--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are days when I miss my old…" description: "\"There are days when I miss my old convictions as if they were an amputated limb. But in general I feel better, and no less radical, and you will feel b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/christopher-hitchens-117_atheism_there-are-days-when-i-miss-my-old-convic_220997.jpg" --- # There are days when I miss my old convictions as if they… ![“There are days when I miss my old convictions as if they were an amputated limb. But in general I feel better, and no less radical, and you will feel better too, I guarantee, once you leave hold of the doctrinaire and allow your chainless mind to do its own thinking.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/christopher-hitchens-117_atheism_there-are-days-when-i-miss-my-old-convic_220997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/christopher-hitchens-117_atheism_there-are-days-when-i-miss-my-old-convic_220997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/christopher-hitchens-117_atheism_there-are-days-when-i-miss-my-old-convic_220997.jpg) > “There are days when I miss my old convictions as if they were an amputated limb. But in general I feel better, and no less radical, and you will feel better too, I guarantee, once you leave hold of the doctrinaire and allow your chainless mind to do its own thinking.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reflection on moving beyond rigid beliefs to a freer, more flexible mindset, feeling better without losing radicalism. **In simple terms:** Letting go of strict doctrines can bring relief and still keep you radical. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions, stay open. Themes freedom radicalism intellectual growth Mood introspective philosophical Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - personal development - political activism - education Key Concepts philosophy psychology skepticism Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs have you outgrown? - How do you stay radical while staying open? A Different Perspective Abandoning doctrine can cause loss of community support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Liberty - eternal spirit of the chainless mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/liberty-eternal-spirit-of-the-chainless-mind/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [Eternal Spirit of the chainless Mind! Brightest in dungeons, Liberty! thou art, For there thy habitation is the heart-- The heart which love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/eternal-spirit-of-the-chainless-mind-brightest-in-dungeons-liberty/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [I feel like I pull inspiration, in general, from how I feel on a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zazie-beetz/i-feel-like-i-pull-inspiration-in-general-from-how-i-feel-on-a-day/) [Zazie Beetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zazie-beetz/) > [In general, I feel, or I have come to feel, that the richest writing comes not from the people who dedicate themselves to writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/in-general-i-feel-or-i-have-come-to-feel-that-the-richest-writing/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [With my career in general, I feel like I'm finally getting to do the roles that I've always wanted to do. It's a slow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/with-my-career-in-general-i-feel-like-i-m-finally-getting-to-do-the/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [In general, I feel very happy with how I got to have time on my own at least a little bit outside of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-hawke/in-general-i-feel-very-happy-with-how-i-got-to-have-time-on-my-own-at/) [Maya Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-hawke/) > [You know, it's always good to have seen a track before, just to kind of know where the little bumps are here and there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/you-know-it-s-always-good-to-have-seen-a-track-before-just-to-kind-of/) [Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/) > [I'm sure straight men feel all kinds of things about it, but in general, I feel like because they have always been the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/i-m-sure-straight-men-feel-all-kinds-of-things-about-it-but-in/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [in general, I feel most comfortable between known quantities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/in-general-i-feel-most-comfortable-between-known-quantities/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [As someone who grew up in a house where there wasn't a lot of talking, I'm used to just looking at the world. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mills/as-someone-who-grew-up-in-a-house-where-there-wasn-t-a-lot-of-talking/) [Mike Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mills/) > [“In general, I feel if you can't say it clearly you don't understand it yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-searle/in-general-i-feel-if-you-can-t-say-it-clearly-you-don-t-understand-it/) John R. Searle > [In general, I feel like when I've associated with someone, the association has elevated me and perhaps lowered the other person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/in-general-i-feel-like-when-i-ve-associated-with-someone-the/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [I've been blessed with good eyebrows, and I've worked very hard for them. Get a good brow pencil, fill them in a bit, make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zendaya/i-ve-been-blessed-with-good-eyebrows-and-i-ve-worked-very-hard-for/) [Zendaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zendaya/) > [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/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. 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