Alberta Quote by Jane Jacobs
“My husband was a hospital architect and he was working on some hospitals in Alberta, and I told him to try to find out what they thought about separatism. He would come back on weekends. He said "well, I think I found out how they feel about separatism. I brought it up at lunch in the cafeteria, and everybody at the table was silent and then somebody said 'Let's change the subject'."”
About This Quote
Source Interview: New Yorker profile, 1970s, null
A humorous anecdote showing how people avoid discussing controversial topics in casual settings.
In simple terms: People dodge uncomfortable subjects.
Key Takeaway
Be aware of social avoidance.
Themes
communication
politics
social dynamics
Mood
wry
observational
Type
anecdotal
humorous
When to use this quote
- office lunch
- family gatherings
- public forums
- political debates
Key Concepts
conformity
silence
groupthink
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you handle controversial topics?
- What signals indicate avoidance?
A Different Perspective
Avoidance can prevent genuine dialogue.
![“The best thing is not to think about [separatism]. [People in Alberta] don't even want to engage in talking pros and cons and why people feel this way.” quote by Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/302/jane-jacobs-1991_alberta_the-best-thing-is-not-to-think-about-sep_1626468.jpg)
![“[Alex] Haley felt he could make a solid case in favor of racial integration by showing what was - to white America - what was the consequence of their support for racial separatism that would end up producing a kind of hate, the hate that hate produced, to use the phrase that Mike Wallace used in…” quote by Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d0f/manning-marable-9023_alex_alex-haley-felt-he-could-make-a-solid-ca_872726.jpg)
