---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every society gets encumbered with what…"
description: "\"Every society gets encumbered with what is trivial, with dead wood from the past, and with what is positively perverse.\" — John Dewey"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/john-dewey-545_past_every-society-gets-encumbered-with-what_2830465.jpg"
---

#  Every society gets encumbered with what is trivial, with…

![“Every society gets encumbered with what is trivial, with dead wood from the past, and with what is positively perverse.” quote by John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/john-dewey-545_past_every-society-gets-encumbered-with-what_2830465.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/john-dewey-545_past_every-society-gets-encumbered-with-what_2830465.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40d/john-dewey-545_past_every-society-gets-encumbered-with-what_2830465.jpg)

> “Every society gets encumbered with what is trivial, with dead wood from the past, and with what is positively perverse.”

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Societies become bogged down by trivialities, outdated structures, and perverse elements.

**In simple terms:** Trivial and outdated burdens hinder societal progress.

Key Takeaway

Identify and remove societal dead weight.

Themes

society progress obstruction

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical social

When to use this quote

- policy making
- cultural reform
- education

Key Concepts

political theory social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the most obstructive traditions?
- How can we foster progressive change?

A Different Perspective

Change can be resisted by entrenched interests.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Perverse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perverse/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/)

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