---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a man should always observe fanaticism…"
description: "\"“a man should always observe fanaticism when he gets the chance.”\" — Charles Willeford"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png"
---

#  a man should always observe fanaticism when he gets the…

![“a man should always observe fanaticism when he gets the chance.” quote by Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png)

> ““a man should always observe fanaticism when he gets the chance.””

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Observing fanaticism reveals its irrationality and helps avoid being swept by extreme zeal.

**In simple terms:** Watch for extreme zeal to stay rational.

Key Takeaway

Stay critical of extreme beliefs.

Themes

critical thinking extremism awareness

Mood

cautious analytical

Type

advisory philosophical

When to use this quote

- political rallies
- online debates
- religious gatherings
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize hidden fanaticism?
- What steps keep you grounded?

A Different Perspective

Fanaticism can be subtle and socially reinforced.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fanaticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanaticism/) [Fanaticism Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanaticism-gets-4323633/) [Happy-camping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-camping/) [Happy-playgrounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-playgrounds/) [Man Observe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-observe-2530579/) [Observe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observe/) [Observe Fanaticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observe-fanaticism-4323632/)

## Related quotes

> [“i ain't got the energy to argue. i'm an old man and i got to take a shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-shaw/i-ain-t-got-the-energy-to-argue-i-m-an-old-man-and-i-got-to-take-a/)

[Johnny Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-shaw/)

> [“we remain children as long as we feel the urge to keep crossing this border and to learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-ter-n-das/we-remain-children-as-long-as-we-feel-the-urge-to-keep-crossing-this/)

[Péter Nádas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-ter-n-das/)

> [“they are mystified by certain instances.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carlos-williams/they-are-mystified-by-certain-instances/)

[William Carlos Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carlos-williams/)

> [“most reviews are written by morons about morons. sensibility is at a premium in american culture these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-dodge/most-reviews-are-written-by-morons-about-morons-sensibility-is-at-a/)

[Jim Dodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-dodge/)

> [“the enemy you flee is not exterior to yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/the-enemy-you-flee-is-not-exterior-to-yourself/)

[John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/)

> [“a reformer is a man who sees the world's superficial ills and sets out to cure them by aggravating the more basic ills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/a-reformer-is-a-man-who-sees-the-world-s-superficial-ills-and-sets/)

[Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/)

> [“the thing about books is, there are quite a number you don't have to read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-thing-about-books-is-there-are-quite-a-number-you-don-t-have-to/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“make yourself invisible, or get busy with something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-walser/make-yourself-invisible-or-get-busy-with-something/)

[Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walser/)

> [“fate is the ultimate preexisting condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leyner/fate-is-the-ultimate-preexisting-condition/)

[Mark Leyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leyner/)

> [“mead for my men!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/mead-for-my-men/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [If you would know a man, observe how he treats a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-you-would-know-a-man-observe-how-he-treats-a-cat/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Lundist held that a man who can observe is a man apart. Such a man can see opportunities where others see only the obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/lundist-held-that-a-man-who-can-observe-is-a-man-apart-such-a-man-can/)

[Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/)

> [“thinking, when you first try it, is very difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/thinking-when-you-first-try-it-is-very-difficult/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“The writer in him is only the shadow of the man, though so often we observe men whose art of writing is so great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-writer-in-him-is-only-the-shadow-of-the-man-though-so-often-we/)

[Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/)

> [“To truly take the measure of a man, you must observe him in the midst of trial and tribulation-then, from the bottom of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/to-truly-take-the-measure-of-a-man-you-must-observe-him-in-the-midst/)

[Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/)

## More by Charles Willeford

> [Just tell the truth, and they'll accuse you of writing black humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/just-tell-the-truth-and-they-ll-accuse-you-of-writing-black-humor/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“Smoking comforts ordinary men, but I'm not an ordinary man. There aren't many like me left. And it's a good thing for the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/smoking-comforts-ordinary-men-but-i-m-not-an-ordinary-man-there-aren/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“Money is the root of all goodness. To talk disparagingly about money is the privilege of those who have money. There are also those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/money-is-the-root-of-all-goodness-to-talk-disparagingly-about-money/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“It started out as kind of a joke, and then it wasn't funny anymore because money became involved. Deep down, nothing about money is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/it-started-out-as-kind-of-a-joke-and-then-it-wasn-t-funny-anymore/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“By the end of a short walk, the septic tip of a cane probably collects enough germs to destroy a small city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/by-the-end-of-a-short-walk-the-septic-tip-of-a-cane-probably-collects/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [Outside of taking care of a man’s needs, women don’t get much pleasure out of life, anyways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/outside-of-taking-care-of-a-man-s-needs-women-don-t-get-much-pleasure/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [I can't see any point to hanging around a Burger King all day, no matter how much money you make. … I'll tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/i-can-t-see-any-point-to-hanging-around-a-burger-king-all-day-no/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“Anymore cutting and the movie would be as silly as cutting a condensed Reader's Digest novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/anymore-cutting-and-the-movie-would-be-as-silly-as-cutting-a/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“he was an oddity of some magnitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/he-was-an-oddity-of-some-magnitude/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [I'm not going to ruin my movie because of some stupid ruling that it has to be ninety minutes long. That's just like adding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/i-m-not-going-to-ruin-my-movie-because-of-some-stupid-ruling-that-it/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“It is a funny thing. A man can make a promise to his God, break it five minutes later and never think about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/it-is-a-funny-thing-a-man-can-make-a-promise-to-his-god-break-it-five/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“The Filipino houseboy was conscious now”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/the-filipino-houseboy-was-conscious-now/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“No whiskey, no religion, nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/no-whiskey-no-religion-nothing/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [Nothing human surprises me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/nothing-human-surprises-me/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

> [“thinking, when you first try it, is very difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/thinking-when-you-first-try-it-is-very-difficult/)

[Charles Willeford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

[Explore all 17 Charles Willeford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/)

## More Fanaticism quotes

> [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [Fanaticism, to which men are so much inclined, has always served not only to render them more brutalized but more wicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/fanaticism-to-which-men-are-so-much-inclined-has-always-served-not/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [“Fanatics are those who, when following a doctrine becomes inconvenient, make up rules of their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathryn-louis/fanatics-are-those-who-when-following-a-doctrine-becomes-inconvenient/)

[Cathryn Louis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathryn-louis/)

> [Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-avnery/critics-of-the-war-plans-including-myself-have-pointed-to-the/)

[Uri Avnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uri-avnery/)

> [A noble person stands up as though a theater curtain rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-noble-person-stands-up-as-though-a-theater-curtain-rises/)

[Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/)

> [Very often, fanaticism begins at home. It begins inside the family. It begins with the urge to change our kin, to change our beloved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/very-often-fanaticism-begins-at-home-it-begins-inside-the-family-it/)

[Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/)

> [Every isolated passion, is, in isolation, insane; sanity may be defined as synthesis of insanities. Every dominant passion generates a dominant fear, the fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/every-isolated-passion-is-in-isolation-insane-sanity-may-be-defined/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [ \[Friedrich\] Nietzsche said something marvellous, he said "Madness is not a consequence of uncertainty but of certainty", and this is fanaticism. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/friedrich-nietzsche-said-something-marvellous-he-said-madness-is-not/)

[Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/)

> [Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves. The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/fanatics-can-justify-practically-any-atrocity-to-themselves-the-more/)

[Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/)

> [Fanaticism displays itself in the masses; but the masses were rarely fanaticised; and the crimes ascribed to it were commonly due to the calculations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/fanaticism-displays-itself-in-the-masses-but-the-masses-were-rarely/)

[Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/)

> [The Bible parable says that while men slept, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. A boy who rises at 4:30 to deliver papers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/the-bible-parable-says-that-while-men-slept-the-enemy-sowed-tares/)

[Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/)

[Browse all 468 Fanaticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanaticism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“a man should always observe fanaticism when he gets the chance.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Willeford"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-when-he-gets-the-chance/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fanaticism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-when-he-gets-the-chance/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/charles-willeford-30520_fanaticism_a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-w_1308795.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“a man should always observe fanaticism when he gets the chance.” — Charles Willeford",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Charles Willeford",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-willeford/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“a man should always observe fanaticism...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-when-he-gets-the-chance/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-willeford/a-man-should-always-observe-fanaticism-when-he-gets-the-chance/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
