Don't be ungrateful for these gifts. But don't forget what's even more important than them. Yes, give thanks to God for your sight and hearing. Give thanks for life itself and everything that keeps you alive — dried fruits, wine, oil. But remember that God gave you something better than all of these: the power to use them, test them, and decide what each one is worth. What tells you about each of these abilities? What tells you what each one is worth? Does the ability itself tell you? Have you ever heard your eyesight talking about itself? Or your hearing? Or wheat, barley, a horse, or a dog? No. They're all servants and slaves. They serve the one ability that can actually make use of how things appear to you.
Man, be neither ungrateful for these gifts nor yet forget the things which are superior to them. But indeed for the power of seeing and hearing, and indeed for life itself, and for the things which contribute to support it, for the fruits which are dry, and for wine and oil give thanks to God: but remember that he has given you something else better than all these, I mean the power of using them, proving them, and estimating the value of each. For what is that which gives information about each of these powers, what each of them is worth? Is it each faculty itself? Did you ever hear the faculty of vision saying anything about itself? or the faculty of hearing? or wheat, or barley, or a horse, or a dog? No; but they are appointed as ministers and slaves to serve the faculty which has the power of making use of the appearances of things.