Explanation Quote by Edith Wharton
“Society soon grows used to any state of things which is imposed upon it without explanation.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, 1905
People adapt to imposed conditions when explanations are absent, normalizing the status quo.
In simple terms: People accept unexplained impositions.
Key Takeaway
Seek clarity and question imposed conditions.
Themes
conformity
authority
critical thinking
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- workplace policies
- government mandates
- social movements
Key Concepts
social psychology
norms
Questions to Reflect On
- What explanations would change your acceptance?
- Who benefits from the lack of explanation?
A Different Perspective
Without explanation, acceptance can become passive compliance.
![“[Barack Obama] will spend long periods of time explaining to people why he won't use it. At the end of the explanation, nobody knows why he still won't use it because the explanation is no good. And I mean, honestly we have a president that in my opinion really doesn't know what he's doing.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb3/donald-trump-18_barack_barack-obama-will-spend-long-periods-of_29283.jpg)
![“They [scientists of centuries past] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations, however, God gets hardly a mention.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_century_they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-o_12921.jpg)
