No man is an island
Meaning: Humans need connection with others.
Origin: From John Donne's Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (1624), written while he was gravely ill. Hearing a funeral bell, Donne reflects that every death diminishes him: "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent." The same passage ends: "never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Nul homme n'est une île (literally: No man is an island)
- Spanish: Ningún hombre es una isla (literally: No man is an island)
- Japanese: 人は一人では生きられない (Hito wa hitori de wa ikirarenai) (literally: A person cannot live alone)
- German: Kein Mensch ist eine Insel (literally: No human being is an island)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Beggars on horseback — Those given power abuse it worst.
- Familiarity breeds contempt — Being too close to something can reduce appreciation for it.
- Tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are — The company you keep reflects and shapes your own character.
- One kind word can warm three winter months — A single act of kindness has an impact far greater and longer-lasting than the moment it…
- Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches — Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
- Even the sun has its spots — Nothing and nobody is perfect; even the greatest things have their flaws.