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Believing Quote by Kurt Andersen

“major argument of this book is that Americans are not just exceptionally religious but that our dominant religion has become exceptionally literal and fantastical—childlike—during the last fifty years in particular. The fantasies of perpetual youth, Kids “R” Us Syndrome, also appeared fifty years…” quote by Kurt Andersen
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““major argument of this book is that Americans are not just exceptionally religious but that our dominant religion has become exceptionally literal and fantastical—childlike—during the last fifty years in particular. The fantasies of perpetual youth, Kids “R” Us Syndrome, also appeared fifty years ago, when American adults started becoming more than ever like adolescents and children in our tastes and ways of thinking. These simultaneous spikes could be a coincidence, but they look to me like another case of cultural symbiosis. And childlike magical thinking synergy isn’t limited to Christian kinds. “How do you get yourself to a point of believing?” Rhonda Byrne asks in The Secret, the Oprah-endorsed New Age guide to success-by-wishing-and-pretending. “Start make-believing. Be like a child, and make-believe. Act as if you have it already. As you make believe you will begin to believe you have received….Your belief that you have it, that undying faith, is your greatest power. When you believe you are receiving, get ready, and watch the magic begin!””

Kurt Andersen

About This Quote

Source Book: The Age of American Unreason, 2015

American culture blends literal religion with childlike magical thinking, influencing consumer behavior and belief systems.

In simple terms: America mixes strict faith with fantasy.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question cultural narratives.

Themes

culture religion consumerism

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • marketing
  • media analysis
  • social critique

Key Concepts

magical thinking symbolic belief

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do people cling to magical narratives?
  • How does this affect society?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on fantasy can obscure critical thinking.

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