About this quote

In The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life (1960), King uses a focused ethical claim to examine life, with attention to height, reach, upward. The practical center is the relationship between wisdom and greater and humanity, giving readers a specific lens for judgment and action.

When to use it

• A community organizer builds a meeting around height before participants choose one measurable action related to life.
• A teacher pairs the passage from The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life (1960) with a primary-source exercise about wisdom and public responsibility.
• A team leader uses the tension between reach and humanity to discuss conduct under pressure.