--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot do better than to accept the…" description: "\"We cannot do better than to accept the standards of other times, and to adapt them to our uses.\" — Elsie de Wolfe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png" --- # We cannot do better than to accept the standards of other… ![“We cannot do better than to accept the standards of other times, and to adapt them to our uses.” quote by Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png) > “We cannot do better than to accept the standards of other times, and to adapt them to our uses.” [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates adapting historic standards to modern needs rather than rejecting them outright. **In simple terms:** Use old ideas, but fit them to today. Key Takeaway Adapt past wisdom for current use. Themes adaptation history practicality Mood reflective pragmatic Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - interior design - policy making - education - technology development Key Concepts design cultural norms innovation Questions to Reflect On - Which old standards still serve us? - How can we modernize traditions responsibly? A Different Perspective Risk of perpetuating outdated biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accept Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accept-standards-543642/) [Accepting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) [Adapt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adapt/) [Adapt Uses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adapt-uses-1692049/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Interior design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interior-design/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Times Adapt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-adapt-1692048/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [There is no need to accept the standards of the world at large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-mendel-schneerson/there-is-no-need-to-accept-the-standards-of-the-world-at-large/) [Menachem Mendel Schneerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-mendel-schneerson/) > [Others may be able to accept standards from another, but an artist is a person who decides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/others-may-be-able-to-accept-standards-from-another-but-an-artist-is/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [If they are given a real opportunity to affect the performance of local public services by electing the people who run them, most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-boles/if-they-are-given-a-real-opportunity-to-affect-the-performance-of/) [Nick Boles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-boles/) > [The cardinal virtue of all beauty is restraint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/the-cardinal-virtue-of-all-beauty-is-restraint/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [To conform within rational limits to a given style is no more servile than to pay one's taxes or to write according to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/to-conform-within-rational-limits-to-a-given-style-is-no-more-servile/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [Simplicity, suitability and proportion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/simplicity-suitability-and-proportion/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [Good dressing is largely a question of detail and accessories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/good-dressing-is-largely-a-question-of-detail-and-accessories/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I am going in now for interior decoration. By that I mean supplying objets d'art and giving advice regarding the decoration of their houses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-am-going-in-now-for-interior-decoration-by-that-i-mean-supplying/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-believe-in-plenty-of-optimism-and-white-paint/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [You can't take it with you. There are no pockets in a shroud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/you-can-t-take-it-with-you-there-are-no-pockets-in-a-shroud/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [My business is to preach to you the beauty of suitability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/my-business-is-to-preach-to-you-the-beauty-of-suitability/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [...If our houses, or clothes, our household furniture and utensils are not works of art, they are either wretched makeshifts, or, what is worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-morris/if-our-houses-or-clothes-our-household-furniture-and-utensils-are-not/) [William Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-morris/) > [When I began designing machines I also began to think that these objects, which sit next to each other and around people, can influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ettore-sottsass/when-i-began-designing-machines-i-also-began-to-think-that-these/) [Ettore Sottsass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ettore-sottsass/) > [Perfectionism is the death of a great room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mcdonald/perfectionism-is-the-death-of-a-great-room/) [Anne McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mcdonald/) > [Rich colors are typical of a rich nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-day-truex/rich-colors-are-typical-of-a-rich-nature/) [Van Day Truex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-day-truex/) ## More by Elsie de Wolfe > [You will express yourself in your house whether you want to or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/you-will-express-yourself-in-your-house-whether-you-want-to-or-not/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I was not ugly. I might never be anything for men to lose their heads about, but I need never again be ugly. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-was-not-ugly-i-might-never-be-anything-for-men-to-lose-their-heads/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [don't make each room a different color in a small apartment or you'll make yourself nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/don-t-make-each-room-a-different-color-in-a-small-apartment-or-you-ll/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [My business is to preach to you the beauty of suitability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/my-business-is-to-preach-to-you-the-beauty-of-suitability/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [There never has been a house so bad that it couldn't be made over into something worthwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/there-never-has-been-a-house-so-bad-that-it-couldn-t-be-made-over/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I was born with the courage to live. Only those are unwise who have never dared to be fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-was-born-with-the-courage-to-live-only-those-are-unwise-who-have/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [You can't take it with you. There are no pockets in a shroud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/you-can-t-take-it-with-you-there-are-no-pockets-in-a-shroud/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [ \[At first sight of the Acropolis:\] It's beige! My color! ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/at-first-sight-of-the-acropolis-it-s-beige-my-color/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I am going to make everything around me beautiful - that will be my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-am-going-to-make-everything-around-me-beautiful-that-will-be-my-life/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [What is the goal? A house that is like the life that goes with it, a house that gives us beauty as we understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/what-is-the-goal-a-house-that-is-like-the-life-that-goes-with-it-a/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [I am going in now for interior decoration. By that I mean supplying objets d'art and giving advice regarding the decoration of their houses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/i-am-going-in-now-for-interior-decoration-by-that-i-mean-supplying/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [It is not chic to be too chic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/it-is-not-chic-to-be-too-chic/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [When one begins to think of oneself as growing old, one is already old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/when-one-begins-to-think-of-oneself-as-growing-old-one-is-already-old/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [Good dressing is largely a question of detail and accessories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/good-dressing-is-largely-a-question-of-detail-and-accessories/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) > [It is the personality of the mistress that the home expresses. Men are forever guests in our homes, no matter how much happiness they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/it-is-the-personality-of-the-mistress-that-the-home-expresses-men-are/) [Elsie de Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) [Explore all 37 Elsie de Wolfe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accepting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We cannot do better than to accept the standards of other times, and to adapt them to our uses.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elsie de Wolfe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-standards-of-other-times-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-standards-of-other-times-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/elsie-de-wolfe-17463_accepting_we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-s_2571149.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We cannot do better than to accept the standards of other times, and to adapt them to our uses.” — Elsie de Wolfe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elsie de Wolfe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsie-de-wolfe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We cannot do better than to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-standards-of-other-times-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsie-de-wolfe/we-cannot-do-better-than-to-accept-the-standards-of-other-times-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```