--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People have got that ancient prejudice so…" description: "\"People have got that ancient prejudice so firmly rooted in their heads that one mustn't write save at I the dictation of the Holy Spirit. I tell you, w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/george-gissing-7774_ancient_people-have-got-that-ancient-prejudice-s_2846797.jpg" --- # People have got that ancient prejudice so firmly rooted in… ![“People have got that ancient prejudice so firmly rooted in their heads that one mustn't write save at I the dictation of the Holy Spirit. I tell you, writing is a business.” quote by George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/george-gissing-7774_ancient_people-have-got-that-ancient-prejudice-s_2846797.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/george-gissing-7774_ancient_people-have-got-that-ancient-prejudice-s_2846797.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f8/george-gissing-7774_ancient_people-have-got-that-ancient-prejudice-s_2846797.jpg) > “People have got that ancient prejudice so firmly rooted in their heads that one mustn't write save at I the dictation of the Holy Spirit. I tell you, writing is a business.” [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is portrayed as a business constrained by ancient prejudices and spiritual dictation. **In simple terms:** Writing is a business hindered by old biases and spiritual claims. Key Takeaway Treat writing as a craft, not a divine mandate. Themes writing prejudice business Mood critical thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - authoring - publishing - creative work Key Concepts craftsmanship spirituality Questions to Reflect On - Do you think spiritual beliefs limit creativity? - How can writers balance tradition and innovation? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize religious influence on writing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-prejudice-3765257/) [Dictation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictation/) [Dictation Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictation-holy-3765259/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Holy spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-spirit/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Prejudice Firmly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice-firmly-3765258/) [Rooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooted/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [War is an evil thing; but to submit to the dictation of other states is worse… Freedom, if we hold fast to it, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/war-is-an-evil-thing-but-to-submit-to-the-dictation-of-other-states/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [I would love to employ a man, but how can I possibly give a man dictation from the bath?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-cartland/i-would-love-to-employ-a-man-but-how-can-i-possibly-give-a-man/) [Barbara Cartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-cartland/) > [The best, most natural dialogue is usually written as if the writer is listening to dictation. You might get stuck on any particular point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-best-most-natural-dialogue-is-usually-written-as-if-the-writer-is/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Sometimes the impressions are just general feelings. Sometimes the direction comes so clearly and so unmistakably that it can be written down like spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/sometimes-the-impressions-are-just-general-feelings-sometimes-the/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [What is Americanism? Every one has a different answer. Some people say it is never to submit to the dictation of a King. Others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-howard-shaw/what-is-americanism-every-one-has-a-different-answer-some-people-say/) [Anna Howard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-howard-shaw/) > [Nail polish or false eyelashes isn't politics. If you have good politics, what you wear is irrelevant. I don't take dictation from the pig-o-cratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/nail-polish-or-false-eyelashes-isn-t-politics-if-you-have-good/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [I never exactly made a book. It's rather like taking dictation. I was given things to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-exactly-made-a-book-it-s-rather-like-taking-dictation-i-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a situational writer. 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And, if a writer dwells upon that solely or principally, is he not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/is-not-the-real-experience-of-each-individual-very-limited-and-if-a/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [I have a feeling that art is something you do for yourself, and that any time you turn your decisions over to someone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-have-a-feeling-that-art-is-something-you-do-for-yourself-and-that/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [You can't sort of write the novel as if you're taking dictation from heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/you-can-t-sort-of-write-the-novel-as-if-you-re-taking-dictation-from/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I wrote before I could write. I got my hands on a journal, maybe a hand-me-down; I had three older siblings. My first entries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-wrote-before-i-could-write-i-got-my-hands-on-a-journal-maybe-a-hand/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [It's a question of trying to take down by dictation what's already there. I'm not making something, I'm trying to hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-oswald/it-s-a-question-of-trying-to-take-down-by-dictation-what-s-already/) [Alice Oswald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-oswald/) > [“Do Not Dictate a Child through Someone, it Ruins the Child's Experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/do-not-dictate-a-child-through-someone-it-ruins-the-child-s-experience/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) ## More by George Gissing > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [It is familiarity with life that makes time speed quickly. When every day is a step in the unknown, as for children, the days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/it-is-familiarity-with-life-that-makes-time-speed-quickly-when-every/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Time is money says the proverb, but turn it around and you get a precious truth. 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You mutn't give any weight to what I say, except in so far as your own judgment approves it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-don-t-advise-you-mutn-t-give-any-weight-to-what-i-say-except-in-so/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“The truth was that nature had endowed them with a larger share of brains than was common in their circle, and had added that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/the-truth-was-that-nature-had-endowed-them-with-a-larger-share-of/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“Her womanhood went eagerly to meet him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/her-womanhood-went-eagerly-to-meet-him/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save-2/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [I have the happiness of a passing moment, and what more can mortal ask?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-have-the-happiness-of-a-passing-moment-and-what-more-can-mortal-ask/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [For the man sound of body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/for-the-man-sound-of-body-and-serene-of-mind-there-is-no-such-thing/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [Human creatures have a mervellous power of adapting themselves to necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/human-creatures-have-a-mervellous-power-of-adapting-themselves-to/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [I am much better employed from every point of view, when I live solely for my own satisfaction, than when I begin to worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-am-much-better-employed-from-every-point-of-view-when-i-live-solely/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“One doesn’t like to do brutal things if one can avoid them, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/one-doesn-t-like-to-do-brutal-things-if-one-can-avoid-them-you-know/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [I hate with a bitter hatred the names of lentils haricots - those pretentious cheats of the appetite, those tabulated humbugs, those certified aridites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/i-hate-with-a-bitter-hatred-the-names-of-lentils-haricots-those/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) [Explore all 87 George Gissing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. 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I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. 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And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. 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