No man is born unto himself alone;
Who lives unto himself, he lives to none.

The lines argue that a person’s life is inherently relational: identity and purpose are not self-generated but formed through responsibilities and connections beyond the self. To “live unto himself” suggests a closed, self-serving existence; Quarles counters that such isolation empties life of its proper meaning, because human flourishing depends on mutual dependence, charity, and service. The couplet’s balanced antithesis (“himself alone” / “none”) turns the thought into a moral maxim: self-absorption is not merely selfish but self-defeating, severing one from the very social and spiritual bonds that make a life significant.