--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although we may suffer from idolatry, we…" description: "\"“Although we may suffer from idolatry, we do not, I think, suffer from materialism - from the overvaluing of material objects for their own sake. Of th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/daniel-j-boorstin-3089_idolatry_although-we-may-suffer-from-idolatry-we_744578.png" --- # Although we may suffer from idolatry, we do not, I think… ![“Although we may suffer from idolatry, we do not, I think, suffer from materialism - from the overvaluing of material objects for their own sake. Of this the world accuses us. Yet our very wealth itself has somehow made us immune to materialism - the characteristic vice of impoverished peoples…” quote by Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/daniel-j-boorstin-3089_idolatry_although-we-may-suffer-from-idolatry-we_744578.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/daniel-j-boorstin-3089_idolatry_although-we-may-suffer-from-idolatry-we_744578.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/092/daniel-j-boorstin-3089_idolatry_although-we-may-suffer-from-idolatry-we_744578.png) > ““Although we may suffer from idolatry, we do not, I think, suffer from materialism - from the overvaluing of material objects for their own sake. Of this the world accuses us. Yet our very wealth itself has somehow made us immune to materialism - the characteristic vice of impoverished peoples. Instead, our peculiar idolatry is one with which the world till now has been unfamiliar... To flood the world with images of ourselves. It is to these images and not the material objects that we are devoted. No wonder that the puzzled world finds this unattractive and calls it by the name of its own old-fashioned vices.”” [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society idolizes images over material objects, creating a new form of idolatry that distorts values. **In simple terms:** We worship images more than things. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance image-driven influences. Themes idolatry materialism media culture Mood critical analytical Type sociological philosophical When to use this quote - advertising - social media - politics - personal branding Key Concepts pseudo‑events consumerism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do images shape your values? - What steps can reduce image‑driven idolatry? A Different Perspective Images can obscure deeper truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Idolatry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry/) [Idolatry Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry-think-3908204/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Materialism Overvaluing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism-overvaluing-5806259/) [Self obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-obsession/) [Suffer Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffer-materialism-5806260/) ## Related quotes > [“If you feel that without a certain person, or position, or achievement, your life would be not worth living, you may be deeper into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-s-smith/if-you-feel-that-without-a-certain-person-or-position-or-achievement/) [Colin S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-s-smith/) > [“Let temporal things be in the use, eternal things in the desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/let-temporal-things-be-in-the-use-eternal-things-in-the-desire/) [Thomas à Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [“The problems afflicting a nation are always in equal measure spiritual crises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-suskind/the-problems-afflicting-a-nation-are-always-in-equal-measure/) [Ron Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-suskind/) > [Everyone has a self-destructive nature in them. It's whether you feed it or not. You don't have to be a pop star to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/everyone-has-a-self-destructive-nature-in-them-it-s-whether-you-feed/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [“Self-obsession is not self-realization but self-destruction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-edgcumbe-hughes/self-obsession-is-not-self-realization-but-self-destruction/) [Philip Edgcumbe Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-edgcumbe-hughes/) > [You’re a human, you should understand self-obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/you-re-a-human-you-should-understand-self-obsession/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [Boxing is the embodiment of who I am, but beyond that, this is a journey of the self, and my obsession to get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-joshua/boxing-is-the-embodiment-of-who-i-am-but-beyond-that-this-is-a/) [Anthony Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-joshua/) > [My significant other right now is myself, which is what happens when you suffer from multiple personality disorder and self-obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/my-significant-other-right-now-is-myself-which-is-what-happens-when/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [“You cannot be a solid leader without sacrificing self-interest and self-obsession,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/you-cannot-be-a-solid-leader-without-sacrificing-self-interest-and/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Every time feels like my first time. And I just find that the process of it feeds into one's own self-obsession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-harper/every-time-feels-like-my-first-time-and-i-just-find-that-the-process/) [Ben Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-harper/) > [“The hilarious irony is that Buddhists - who deny the existence of the self - are the most self-obsessed people you can find. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tanner/the-hilarious-irony-is-that-buddhists-who-deny-the-existence-of-the/) [Jack Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tanner/) > [Up until I became a father, it was all about self-obsession. But then I learned exactly what it's all about: the delight of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/up-until-i-became-a-father-it-was-all-about-self-obsession-but-then-i/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [“If we don’t give back to the society, we'll die of obesity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-we-don-t-give-back-to-the-society-we-ll-die-of-obesity/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“On the other hand, you're a human--you should understand self-obsession.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/on-the-other-hand-you-re-a-human-you-should-understand-self-obsession/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“I can understand that people want to feel special and important and so on, but that self-obsession seems a bit pathetic somehow. Not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/i-can-understand-that-people-want-to-feel-special-and-important-and/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) ## More by Daniel J. Boorstin > [The improved American highway system isolated the American-in-transit. On his speedway he had no contact with the towns which he by-passed. If he stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-improved-american-highway-system-isolated-the-american-in-transit/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Modern tourist guides have helped raised tourist expectations. And they have provided the natives- from Kaiser Wilhelm down to the villagers of Chichacestenango -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/modern-tourist-guides-have-helped-raised-tourist-expectations-and/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Each living art object, taken out of its native habitat so we can conveniently gaze at it, is like an animal in a zoo.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/each-living-art-object-taken-out-of-its-native-habitat-so-we-can/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Probably no one of us has the True Religion. But all of us together - if we are allowed to be free - are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/probably-no-one-of-us-has-the-true-religion-but-all-of-us-together-if/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [An image is not simply a trademark, a design, a slogan or an easily remembered picture. It is a studiously crafted personality profile of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/an-image-is-not-simply-a-trademark-a-design-a-slogan-or-an-easily/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [ \[The Library of Congress\] is a multimedia encyclopedia. These are the tentacles of a nation. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-library-of-congress-is-a-multimedia-encyclopedia-these-are-the/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [It is only a short step from exaggerating what we can find in the world to exaggerating our power to remake the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/it-is-only-a-short-step-from-exaggerating-what-we-can-find-in-the/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Not so many years ago there was no simpler or more intelligible notion than that of going on a journey. Travel -movement through space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/not-so-many-years-ago-there-was-no-simpler-or-more-intelligible/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [The computer can help us find what we know is there. But the book remains our symbol and our resource for the unimagined question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-computer-can-help-us-find-what-we-know-is-there-but-the-book/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [“The shadow has become the substance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-shadow-has-become-the-substance/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [In fast-moving, progress-conscious America, the consumer expects to be dizzied by progress. If he could completely understand advertising jargon he would be badly disappointed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/in-fast-moving-progress-conscious-america-the-consumer-expects-to-be/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Being known primarily for their well-knownness, celebrities intensify their celebrity images simply by becoming widely known for relations among themselves. By a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/being-known-primarily-for-their-well-knownness-celebrities-intensify/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [While the focus in the landscape of Old World cities was commonly government structures, churches, or the residences of rulers, the landscape and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/while-the-focus-in-the-landscape-of-old-world-cities-was-commonly/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [In the small town each citizen had done something in his own way to build the community. The town booster had a vision of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/in-the-small-town-each-citizen-had-done-something-in-his-own-way-to/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Any government which made the welfare of men depend on the character of their governors was an illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/any-government-which-made-the-welfare-of-men-depend-on-the-character/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) [Explore all 140 Daniel J. Boorstin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) ## More Idolatry quotes > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“‎A careful reading of the Old and New Testaments shows that idolatry is nothing like the crude picture that springs to mind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-keyes/a-careful-reading-of-the-old-and-new-testaments-shows-that-idolatry/) [Richard Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-keyes/) > [And your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians and Princes, devoted to the holy Christian faith and the propagation thereof - and enemies of the sect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/and-your-highnesses-as-catholic-christians-and-princes-devoted-to-the/) [Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/) > [“Jim Crow repeated the old strategies of the reptilian powers of the air: to convince human beings simultaneously and paradoxically that they are gods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-d-moore/jim-crow-repeated-the-old-strategies-of-the-reptilian-powers-of-the/) [Russell D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-d-moore/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Idolatry is not the use of images, but confusing them with what they represent, and in this respect mental images and lofty abstractions can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wilson-watts/idolatry-is-not-the-use-of-images-but-confusing-them-with-what-they/) [Alan Wilson Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wilson-watts/) > [The universe shudders in horror that we have this infinitely valuable, infinitely deep, infinitely rich, infinitely wise, infinitely loving God, and instead of pursuing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/the-universe-shudders-in-horror-that-we-have-this-infinitely-valuable/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [Worship of society and popular opinion is idolatry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/worship-of-society-and-popular-opinion-is-idolatry/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The authors challenge that the marriage in which one cannot express disappointment has become an idol – The Thing that Cannot Be Questioned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/the-authors-challenge-that-the-marriage-in-which-one-cannot-express/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [The heart clings to collected treasure. Stored-up possessions get between me and God. Where my treasure is, there is my trust, my security, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-heart-clings-to-collected-treasure-stored-up-possessions-get/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I loved him as we always love the first time: with idolatry and wild passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/i-loved-him-as-we-always-love-the-first-time-with-idolatry-and-wild/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [We need a critical theory that seeks to change the world by challenging the world - including the world of evangelicals - in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-r-trueman/we-need-a-critical-theory-that-seeks-to-change-the-world-by/) [Carl R Trueman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-r-trueman/) > [Idolatry is permissible in Hinduism when it sub serves an ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/idolatry-is-permissible-in-hinduism-when-it-sub-serves-an-ideal/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [When I see that the nineteenthcentury has crowned the idolatry of Art with the deification of Love, so that every poet is supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/when-i-see-that-the-nineteenthcentury-has-crowned-the-idolatry-of-art/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) [Browse all 349 Idolatry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idolatry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Although we may suffer from idolatry, we do not, I think, suffer from materialism - from the overvaluing of material objects for their own sake. 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