Fiction Quote by Donald Barthelme
““Yes, the saint was underrated quite a bit, then, mostly by people who didn’t like things that were ineffable… …a lot of people don’t like things that are unearthly, the things of this earth are good enough for them, and they don’t mind telling you so. “If he’d just go out and get a job, like everybody else, then he could be saintly all day long…” —from “The Temptations of St. Anthony,” by Donald Barthelme””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: “The Temptations of St. Anthony” by Donald Barthelme, 1970
The narrator critiques society’s dismissal of the saintly, preferring mundane work over spiritual pursuit, highlighting a bias against the ineffable.
In simple terms: People favor ordinary work over spiritual greatness, dismissing saints.
Key Takeaway
Value both ordinary and extraordinary contributions.
Themes
society
spirituality
bias
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
essay
philosophical
When to use this quote
- workplace
- religious discourse
- art criticism
Key Concepts
conformity
ineffability
valuation
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we resist the ineffable?
- Can ordinary life coexist with saintly ideals?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex spiritual motivations.
