--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In ordinary times we get along…" description: "\"“In ordinary times we get along surprisingly well, on the whole, without ever discovering what our faith really is.If, now and again, this remote and a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/dorothy-l-sayers-738_defense-mechanism_in-ordinary-times-we-get-along-surprisin_1001531.jpg" --- # In ordinary times we get along surprisingly well, on the… ![“In ordinary times we get along surprisingly well, on the whole, without ever discovering what our faith really is.If, now and again, this remote and academic problem is so unmannerly as to thrust its way into our minds, there are plenty of things we can do to drive the intruder away. We can get…” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/dorothy-l-sayers-738_defense-mechanism_in-ordinary-times-we-get-along-surprisin_1001531.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/dorothy-l-sayers-738_defense-mechanism_in-ordinary-times-we-get-along-surprisin_1001531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/dorothy-l-sayers-738_defense-mechanism_in-ordinary-times-we-get-along-surprisin_1001531.jpg) > ““In ordinary times we get along surprisingly well, on the whole, without ever discovering what our faith really is.If, now and again, this remote and academic problem is so unmannerly as to thrust its way into our minds, there are plenty of things we can do to drive the intruder away. We can get the car out or go to a party or to the cinema or read a detective story or have a row with a district council or write a letter to the papers about the habits of the nightjar or Shakespeare's use of nautical metaphor. Thus we build up a defense mechanism against self-questioning because, to tell the truth, we are very much afraid of ourselves.”” [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often avoid confronting their deep beliefs by distracting themselves with everyday activities, creating a defensive habit against self‑examination. **In simple terms:** We dodge true self‑knowledge with distractions. Key Takeaway Recognize and face your inner doubts. Themes self‑awareness defense mechanisms distraction faith introspection Mood anxious reflective Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - reading - social events - writing letters - watching movies - arguing with officials Key Concepts existentialism psychology social behavior Questions to Reflect On - What belief are you avoiding? - How could confronting it change your life? A Different Perspective Distraction only postpones, not resolves, the underlying anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defense mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-mechanism/) [Discovering Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering-faith-2116197/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning/) [Questioning Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning-tell-2116198/) [Self questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-questioning/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-afraid-526312/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [After sixty, the self-questioning of middle age is obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/after-sixty-the-self-questioning-of-middle-age-is-obsolete/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Indeed the reasoned criticism of a prevailing belief is a service to the proponents of that belief; if they are incapable of defending it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/indeed-the-reasoned-criticism-of-a-prevailing-belief-is-a-service-to/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I always find myself questioning God and asking why things happen. I know I shouldn't, but it's so hard to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-find-myself-questioning-god-and-asking-why-things-happen-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ It \[motherhood\] has changed absolutely everything. I mean, it's changed my life. I think I've changed as a human being more since I've had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-connelly/it-motherhood-has-changed-absolutely-everything-i-mean-it-s-changed/) [Jennifer Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-connelly/) > [Over time, it's occurred to me that my protagonists all originate in some aspect of myself that I find myself questioning or feeling uncomfortable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/over-time-it-s-occurred-to-me-that-my-protagonists-all-originate-in/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [“What unites us is our despair. Do other people wish to know that someone else walked this earth with a similar batch of questions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/what-unites-us-is-our-despair-do-other-people-wish-to-know-that/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Self-transformation commences with a period of self-questioning. Questions lead to more questions, bewilderment leads to new discoveries, and growing personal awareness leads to transformation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/self-transformation-commences-with-a-period-of-self-questioning/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [When characters are drifting away from the "correct road", or in fact from any road they were supposed to follow, they lose control, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fontaine/when-characters-are-drifting-away-from-the-correct-road-or-in-fact/) [Anne Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fontaine/) > [“Self-questioning and self-identification go hand in hand. It is surprising how little life changes. Most of the days that we spend working, playing, praying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/self-questioning-and-self-identification-go-hand-in-hand-it-is/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Knighthood. Was he even worthy? Just a little while ago, he’d have answered yes without a doubt, but now, facing the cross and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-voinov/knighthood-was-he-even-worthy-just-a-little-while-ago-he-d-have/) [Aleksandr Voinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-voinov/) > [“...I found myself questioning many assumptions about 'nature' and 'wilderness' that were common in conservation at the time. Were all introduced species really bad?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/i-found-myself-questioning-many-assumptions-about-nature-and/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) > [Love is all about risk taking. If your not willing to take the risk, you may find your self questioning love. Being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheyyewn/love-is-all-about-risk-taking-if-your-not-willing-to-take-the-risk/) [Cheyyewn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheyyewn/) > [We work in a business where you feel you always have to say yes because you never know when you will work again. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamzin-outhwaite/we-work-in-a-business-where-you-feel-you-always-have-to-say-yes/) [Tamzin Outhwaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamzin-outhwaite/) > [“Zeus in his sphere of power, Aphrodite in hers, are irresistible. To be a god is to be totally absorbed in the exercise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-knox/zeus-in-his-sphere-of-power-aphrodite-in-hers-are-irresistible-to-be/) [Bernard Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-knox/) ## More by Dorothy L. Sayers > [“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-really-essential-factors-of-success-in-any-undertaking-are-money/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“ Peter! Were you looking for a horse-shoe?" "No; I was expecting the horse, but the shoe is a piece of pure, gorgeous luck."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/peter-were-you-looking-for-a-horse-shoe-no-i-was-expecting-the-horse/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. \[That\] the fundamental treason to the mind ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-rest-may-follow-or-not-as-god/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/one-must-not-only-die-daily-but-every-day-we-must-be-born-again/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/by-teaching-them-all-to-read-we-have-left-them-at-the-mercy-of-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [... at no point have I yet found artistic truth and theological truth at variance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/at-no-point-have-i-yet-found-artistic-truth-and-theological-truth-at/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I have never yet heard any middle-aged man or woman who worked with his or her brains express any regret for the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/i-have-never-yet-heard-any-middle-aged-man-or-woman-who-worked-with/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“That was the second time within five minutes that he had warned her off his private ground. His mood had changed since the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/that-was-the-second-time-within-five-minutes-that-he-had-warned-her/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“To obey orders in this family has been my privilege for the last twenty years--a privilege which has been an unqualified pleasure, except perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/to-obey-orders-in-this-family-has-been-my-privilege-for-the-last/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Those who make some other person their job... are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/those-who-make-some-other-person-their-job-are-dangerous/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“Yes, and look at the corpses. Place always reminds me of that old thing in Punch, you know—‘Waiter, take away Lord Whatsisname, he’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/yes-and-look-at-the-corpses-place-always-reminds-me-of-that-old-thing/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) [Explore all 386 Dorothy L. Sayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## More Defense mechanism quotes > [“How can you love someone when you know they will never truly love you back because they can’t ever love you back? Your brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-moore/how-can-you-love-someone-when-you-know-they-will-never-truly-love-you/) [Portia Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-moore/) > [When you're walking at the airport, you're expected to smile at people because they know you... I find that tough. I'm only trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kaif/when-you-re-walking-at-the-airport-you-re-expected-to-smile-at-people/) [Katrina Kaif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kaif/) > [Christianity has a built-in defense system: anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument is, is the work of Satan by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/christianity-has-a-built-in-defense-system-anything-that-questions-a/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/black-people-in-america-have-to-for-their-own-protection-develop-a/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [“We live in an era where everyone is terrified of being caught trying. So, the defense mechanism is to pretend you never gave a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lokesh-tuli/we-live-in-an-era-where-everyone-is-terrified-of-being-caught-trying/) [Lokesh Tuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lokesh-tuli/) > [“DENIAL Defense mechanism in which the existence of unpleasant realities is disavowed; refers to keeping out of conscious awareness any aspects of external reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-sadock/denial-defense-mechanism-in-which-the-existence-of-unpleasant/) [Benjamin Sadock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-sadock/) > [When my wife and I met, I couldn't talk to her - and my defense mechanism is sarcasm. I belittle someone with verbal pokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-vogel/when-my-wife-and-i-met-i-couldn-t-talk-to-her-and-my-defense/) [Mike Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-vogel/) > [I don't really know. I think the first test is when you're very little and you fart, and you laugh at it and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mchale/i-don-t-really-know-i-think-the-first-test-is-when-you-re-very-little/) [Joel McHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mchale/) > [As a kid I was short and only weighed 95 pounds. And though I was active in a lot of Sports and got along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/as-a-kid-i-was-short-and-only-weighed-95-pounds-and-though-i-was/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [“Instead of seeing bad in yourself, you perceive it in others. It’s a defense mechanism. One that allows people to go on believing they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koren-zailckas/instead-of-seeing-bad-in-yourself-you-perceive-it-in-others-it-s-a/) [Koren Zailckas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koren-zailckas/) > [The nerves of the skin send pain signals to the brain to warn us of the danger from and impending injury. In the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levenkron/the-nerves-of-the-skin-send-pain-signals-to-the-brain-to-warn-us-of/) [Steven Levenkron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levenkron/) > [Everyone is a little bitter. We're born bitter. The personality itself is really just a very complex defense mechanism. A reaction to the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/everyone-is-a-little-bitter-we-re-born-bitter-the-personality-itself/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [“Like a lot of people with mental illness, I spend a lot of time fronting. It’s really important to me to not appear crazy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-smith/like-a-lot-of-people-with-mental-illness-i-spend-a-lot-of-time/) [S.E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-smith/) > [There's hardly any precedent for a guy like me to have the career that I've had. Because I grew up the way I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-singleton/there-s-hardly-any-precedent-for-a-guy-like-me-to-have-the-career/) [John Singleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-singleton/) > [I laugh when I see people in pain. Sometimes I think it is a defense mechanism from childhood, where you're in so much pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dick/i-laugh-when-i-see-people-in-pain-sometimes-i-think-it-is-a-defense/) [Andy Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dick/) [Browse all 90 Defense mechanism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-mechanism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In ordinary times we get along surprisingly well, on the whole, without ever discovering what our faith really is.If, now and again, this remote and academic problem is so unmannerly as to thrust its way into our minds, there are plenty of things we can do to drive the intruder away. 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