Arise Quote by Lewis H. Lapham
“The national distrust of the contemplative temperament arises less from an innate Philistinism than from a suspicion of anything that cannot be counted, stuffed, framed or mounted over the fireplace in the den.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Atlantic, 1998
Society distrusts contemplative people because they resist quantifiable measures.
In simple terms: People fear what can't be measured.
Key Takeaway
Value unquantifiable insight.
Themes
culture
contemplation
skepticism
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- education
- leadership
- creative work
- policy making
Key Concepts
philosophy
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we resist the unmeasurable?
- How can we balance data with intuition?
A Different Perspective
Quantification can also bring clarity.
![“[For American consumer society], the country's reserves of ignorance constitute a natural resource as precious as the Mississippi River or the long-lost herds of buffalo.” quote by Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6b0/lewis-h-lapham-7190_buffalo_for-american-consumer-society-the-countr_157122.jpg)
