--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American life, in large cities, is a…" description: "\"American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on the senses and the nerves; it is out of asceticism, out of unworldliness, precisely, that we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg" --- # American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on… ![“American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on the senses and the nerves; it is out of asceticism, out of unworldliness, precisely, that we bear it.” quote by Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg) > “American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on the senses and the nerves; it is out of asceticism, out of unworldliness, precisely, that we bear it.” [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. City life overwhelms senses, demanding a disciplined, detached stance to survive. **In simple terms:** Urban chaos forces a disciplined, detached mindset. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner calm amid city stress. Themes urbanism stress detachment modernity Mood analytical critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - commuting - crowded events - high‑pressure work Key Concepts sociology psychology environmental pressure Questions to Reflect On - What practices help maintain balance? - Is detachment sustainable long‑term? A Different Perspective Detachment can lead to isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) [Asceticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asceticism/) [Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/) [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Large cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-cities/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Nerves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerves/) ## Related quotes > [The strongest argument for the unmaterialistic character of American life is . . . that we tolerate conditions that are, from a materialistic point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/the-strongest-argument-for-the-unmaterialistic-character-of-american/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [The strongest argument for the un-materialistic character of American life is the fact that we tolerate conditions that are, from a materialistic point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/the-strongest-argument-for-the-un-materialistic-character-of-american-2/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [The disadvantages of a decentralized, spread out urban area are tremendous, and the environmental damage of urban sprawl cannot be ignored. As a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-mori/the-disadvantages-of-a-decentralized-spread-out-urban-area-are/) [Minoru Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minoru-mori/) > [For the most part Ho Chi Minh City is safe but like any large city you need to pay attention to what's going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-rice/for-the-most-part-ho-chi-minh-city-is-safe-but-like-any-large-city/) [Doug Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-rice/) > [Poverty has, in large cities, very different appearances; it is often concealed in splendour, and often in extravagance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/poverty-has-in-large-cities-very-different-appearances-it-is-often/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The tumultuous populace of large cities are ever to be dreaded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-tumultuous-populace-of-large-cities-are-ever-to-be-dreaded/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [A good many inconveniences attend playgoing in any large city, but the greatest of them is usually the play itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-tynan/a-good-many-inconveniences-attend-playgoing-in-any-large-city-but-the/) [Kenneth Tynan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-tynan/) > [When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-we-get-piled-upon-one-another-in-large-cities-as-in-europe-we/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [...nuclear warfare is not necessary to cause a breakdown of our society. 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Remotely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-transition-from-an-author-s-book-to-his-conversation-is-too-often/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A large city cannot be experientially known; its life is too manifold for any individual to be able to participate in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/a-large-city-cannot-be-experientially-known-its-life-is-too-manifold/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [In our large cities, the population is godless, materialized,--no bond, no fellow-feeling, no enthusiasm. These are not men, but hungers, thirsts, fevers, and appetites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-our-large-cities-the-population-is-godless-materialized-no-bond-no/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Many, many large cities have old, crumbling infrastructure that have got to be dealt with in the nearest future, or they're going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-natsios/many-many-large-cities-have-old-crumbling-infrastructure-that-have/) [Andrew Natsios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-natsios/) > [ I think the book \[Straight to the Heart: Political Cantos\] has meaning for any large city with urban problems. There are political machines in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-alioto/i-think-the-book-straight-to-the-heart-political-cantos-has-meaning/) [Angela Alioto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-alioto/) ## More by Joseph McCarthy > [The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/the-state-department-is-infested-with-communists-i-have-here-in-my/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity. 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It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/football-combines-two-of-the-worst-things-in-american-life-it-is/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [I produced a play in New York that got nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best American Play.The play is called Stalking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-richman/i-produced-a-play-in-new-york-that-got-nominated-for-an-outer-critics/) [Adam Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-richman/) > [The final test of Afro-American studies will be the extent to which they rid the minds of whites and blacks alike of false learning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-saunders-redding/the-final-test-of-afro-american-studies-will-be-the-extent-to-which/) [Jay Saunders Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-saunders-redding/) > [In the decade of the 1980s, a massive and comprehensive study of religion in American life was undertaken by the Gallup organization. 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Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) [Browse all 344 American life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on the senses and the nerves; it is out of asceticism, out of unworldliness, precisely, that we bear it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpetual-assault-on-the-senses/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpetual-assault-on-the-senses/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/joseph-mccarthy-41422_american-life_american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpe_2693457.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on the senses and the nerves; it is out of…” — Joseph McCarthy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joseph McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "American life, in large cities, is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpetual-assault-on-the-senses/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpetual-assault-on-the-senses/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```