--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As every past generation has had to…" description: "\"As every past generation has had to disenthrall itself from an inheritance of truisms and stereotypes, so in our own time we must move on from the reas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/john-f-kennedy-246_confrontation_as-every-past-generation-has-had-to-dise_684357.jpg" --- # As every past generation has had to disenthrall itself… ![“As every past generation has had to disenthrall itself from an inheritance of truisms and stereotypes, so in our own time we must move on from the reassuring repetition of stale phrases to a new, difficult, but essential confrontation with reality. For the great enemy of truth is very often not…” quote by John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/john-f-kennedy-246_confrontation_as-every-past-generation-has-had-to-dise_684357.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/john-f-kennedy-246_confrontation_as-every-past-generation-has-had-to-dise_684357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/john-f-kennedy-246_confrontation_as-every-past-generation-has-had-to-dise_684357.jpg) > “As every past generation has had to disenthrall itself from an inheritance of truisms and stereotypes, so in our own time we must move on from the reassuring repetition of stale phrases to a new, difficult, but essential confrontation with reality. For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie-deliberate, contrived and dishonest-but the myth-persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Mythology distracts us everywhere.” [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societies must discard outdated clichés and confront reality, because persistent myths, not deliberate lies, often impede truth. **In simple terms:** Drop stale phrases and face reality; myths block truth. Key Takeaway Challenge accepted myths, seek factual reality. Themes truth myths reality progress critical thinking Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education reform - public discourse - media analysis - policy making Key Concepts mythology cognitive inertia social narratives Questions to Reflect On - What myths shape your worldview? - How can you test the reality behind popular sayings? A Different Perspective Myths can be deeply comforting, making them hard to reject. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confrontation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confrontation/) [Confrontation Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confrontation-reality-5408783/) [Deliberate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliberate/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Dishonest Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dishonest-myth-1123732/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Essentials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentials/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Inheritance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inheritance/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Myth Persistent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth-persistent-1123733/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Mythology Distracts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology-distracts-5408781/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-generations/) [Persistent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persistent/) [Persuasive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasive/) [Phrases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrases/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reassuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reassuring/) [Repetition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repetition/) [Stale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stale/) [Stereotype](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotype/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truism/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) ## Related quotes > [The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. 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Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [The great enemy of the truth is not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest but the myth persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-great-enemy-of-the-truth-is-not-the-lie-deliberate-contrived-and/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-great-enemy-of-truth-is-very-often-not-the-lie-deliberate/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [“The greatest enemy of truth is often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-berry/the-greatest-enemy-of-truth-is-often-not-the-lie-deliberate-contrived/) [Steve Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-berry/) > [“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-shea/the-great-enemy-of-the-truth-is-very-often-not-the-lie-deliberate/) [Tim O'Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-shea/) > [“we enjoy the peace we find today because people in past generations were appalled by the violence in their time and worked to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/we-enjoy-the-peace-we-find-today-because-people-in-past-generations/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Every age has its dreams, its symbols of romance. Past generations were moved by the graceful power of the great windjammers, by the distant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/every-age-has-its-dreams-its-symbols-of-romance-past-generations-were/) [Arthur C. 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And the traditional way to get a reliability ethos, at least in past generations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/economic-systems-work-better-when-there-s-an-extreme-reliability/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We live in a time of transition, an uneasy era which is likely to endure for the rest of this century... During this period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/we-live-in-a-time-of-transition-an-uneasy-era-which-is-likely-to/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“Will this generation be able to turn things around and learn a valuable lesson from all of this? I hope so, but I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-b-powell/will-this-generation-be-able-to-turn-things-around-and-learn-a/) [Aaron B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-b-powell/) ## More by John F. 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Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [We must recognize that every nation determines its policies in terms of its own interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-must-recognize-that-every-nation-determines-its-policies-in-terms/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Someone always needs rescuing, yet there's only one person who ever seems to understand you. It's a lot like being Lassie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/someone-always-needs-rescuing-yet-there-s-only-one-person-who-ever/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. 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Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) ## More Confrontation quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I cannot do confrontation. You know that fight or flight thing? I'm flight. I just don't want the argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-saunders/i-cannot-do-confrontation-you-know-that-fight-or-flight-thing-i-m/) [Jennifer Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-saunders/) > [The greatest reward of this constant interrogation, confrontation with the brutality of my country, is that it has freed me from hosts and myths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-greatest-reward-of-this-constant-interrogation-confrontation-with/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/people-of-our-time-are-losing-the-power-of-celebration-instead-of/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [“Mother Fuckers. They're going to feel pretty stupid when they find out. 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