In his book Becoming Human Jean Vanier argues that becoming human means to cultivate ones gifts, to be open to others, to not have a felling of superiority, and lastly to have the wisdom of love. He encourages us to be active in our communities, forming relationships with others and being willing to become open. Vanier pushes relationships as a necessity and believes we are meant to recognize that we are all human even if we can not recognize anything else we have in common. This book was written in response to the pain felt by people that Vanier met after embarking to the institution for the intellectually disabled in 1964. It is also written to help the many people who desire to detach themselves from those that they view as less human.
