“The world exists, not for what it means but for what it is. The purpose of mushrooms is to be mushrooms, wine is in order to be wine: things are precious before they are contributory. It is a false piety that walks through creation looking only for lessons which can be applied somewhere else. To be sure, God remains the greatest good; but, for all that, the world is still good in itself. Indeed, since He does not need it, its whole reason for being must lie in its own natural goodness; He has no use for it, only delight.” WorldNeedsMeanDoeStillsReasonWholeUseLyingPurposeOrderNaturalWalksCreationLessonsGoodnessRemainsWineEnvironmentalDelightSomewhere ElsePietyMushrooms Author:Robert Farrar Capon
“Because the divine goodness could not be adequately represented by one creature alone, God produced many and diverse creatures, that what was wanting in one in the representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another. For goodness, which in God is simple and uniform, in creatures is manifold and divided. Thus the whole universe together participates in the divine goodness more perfectly and represents it better than any single creature.” WholeMightTogetherUniverseSimpleDivineCreaturesGoodnessDividedDiverseUniformsRepresentationManifold Author:Thomas Aquinas
“Of course it's also a lot easier to slap a health claim on a box of sugary cereal than on a potato or carrot, with the perverse result that the most healthful foods in the supermarket sit there quietly in the produce section, silent as stroke victims, while a few aisles over, the Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms are screaming about their newfound whole-grain goodness.” WholeCoursesResultsProduceEasierLuckyGoodnessClaimsVictimSilentBoxesCharmGrainStrokesSectionsPotatoesSlapSupermarketsAisleCarrotsPuffCerealCocoaLucky CharmsWhole Grains Author:Michael Pollan
“History is valuable, to begin with, because it is true; and this, though not the whole of its value, is the foundation and condition of all the rest. That all knowledge, as such, is in some degree good, would appear to be at least probable; and the knowledge of every historical fact possesses this element of goodness, even if it posses no other.” IfsWholeFactsValuesKnowledgeConditionsGoodnessDegreesElementsFoundationHistoricalValuablePosseHistorical Facts Book:Contemplation and Action, 1902-14 Source: Contemplation and Action, 1902-14
“[When we drop our agendas] we begin to cultivate a mind of true goodness and compassion, which comes out of a concern for the Whole. As we live out of such a mind, we become generous, with no sense of giving or of making a sacrifice. We become open, with no sense of tolerance. We become patient, with no sense of putting up with anything. We become compassionate, with no sense of separation. And we become wise, with no sense of having to straighten anyone out.” GivingMindWholeCompassionWiseSacrificeGoodnessConcernPatientToleranceSeparationGenerousAgendasCompassionate Author:Steve Hagen