---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ideologies can survive hostility, but not…"
description: "\"Ideologies can survive hostility, but not indifference.\" — Mason Cooley"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png"
---

#  Ideologies can survive hostility, but not indifference.

![“Ideologies can survive hostility, but not indifference.” quote by Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png)

> “Ideologies can survive hostility, but not indifference.”

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

## About This Quote

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

Ideas persist when challenged, yet they fade when ignored.

**In simple terms:** Ideas die from neglect, not opposition.

Key Takeaway

Engage, don’t ignore.

Themes

ideas indifference survival

Mood

thoughtful concerned

Type

advisory reflective

When to use this quote

- political discourse
- personal relationships
- media coverage
- community building

Key Concepts

philosophy social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you respond when your ideas are ignored?
- What can you do to keep important ideas alive?

A Different Perspective

Indifference may be hard to detect, allowing harmful ideas to spread unnoticed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hostility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility/) [Hostility Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility-indifference-3209118/) [Ideologies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideologies/) [Ideologies Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideologies-survive-3209116/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Survive Hostility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive-hostility-3209117/)

## Related quotes

> [“Our hostility and indifference towards God did not reduce his love for us; he saw equal value in us when he exchanged the life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-du-toit/our-hostility-and-indifference-towards-god-did-not-reduce-his-love/)

[François Du Toit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-du-toit/)

> [“We shall never fully understand nature (or ourselves), and certainly never respect it, until we dissociate the wild from the notion of usability -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/we-shall-never-fully-understand-nature-or-ourselves-and-certainly/)

[John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/)

> [A hostility to modernity is shared by ideologies that have nothing else in common - a nostalgia for moral clarity, small-town intimacy, family values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-hostility-to-modernity-is-shared-by-ideologies-that-have-nothing/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [The notion that artists flourish upon adversity and misunderstanding, that they are able to function to the utmost in an atmosphere of indifference or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-notion-that-artists-flourish-upon-adversity-and-misunderstanding/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [The result can be quite new - perhaps a tendency to judge that something we've never conceived of is possible, or to feel sympathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/the-result-can-be-quite-new-perhaps-a-tendency-to-judge-that/)

[Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/)

> [To me the Universe was all void of Life, of Purpose, of Volition, even of Hostility; it was one huge, dead, immeasurable Steam-engine, rolling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/to-me-the-universe-was-all-void-of-life-of-purpose-of-volition-even/)

[Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/)

> [Indifference is harder to fight than hostility, and there is nothing that kills an agitation like having everybody admit that it is fundamentally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-eastman/indifference-is-harder-to-fight-than-hostility-and-there-is-nothing/)

[Crystal Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-eastman/)

> [More good things in life are lost by indifference than ever were lost by active hostility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-menzies/more-good-things-in-life-are-lost-by-indifference-than-ever-were-lost/)

[Robert Menzies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-menzies/)

> [Withhold admiration from a narcissist and be disliked. Give it and be treated with indifference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/withhold-admiration-from-a-narcissist-and-be-disliked-give-it-and-be/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Indifference creates an artificial peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/indifference-creates-an-artificial-peace/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Ideologies do not map the complete living processes of a World.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/ideologies-do-not-map-the-complete-living-processes-of-a-world/)

[William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/)

> [It seems that in the advanced stages of stupidity, a lack of ideas is compensated for by an excess of ideologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/it-seems-that-in-the-advanced-stages-of-stupidity-a-lack-of-ideas-is/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [Ideologies have no heart of their own. They're the whores and angels of our striving selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/ideologies-have-no-heart-of-their-own-they-re-the-whores-and-angels/)

[John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/)

> [I will never change my ideologies for anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khesari-lal-yadav/i-will-never-change-my-ideologies-for-anyone/)

[Khesari Lal Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khesari-lal-yadav/)

> [We are deeply concerned about false narratives, ideologies of hate that are fueled by conversations and messages on online platforms and other social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/we-are-deeply-concerned-about-false-narratives-ideologies-of-hate/)

[Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/)

## More by Mason Cooley

> [Nostalgia keeps dissolving the ironic narratives in which I have contained my past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nostalgia-keeps-dissolving-the-ironic-narratives-in-which-i-have/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Even the most abject have a sense of superiority based on powerful though undefined merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-abject-have-a-sense-of-superiority-based-on-powerful/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Money comes to life as it is spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/money-comes-to-life-as-it-is-spent/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Even the most fickle are faithful to a few bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-fickle-are-faithful-to-a-few-bad-habits/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Rage is exciting, but leaves me confused and exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/rage-is-exciting-but-leaves-me-confused-and-exhausted/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Literary tradition is full of lies about poverty-the jolly beggar, the poor but happy milkmaid, the wholesome diet of porridge, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/literary-tradition-is-full-of-lies-about-poverty-the-jolly-beggar-the/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Experience teaches us, but we scarcely know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/experience-teaches-us-but-we-scarcely-know-what/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [The body has a mind of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-body-has-a-mind-of-its-own/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [In retirement, I look for days off from my days off. Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/in-retirement-i-look-for-days-off-from-my-days-off-mason-cooley/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [My intentions go one way, my desires another. Thus I feel both self-indulgent and deprived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/my-intentions-go-one-way-my-desires-another-thus-i-feel-both-self/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [The Puritan sours his pleasures by disguising them as duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-puritan-sours-his-pleasures-by-disguising-them-as-duties/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Unlike the actual, the fictional explains itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/unlike-the-actual-the-fictional-explains-itself/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Vacations prove that a life of pleasure is overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/vacations-prove-that-a-life-of-pleasure-is-overrated/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [Outside literature, high-flown sentiments are merely exasperating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/outside-literature-high-flown-sentiments-are-merely-exasperating/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

[Explore all 1,401 Mason Cooley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

## More Hostility quotes

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [Indifference is harder to fight than hostility, and there is nothing that kills an agitation like having everybody admit that it is fundamentally right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-eastman/indifference-is-harder-to-fight-than-hostility-and-there-is-nothing/)

[Crystal Eastman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-eastman/)

> [It is easy to speak words of love, or to meditate lovingly upon those people with whom you are in harmony. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ponder/it-is-easy-to-speak-words-of-love-or-to-meditate-lovingly-upon-those/)

[Catherine Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ponder/)

> [Bisexuals need to recognize that their being closeted is a huge contributing factor to the hostility they face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/bisexuals-need-to-recognize-that-their-being-closeted-is-a-huge/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [You're punishing him over and over for things that are out of his control. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't have a fully loaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/you-re-punishing-him-over-and-over-for-things-that-are-out-of-his/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [The holiness of the church means that life, as well as truth, marks Christ’s church; the behavior of Christians in the world must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-clowney/the-holiness-of-the-church-means-that-life-as-well-as-truth-marks/)

[Edmund Clowney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-clowney/)

> [More good things in life are lost by indifference than ever were lost by active hostility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-menzies/more-good-things-in-life-are-lost-by-indifference-than-ever-were-lost/)

[Robert Menzies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-menzies/)

> [There's always a fine line that divides hostility from neutrality, and I don't want to pass that line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-dwight/there-s-always-a-fine-line-that-divides-hostility-from-neutrality-and/)

[Ed Dwight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-dwight/)

> [The press is going to have to learn anew that it's possible to work in an environment that is not so toxic and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-gup/the-press-is-going-to-have-to-learn-anew-that-it-s-possible-to-work/)

[Ted Gup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-gup/)

> [When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility. When an adult hits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-a-child-hits-a-child-we-call-it-aggression-when-a-child-hits-an/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Of all hostile feelings, envy is perhaps the hardest to be subdued, because hardly any one owns it even to himself, but looks out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/of-all-hostile-feelings-envy-is-perhaps-the-hardest-to-be-subdued/)

[Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/)

> [Some people criticize me for using sources that are a bit low brow (this quote is from 'Gladiator') but you know what? 'I'm just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/some-people-criticize-me-for-using-sources-that-are-a-bit-low-brow/)

[Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/)

> [But if the two countries or governments are at war, the men of science are not. That would, indeed be a civil war of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphry-davy/but-if-the-two-countries-or-governments-are-at-war-the-men-of-science/)

[Humphry Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphry-davy/)

> [You know," Clary said, "most psychologists agree that hostility is really just sublimated sexual attraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-know-clary-said-most-psychologists-agree-that-hostility-is-really/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [The Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state; it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/the-constitution-does-not-require-complete-separation-of-church-and/)

[Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/)

[Browse all 504 Hostility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostility/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Ideologies can survive hostility, but not indifference.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mason Cooley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not-indifference/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Hostility"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not-indifference/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dab/mason-cooley-92_hostility_ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not_1144971.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Ideologies can survive hostility, but not indifference.” — Mason Cooley",
                "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": "Mason Cooley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ideologies can survive hostility, but not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not-indifference/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/ideologies-can-survive-hostility-but-not-indifference/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
