--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because--isn't it drilled into us…" description: "\"“Because--isn't it drilled into us constantly, from childhood on, an unquestioned platitude in the culture--? From William Blake to Lady Gaga, from Rou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/donna-tartt-391_better-person_because-isn-t-it-drilled-into-us-constan_293639.jpg" --- # Because--isn't it drilled into us constantly, from… ![“Because--isn't it drilled into us constantly, from childhood on, an unquestioned platitude in the culture--? From William Blake to Lady Gaga, from Rousseau to Rumi to Tosca to Mister Rogers, it's a curiously uniform message, accepted from high to low: when in doubt, what to do? How do we know…” quote by Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/donna-tartt-391_better-person_because-isn-t-it-drilled-into-us-constan_293639.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/donna-tartt-391_better-person_because-isn-t-it-drilled-into-us-constan_293639.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/donna-tartt-391_better-person_because-isn-t-it-drilled-into-us-constan_293639.jpg) > ““Because--isn't it drilled into us constantly, from childhood on, an unquestioned platitude in the culture--? From William Blake to Lady Gaga, from Rousseau to Rumi to Tosca to Mister Rogers, it's a curiously uniform message, accepted from high to low: when in doubt, what to do? How do we know what's right for us? Every shrink, every career counselor, every Disney princess knows the answer: "Be yourself." "Follow your heart." Only here's what I really, really want someone to explain to me. What if one happens to be possessed of a heart that can't be trusted--? What if the heart, for its own unfathomable reasons, leads one willfully and in a cloud of unspeakable radiance away from health, domesticity, civic responsibility and strong social connections and all the blandly-held common virtues and instead straight toward a beautiful flare of ruin, self-immolation, disaster?...If your deepest self is singing and coaxing you straight toward the bonfire, is it better to turn away? Stop your ears with wax? Ignore all the perverse glory your heart is screaming at you? Set yourself on the course that will lead you dutifully towards the norm, reasonable hours and regular medical check-ups, stable relationships and steady career advancement the New York Times and brunch on Sunday, all with the promise of being somehow a better person? Or...is it better to throw yourself head first and laughing into the holy rage calling your name?”” [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The advice to “be yourself” is oversimplified; following a possibly untrustworthy heart can lead to self‑destruction, while conformity may suppress authenticity. **In simple terms:** Blindly following the heart can be dangerous; conformity isn’t always safe. Key Takeaway Balance self‑exploration with critical self‑assessment. Themes identity authenticity self‑trust conformity risk moral dilemma Mood conflicted thought‑provoking Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career decisions - personal relationships - creative pursuits - mental health crises - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts philosophical introspection psychology of choice cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - When should you trust your intuition versus reason? - How do you differentiate healthy passion from self‑sabotage? A Different Perspective Ignoring inner warning signs can cause harm; total conformity can stifle growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-person/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Civic responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civic-responsibility/) [Disney Princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disney-princess/) [Follow Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-heart/) [Follow your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-your-heart/) [Heart Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-really/) [Heart Trusted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-trusted-673077/) [Ruin Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruin-self-2819782/) [Trusted Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trusted-heart-1343393/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/william-blake/) [York Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-times/) ## Related quotes > [“From William Blake to Lady Gaga, from Rousseau to Rumi to Tosca to Mister Rogers, it’s a curiously uniform message, accepted from high to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/from-william-blake-to-lady-gaga-from-rousseau-to-rumi-to-tosca-to/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“I look at the blanked-out faces of the other passengers--hoisting their briefcases, their backpacks, shuffling to disembark--and I think of what Hobie said: beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-look-at-the-blanked-out-faces-of-the-other-passengers-hoisting-2/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“What if the heart, for its own unfathomable reasons, leads one willfully and in a cloud of unspeakable radiance away from health, domesticity, civic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/what-if-the-heart-for-its-own-unfathomable-reasons-leads-one/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [What if one happens to be possessed of a heart that can’t be trusted—? What if the heart, for its own unfathomable reasons, leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/what-if-one-happens-to-be-possessed-of-a-heart-that-can-t-be-trusted/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“Only here’s what I really, really want someone to explain to me. What if one happens to be possessed of a heart that can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/only-here-s-what-i-really-really-want-someone-to-explain-to-me-what/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“Because—isn’t it drilled into us constantly, from childhood on, an unquestioned platitude in the culture—? From William Blake to Lady Gaga, from Rousseau to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/because-isn-t-it-drilled-into-us-constantly-from-childhood-on-an-2/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“White noise, impersonal roar. Deadening incandescence of the boarding terminals. 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Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-morgan/) > [“The poetic heart is not to be trusted with long-term decision-making.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/the-poetic-heart-is-not-to-be-trusted-with-long-term-decision-making/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/the-lord-is-my-strength-and-my-shield-my-heart-trusted-in-him-and-i/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [Don't break my heart, I trusted you enough to give it to you. Don't make me regret it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-break-my-heart-i-trusted-you-enough-to-give-it-to-you-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An honest heart is not to be trusted with itself in bad company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/an-honest-heart-is-not-to-be-trusted-with-itself-in-bad-company/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) ## More by Donna Tartt > [I hope we're all ready to leave the phenomenal world, and enter into the sublime?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-hope-we-re-all-ready-to-leave-the-phenomenal-world-and-enter-into/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [And I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and looked out for them, and pulled them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-i-add-my-own-love-to-the-history-of-people-who-have-loved/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [And the flavor of Pippa's kiss--bittersweet and strange--stayed with me all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as I sailed home on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-the-flavor-of-pippa-s-kiss-bittersweet-and-strange-stayed-with-me/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“The world won't come to me...so I must go to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/the-world-won-t-come-to-me-so-i-must-go-to-it/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [There's an expectation these days that novels - like any other consumer product - should be made on a production line, with one dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/there-s-an-expectation-these-days-that-novels-like-any-other-consumer/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“A month or two before, I would have been appalled at the idea of any murder at all. 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What if one happens to be possessed of a heart that can't be trusted--? What if the heart, for its own unfathomable reasons, leads one willfully and in a cloud of unspeakable radiance away from health, domesticity, civic responsibility and strong social connections and all the blandly-held common virtues and instead straight toward a beautiful flare of ruin, self-immolation, disaster?...If your deepest self is singing and coaxing you straight toward the bonfire, is it better to turn away? Stop your ears with wax? Ignore all the perverse glory your heart is screaming at you? Set yourself on the course that will lead you dutifully towards the norm, reasonable hours and regular medical check-ups, stable relationships and steady career advancement the New York Times and brunch on Sunday, all with the promise of being somehow a better person? 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