Clergy Quote by Henry David Thoreau
“Priests and physicians should never look one another in the face. They have no common ground, nor is there any to mediate betweenthem. When the one comes, the other goes. They could not come together without laughter, or a significant silence, for the one's profession is a satire on the other's, and either's success would be the other's failure.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Walden, Henry David Thoreau, 1854
He suggests that priests and doctors occupy mutually exclusive realms, making collaboration impossible and their successes contradictory.
In simple terms: Priests and doctors cannot work together.
Key Takeaway
Accept the limits of certain professional relationships.
Themes
conflict
profession
incompatibility
Mood
skeptical
reflective
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- hospital administration
- religious counseling
- ethical debates
- public health policy
Key Concepts
satire
dualism
mutual exclusion
Questions to Reflect On
- Can any common ground be found between these fields?
- What benefits might arise from bridging them?
A Different Perspective
Collaboration may be possible with interdisciplinary dialogue.
![“The law for religious freedom... [has]put down the aristocracy of the clergy and restored to the citizen the freedom of the mind.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/thomas-jefferson-43_aristocracy_the-law-for-religious-freedom-has-put-do_60865.jpg)
![“There exists indeed an opposition to it [ building of UVA, Jefferson's secular college ] by the friends of William and Mary, which is not strong. The most restive is that of the priests of the different religious sects, who dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of day-light; and…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/74e/thomas-jefferson-43_clergy_there-exists-indeed-an-opposition-to-it_137072.jpg)
