Therein Lies the Difference

Man is the only being with the ability to choose who he will be.

The redwood cannot choose how tall it will grow. It is simply governed by soil, rain, and the sun.

The mountain cannot choose how high it will rise; if it will be a small hill or a snow-capped giant.

The wolf cannot choose what sort of wolf he will be. He is simply governed by the drive for food and the propogation of his species. He is ruled simply by survival.

And even the stars, which so many men wish upon, cannot choose how brightly they will shine.

Therein lies the difference.

Man is different from all other beings. He has the ability to choose what sort of man he will be. He may be goverened, to a degree, by his circumstances. Like the redwood. At times he is governed simply by survival. Like the wolf. But through it all, man can choose. Each day he can wake and choose to do good or evil. To be kind-hearted or bitter. To leave the world a better place than he found it or simply sponge off the world and leave it worse for the wear. That is the beauty of man. He always has a choice.