by the astonishing Mikey Madison in the title role, Mark Eydelshteyn, a real find, Yura Borisov, and Karren Karagulian.

Its win resembles the Palme d’Or for Triangle Of Sadness, and it bodes well for its Oscar chances, since the latter film went on to three major nominations, including Best Picture, and was just as outrageous as this one (more on this year’s potential Oscar connection with Cannes will be coming soon in another column). However, the most “political” this movie got would be Baker’s plea for better treatment of sex workers.

The Grand Prix (second place) went to India’s first appearance in competition in 30 years, with the heartfelt All We Imagine As Light from director Payal Kapadia. It is about a number of women as they relate to the city of Mumbai in which they go about their daily lives. Definitely a mood piece and slow moving, it still seems hard to resist its beauty and comment on humanity, and people just getting by day by day.

The acting prizes including the four-way “harmony of sisterhood” award to Emilia Perez’s Zoe Saldanan, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz, was a nice compromise, since they are all great in this Spanish language film from a French director. It’s about a cartel leader who decides to change his life and his sex and find a different path.

For Best Actor, I have to say Jesse Plemons is always very fine. But the film for which he was honored, Yorgas Lathimos’ Kinds Of Kindness, is flawed and received a mixed reception at best. I am sorry that The Apprentice’s Donald Trump of Sebastian Stan and Roy Cohn of Jeremy Strong, plus Limonov’s Ben Whishaw, were ignored here. But it was probably because of the political message a win for them might send, my guess at least. They were more deserving.

The screenplay award to French director Coralie Forgeat for the wild English language body horror movie comedy, The Substance, was well-deserved, another great example of a brilliantly written, directed, and performed satire, for which Demi Moore would have been a fine Best Actress winner as well. It has much to say about our youthful obsession and body image taken to the extreme limits. I would call it Ozempic: The Movie . It’s wild and it has put Moore back on the map.

I missed Grand Tour , the Burmese period fantasy story that somehow won Miguel Gomes the Director prize. Its overall reception had been kinda meh, so its win here was a bit of a surprise. But you never know with juries.

Palme d’Or winner Sean Baker’s (‘Anora’) acceptance speech #Cannes2024 pic.twitter.com/FrfJ2rceT9 — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 25, 2024

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Harry Higgs honors Grayson Murray in heartfelt winner's speech at Visit Knoxville Open

Daily Wrap Up

Higgs' win marks second straight playoff victory

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Harry Higgs made history on Sunday. He also made a difference.

Higgs normally has no trouble sleeping, but admitted Saturday night was an exception. Even though professional golfers are taught to not look ahead to potential outcomes, Higgs was wrestling with a potential winner’s speech and how he could honor Murray in a heartfelt way. After making a 37-foot eagle putt on the second playoff hole at Holston Hills Country Club, outlasting Frankie Capan III for his second straight Korn Ferry Tour title, Higgs did just that.

“We lost, yesterday morning, one of our own,” Higgs said in his speech. “Somebody who went through a lot of difficult things, somebody that was open and honest about it, and last night … I thought about this moment, and how to maybe remember Grayson. …One thing that I thought of last night, especially laying in bed, is I would challenge everybody here, … and I’m going to do this myself as well each day, … say something nice to someone you love and also make a point to say something nice to someone you do not even know.

“So if we can, everybody here could be a difference, the difference, brighten up somebody’s day. It could mean the world.”

Playing in Sunday’s penultimate grouping, Higgs closed in 5-under 66 to post 19-under 261, which Capan matched one group later. Both players made birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th, before Higgs won on the next playoff hole, also No. 18. With back-to-back victories at the AdventHealth Championship and Visit Knoxville Open, Higgs now stands No. 2 on the season-long Korn Ferry Tour Points List, virtually assured of a top-30 spot that will improve his PGA TOUR status for 2025.

Harry Higgs' incredible eagle hole-out to force playoff at AdventHealth Championship

Murray won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour last year to regain his TOUR card, and he won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January for his second TOUR title. Throughout his professional career, Murray openly discussed his battles with anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse. He supported others who battled similar issues, sometimes offering direct outreach to others whose stories he came across. Tributes from across the world in the last 24 hours echoed Murray’s realness and humanity, also demonstrating the extent to which Murray was loved.

On this day, those numbers were secondary.

“I'm certainly not perfect, but I'm going to certainly try to live what I said,” Higgs said. “Say something nice to a loved one and say something nice to somebody you don't know and try to accomplish that daily. That will be part of my routine, part of the things that I can control outside the golf course and hopefully bring light to somebody that may be having a hard time.”

• Higgs (1st/-19), who won last week’s AdventHealth Championship, becomes the 14th player (15th occurrence) to win back-to-back events in Korn Ferry Tour history
• Capan (2nd/-19) records his first career runner-up finish and his fourth top 10 in his last five starts (Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club/T9, LECOM Suncoast Classic/T8, Veritex Bank Championship)
• Last season, Capan had three top-10 finishes in 22 starts
• Third-year member Quade Cummins (T3/-18) finishes T3 for his Tour-leading fifth top-10 finish of the year with a final round 9-under 61 to tie the course record; highlighted by an ace on the 169-yard par-3 fourth
• Rhein Gibson (T3/-18), who finished No. 40 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, capped off his round with an eagle on the par-5 18th for a 4-under 66 and a T3 finish, his best finish of the season and first top 10
• Korn Ferry Tour winner Max McGreevy (T3/-18), making his second career start at the visit Knoxville Open, finishes T3 for his best finish at the event (previously; T38/2018)
• Cody Blick (T3/-18), who finished No. 41 on the 2023 Points List, turns in his third consecutive 5-under 65 of the week at Holston Hills Country Club, logging his second top 10 of the 2024 campaign (LECOM Suncoast Classic/T6)
• 36-hole co-leader Cristobal Del Solar (T8/-16), making his 11th start of the year, bounces back from his 1-over 71 third round with a 6-under 64 for his fourth top 10 of the season; recorded four top-10 finishes in 25 starts last year
• Julian Suri (T22/-12), who made his fourth start of the season this week, plays his way into next week’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH with a T22 finish at this week’s event
• Nine players posted bogey-free rounds in Sunday’s final round

Kevin Prise is an associate editor for the PGA TOUR. He is on a lifelong quest to break 80 on a course that exceeds 6,000 yards and to see the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl. Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter .