WIST Quotations

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits of our abilities do not exist.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, philosopher
(Attributed)

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre -- (Misattributed)

Dave — Tue, 11 May 2010 12:40:14 +0000

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, philosopher
(Misattributed)

Sometimes paraphrased: "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey."

Not actually found in Teilhard's works. Sometimes cited to Le Phénomène Humain [The Phenomenon of Man] (1955) [tr. Wall (1959)], but it is not present there.

The best credit seems to be to Wayne Dyer. Also sometimes cited to Stephen Covey, who used the phrase but credited it to Teilhard (without citation). For more discussion, see You Are Not a Human Being Having a Spiritual Experience. You Are a Spiritual Being Having a Human Experience – Quote Investigator.

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre -- Le Phénomène Humain [The Phenomenon of Man] (1955)

Dave — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:08:26 +0000

Our century is probably more religious than any other. How could it fail to be, with such problems to be solved? The only trouble is that it has not yet found a God it can adore.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, philosopher
Le Phénomène Humain [The Phenomenon of Man] (1955)