--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In great cities where people of ability…" description: "\"In great cities where people of ability abound, there is always a feverish urge to keep ahead, to set the pace, to adopt each new fashion in thought an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png" --- # In great cities where people of ability abound, there is… ![“In great cities where people of ability abound, there is always a feverish urge to keep ahead, to set the pace, to adopt each new fashion in thought and theory as well as in dress - or undress.” quote by Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png) > “In great cities where people of ability abound, there is always a feverish urge to keep ahead, to set the pace, to adopt each new fashion in thought and theory as well as in dress - or undress.” [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In vibrant cities, intellectuals feel compelled to constantly adopt new ideas and fashions. **In simple terms:** Intellectuals chase new trends in thought and style. Key Takeaway Stay critical of trends; focus on substance. Themes culture intellectualism social pressure Mood thoughtful critical Type cultural philosophical When to use this quote - academic circles - fashion industry - urban life - social media Key Concepts conformity innovation diffusion Questions to Reflect On - What drives your desire to stay ahead? - How can you balance innovation with tradition? A Different Perspective The chase for novelty can dilute depth and authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Great cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-cities/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [We often judge cities by great public buildings. But we admire great cities because people live there in a beautiful way. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-libeskind/we-often-judge-cities-by-great-public-buildings-but-we-admire-great/) [Daniel Libeskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-libeskind/) > [I felt a huge drive to make clothes that everybody could have because I felt ostracized by that world of beauty and fashion. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-lyons/i-felt-a-huge-drive-to-make-clothes-that-everybody-could-have-because/) [Jenna Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-lyons/) > [I do love fashion! I always thought that if I wasn't an actor, I would really enjoy styling and designing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leven-rambin/i-do-love-fashion-i-always-thought-that-if-i-wasn-t-an-actor-i-would/) [Leven Rambin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leven-rambin/) > [I always design my own hats to complete my fashion thought…I like them slightly mad, like this huge black poppy. Right now I lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-renta/i-always-design-my-own-hats-to-complete-my-fashion-thought-i-like/) [Oscar de la Renta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-renta/) > [At about age 25 I had a bit of a quarter-life crisis and expected to be at a certain place by then, which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-brent/at-about-age-25-i-had-a-bit-of-a-quarter-life-crisis-and-expected-to/) [Jeremiah Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-brent/) > [I've always been into fashion and thought it would be amazing to have a clothing line. I just never thought I would have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-cyrus/i-ve-always-been-into-fashion-and-thought-it-would-be-amazing-to-have/) [Trace Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-cyrus/) > [At the start, I had no idea to go into fashion, because I thought people would think I was stupid. I don't worry about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/at-the-start-i-had-no-idea-to-go-into-fashion-because-i-thought/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [I like looking at clothes, and I like going to shows and seeing new, fashion-forward stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-edelman/i-like-looking-at-clothes-and-i-like-going-to-shows-and-seeing-new/) [Julian Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-edelman/) > [There's never a new fashion but it's old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/there-s-never-a-new-fashion-but-it-s-old/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [Start a new fashion, wear your heart on your sleeveSometimes you reach what's real just by making believeUnafraid, unashamedThere is joy to be claimed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/start-a-new-fashion-wear-your-heart-on-your-sleevesometimes-you-reach/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [Every new Fashion is a refusal to inherit, a subversion against the oppression of the preceding Fashion; Fashion experiences itself as a Right, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/every-new-fashion-is-a-refusal-to-inherit-a-subversion-against-the/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [Every new fashion is a form of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/every-new-fashion-is-a-form-of-rebellion/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [“To watch new fashion trends of Pakistan for men and women visit here. It has a lot of collection of latest fashion and trends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-watch-new-fashion-trends-of-pakistan-for-men-and-women-visit-here/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Recently partnered with Express Men as a brand ambassador, so my closet is full of the new fashion trends and styles that keep me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-curry/recently-partnered-with-express-men-as-a-brand-ambassador-so-my/) [Stephen Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-curry/) > [For me, growing up in hip-hop culture, it's all about having the next style, the new fashion, the new way to express yourself, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/for-me-growing-up-in-hip-hop-culture-it-s-all-about-having-the-next/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) ## More by Charlotte Perkins Gilman > [“They were inconveniently reasonable, these women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/they-were-inconveniently-reasonable-these-women/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Architecture might be more sportive and varied if every man built his own house, but it would not be the art and science that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/architecture-might-be-more-sportive-and-varied-if-every-man-built-his/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [To-day there is hardly a woman of intelligence in all America ... who is not definitely and actively concerned in some social interest, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/to-day-there-is-hardly-a-woman-of-intelligence-in-all-america-who-is/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [“Here she comes, running, out of prison and off the pedestal: chains off, crown off, halo off, just a live woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/here-she-comes-running-out-of-prison-and-off-the-pedestal-chains-off/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [“I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/i-never-saw-so-much-expression-in-an-inanimate-thing-before-and-we/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [In New York City, everyone is an exile, none more so than the Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-new-york-city-everyone-is-an-exile-none-more-so-than-the-americans/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The fact that women in the home have shut themselves away from the thought and life of the world has done much to retard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-fact-that-women-in-the-home-have-shut-themselves-away-from-the/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It is going on all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/eternity-is-not-something-that-begins-after-you-are-dead-it-is-going/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Now why should that man have fainted? But he did,and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/now-why-should-that-man-have-fainted-but-he-did-and-right-across-my/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The best proof of man's dissatisfaction with the home is found in his universal absence from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-best-proof-of-man-s-dissatisfaction-with-the-home-is-found-in-his/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The home is the centre and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-home-is-the-centre-and-circumference-the-start-and-the-finish-of/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [Audiences are always better pleased with a smart retort, some joke or epigram, than with any amount of reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/audiences-are-always-better-pleased-with-a-smart-retort-some-joke-or/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [No matter what the belief, if it had modestly said, 'This is our best thought, go on, think farther!' then we could have smoothly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/no-matter-what-the-belief-if-it-had-modestly-said-this-is-our-best/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [A house does not need a wife any more than it needs a husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/a-house-does-not-need-a-wife-any-more-than-it-needs-a-husband/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) > [The home is a human institution. All human institutions are open to improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/the-home-is-a-human-institution-all-human-institutions-are-open-to/) [Charlotte Perkins Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) [Explore all 167 Charlotte Perkins Gilman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In great cities where people of ability abound, there is always a feverish urge to keep ahead, to set the pace, to adopt each new fashion in thought and theory as well as in dress - or undress.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlotte Perkins Gilman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability-abound-there-is-always-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability-abound-there-is-always-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/charlotte-perkins-gilman-2420_ability_in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability_1034379.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In great cities where people of ability abound, there is always a feverish urge to keep ahead, to set the…” — Charlotte Perkins Gilman", "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": "Charlotte Perkins Gilman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-perkins-gilman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In great cities where people of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability-abound-there-is-always-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-perkins-gilman/in-great-cities-where-people-of-ability-abound-there-is-always-a/#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 } } ] } ```