--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ..Such practices and beliefs, which…" description: "\"..Such practices and beliefs, which interfere with happiness, are neither inevitable nor necessary; they evolved by chance, as a result of random respo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_assuming_such-practices-and-beliefs-which-interfe_2694455.jpg" --- # ..Such practices and beliefs, which interfere with… ![“..Such practices and beliefs, which interfere with happiness, are neither inevitable nor necessary; they evolved by chance, as a result of random responses to accidental conditions. But once they become part of the norms and habits of a culture, people assume that this is how things must be; they…” quote by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_assuming_such-practices-and-beliefs-which-interfe_2694455.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_assuming_such-practices-and-beliefs-which-interfe_2694455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa4/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-1255_assuming_such-practices-and-beliefs-which-interfe_2694455.jpg) > “..Such practices and beliefs, which interfere with happiness, are neither inevitable nor necessary; they evolved by chance, as a result of random responses to accidental conditions. But once they become part of the norms and habits of a culture, people assume that this is how things must be; they come to believe they have no other options.” [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cultural norms arise from random adaptations, not necessity; they can be questioned and changed. **In simple terms:** Norms are accidental, not fixed. Key Takeaway Challenge inherited habits. Themes culture habit evolution Mood critical analytical Type thoughtful reflective When to use this quote - education - organizational change - personal development Key Concepts psychology social theory Questions to Reflect On - Which norms feel arbitrary? - How can you reshape them? A Different Perspective Changing norms meets resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Beliefs Interfere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beliefs-interfere-2684723/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits-culture-908479/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-inevitable-984099/) [Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable/) [Interfere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfere/) [Interfere Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interfere-happiness-2684725/) [Norm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norm/) [Norms Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norms-habits-2684724/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) ## Related quotes > [Happiness too is inevitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/happiness-too-is-inevitable/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Throughout history, it took centuries for the habits of one culture to materially affect another. 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As soon as it becomes part of a set of social rules and norms, it ceases to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/control-over-consciousness-cannot-be-institutionaliz-ed-as-soon-as-it/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [ There is something very special about this part of the world \[U.S\], which is the openness and the curiosity and the lack of prejudice… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/there-is-something-very-special-about-this-part-of-the-world-u-s/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [I was a breed of people who aren't capable of doing anything, really. 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Each of these seems like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/liberalism-s-fatal-flaw-is-that-it-has-no-permanent-norms-only-a/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [Modern capitalism seeks to assure us that it operates according to the principles of free creativity, endless development and diversity. It glosses over its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadezhda-tolokonnikova/modern-capitalism-seeks-to-assure-us-that-it-operates-according-to/) [Nadezhda Tolokonnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadezhda-tolokonnikova/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) ## More by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi > [“Entropy is the normal state of consciousness—a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable. To avoid this condition, people are naturally eager to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/entropy-is-the-normal-state-of-consciousness-a-condition-that-is/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [Most enjoyable activities are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. 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Some of these experiences can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/unfortunately-many-people-find-the-only-challenges-they-can-respond/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [It is essential to learn to enjoy life. It really does not make sense to go through the motions of existence if one does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-essential-to-learn-to-enjoy-life-it-really-does-not-make-sense/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [“It is usual to explain the motivation of those who enjoy dangerous activities as some sort of pathological need: they are trying to exorcise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/it-is-usual-to-explain-the-motivation-of-those-who-enjoy-dangerous/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [“Wisdom and integrity cannot be found in any single domain. A broader viewpoint that breaks across disciplinary boundaries is needed, a way of understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/wisdom-and-integrity-cannot-be-found-in-any-single-domain-a-broader/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [For better or worse, our future will be determined in large part by our dreams and by the struggle to make them real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/for-better-or-worse-our-future-will-be-determined-in-large-part-by/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [Many business leaders today view their jobs as entailing responsibility for the welfare of the wider community. 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I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "..Such practices and beliefs, which interfere with happiness, are neither inevitable nor necessary; they evolved by chance, as a result of random responses to accidental conditions. 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