--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because here's something else that's…" description: "\"“Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_because-here-s-something-else-that-s-wei_1904577.jpg" --- # Because here's something else that's weird but true: in… ![“Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some…” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_because-here-s-something-else-that-s-wei_1904577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_because-here-s-something-else-that-s-wei_1904577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/454/david-foster-wallace-161_adult-life_because-here-s-something-else-that-s-wei_1904577.jpg) > ““Because here's something else that's weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship--be it JC or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles--is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness. Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings. They're the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that's what you're doing.”” [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans inevitably worship something; choosing material or superficial idols leads to perpetual dissatisfaction and fear. **In simple terms:** Everyone worships something; picking the wrong thing causes misery. Key Takeaway Choose values that nurture growth, not consumption. Themes values ism consciousness selfawareness Mood reflective thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationship choices - financial planning - personal development - health habits Key Concepts psychology philosophy spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly value beyond material success? - How can you become aware of hidden worship patterns? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize and ignore secular ethical frameworks that don’t involve worship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adult life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adult-life/) [Consciousness Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-worship-2830666/) [Fear Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-worship-2830665/) [Feeling stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-stupid/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mother Goddess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-goddess/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-worship-286942/) [Worship Intellect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship-intellect-286941/) [Worshipping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worshipping/) ## Related quotes > [“If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-you-worship-money-and-things-if-they-are-where-you-tap-real-2/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“So the novelist David Foster Wallace, not long before his suicide, spoke these words to the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College: Everybody worships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/so-the-novelist-david-foster-wallace-not-long-before-his-suicide/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. 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If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness. Worship power, you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. But the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful, it's that they're unconscious. They are default settings. 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