"...Man's status in cosmos is determined, therefore, by the quality of his thinking. Quality, as applied to mental processes, is not necessarily intensity but rather refinement and delicacy. The trained scientist may reach a very high degree of intellectuality and yet lack that beautifying element which is indispensable to true understanding. Unless the inner nature transcends the limitations of both the flesh and the mind, the self can never attain to a full measure of expression. Whether a man be a beast or a god does not depend upon his outward appearance but rather upon the clarity of his inner perceptions. Many of the most respected citizens of every community are actually ravaging beasts concealing their primitive instincts under a thin veneer of culture. On the other hand, some whom the world regards as failures possess an innate beauty which elevates them far above the level of their fellows."
Manly P. Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy.
