Quote of the day by Daniel Defoe: “The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be…”

Daniel Defoe (1660–1731) remains one of the most prolific English novelists, journalists, and pamphleteers. Defoe is counted among the earliest innovators of the English novel. This author can indeed be termed highly diverse in his adaptability to business, politics, as well as his creative writing, reflecting the highly dynamic social context in which he lived in England. Defoe's literary works portray his acute observation of mankind, his social aspects, as well as morality, coupled with his creative writing skills.Defoe is famous for his literary work in the form of the novel “Robinson Crusoe”, published in 1719. This was a combination of adventure, survival, and human resourcefulness that has fascinated mankind for so long. Apart from this literary work, Defoe has published essays, pamphlets, and political tracts that carry an important moral or social commentary. His style of writing has strong intellectual and emotional appeal in that it appeals to the reader’s intellect while touching his heart as well. The quote, “The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear,” is attributed to Daniel Defoe and reflects his enduring interest in human development and moral improvement. Essentially, the message conveyed by the quote states that every soul of a human has its unvalued but equal potential within, just like the diamond that is embedded within the stone. Just like a diamond that has to undergo cutting, polishing, and careful handling for its brilliance to appear, a person also needs self-analysis, study, and growth for their hidden treasures to appear. Disconnecting from any active efforts of improvement, innate treasures lie unknown, unseen, without any realisation.The metaphor also implies that human development is not an end process. There are challenges, lessons, and opportunities for growth in life that act as tools for smoothening the soul. Education, morals, empathy, and resilience are all a part of this smoothening process. Through deliberately developing one’s character and reflecting on life events, people build wisdom, kindness, and excellence. The imagery made by Defoe implies that personal development is not a process that occurs by itself, but with effort.Moreover, the quote suggests that the consequence of not developing oneself is the unfulfilled potential. Just like an uncut diamond cannot shine, a person who does not develop himself or herself might not be able to give their share to the world and might not get to experience the full richness of life. Defoe underlines the responsibility of a person for his/her own development but also highlights its ultimate reward as he writes that the luster of the soul is only revealed by diligence, integrity, and self-aware refinement.Daniel Defoe's quote not only encourages us on the power that everyone has but also reminds us that this power is usually hidden inside us. Life is an act of polishing our soul based on self-awareness, good behaviour, and change for the better every day. Everyone can find his inner splendour by grappling with difficulties, developing from his experiences, and building his good behaviour. Just like a diamond sparkles after careful polishing, everyone's soul can also bloom if we take good care of it. These words of Daniel Defoe continue to motivate all of us for change for the better.