Abstinence Quote by Aldous Huxley
“You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. . . . Dogs do not ritually urinate in the hope of persuading heaven to do the same and send down rain. Asses do not bray a liturgy to cloudless skies. Nor do cats attempt, by abstinence from cat's meat, to wheedle the feline spirits into benevolence. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, quite intelligent enough.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Brave New World, 1932
Humans create rituals and superstitions that animals do not, revealing a folly tied to our intelligence and desire for control.
In simple terms: People invent pointless rituals unlike animals.
Key Takeaway
Question the purpose of your beliefs.
Themes
philosophy
human nature
rituals
Mood
reflective
skeptical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- religious practice
- political propaganda
- personal habits
- team rituals
Key Concepts
Cognitive bias
meaning-making
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do you cling to certain rituals?
- Can abandoning them improve clarity?
A Different Perspective
Such rituals can provide comfort despite being irrational.
