Children Quote by J.M. Coetzee
““Since I was in flight from religion, I assumed that my classmates had to be in flight from religion too, albeit in a quieter, savvier way than I had as yet been able to discover. Only today do I realize how mistaken I was. They were never in flight at all. Nor are their children in flight, or their grandchildren. By the time I reached by seventieth year, I used to predict, all the churches in the world would have been turned into barns or museums or potteries. But I was wrong. Behold, new churches spring up every day, all over the place, to say nothing of mosques. So Nietzsche's dictum needs to be amended: while it may be so that only the higher animals are capable of boredom, man proves himself highest of all by domesticating boredom, giving it a home.””
About This Quote
Assumptions about societal decline are often wrong; humanity continually creates new institutions, showing resilience and the capacity to transform boredom into purpose.
In simple terms: Predicting cultural extinction is premature.
Key Takeaway
Humanity adapts and revitalizes traditions.
Themes
culture
change
resilience
Mood
thoughtful
optimistic
Type
philosophical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- urban planning
- religious studies
Key Concepts
social evolution
Practical Applications
- monitor emerging community initiatives
- challenge fatalistic narratives
Questions to Reflect On
- What factors drive the renewal of old institutions?
- How does boredom inspire creativity?
A Different Perspective
Some institutions do fade, and nostalgia can blind us to loss.
![“[Friedrich] Nietzsche said something marvellous, he said "Madness is not a consequence of uncertainty but of certainty", and this is fanaticism.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c8e/elie-wiesel-341_certainty_friedrich-nietzsche-said-something-marve_89498.jpg)
![“We believe, as Nietzsche put it, that 'higher is not allowed to grow out of the lower, is not allowed to have grown at all .. everything first-rate must be causa sui [the cause of itself].” quote by Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e46/alain-de-botton-221_nietzsche_we-believe-as-nietzsche-put-it-that-high_56367.jpg)
