“Were I so tall [applause], were I so tall as to reach the pole Or to grasp the ocean at a span ,I must be measured by my soul The mind is the standard of the man.”
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Source: Facing the Challenge of a New Age (1957)
About this quote
In Facing the Challenge of a New Age (1957), King uses a direct appeal to responsibility to examine spirituality, with attention to applause, reach, grasp. The practical center is the relationship between education and measured and standard, giving readers a specific lens for judgment and action.
When to use it
- A community organizer builds a meeting around applause before participants choose one measurable action related to spirituality.
- A teacher pairs the passage from Facing the Challenge of a New Age (1957) with a primary-source exercise about education and public responsibility.
- A team leader uses the tension between reach and standard to discuss conduct under pressure.