---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The job of the architect becomes more…"
description: "\"The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this secular age. Where once he had a god to extol, he now has humans like himself; where once he ha..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png"
---

#  The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this…

![“The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this secular age. Where once he had a god to extol, he now has humans like himself; where once he had &quot;he,&quot; he now has &quot;she&quot; and &quot;they.” quote by Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png)

> “The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this secular age. Where once he had a god to extol, he now has humans like himself; where once he had "he," he now has "she" and "they.”

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

## About This Quote

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

The architect now faces a pluralistic world where divine authority is replaced by diverse human perspectives.

**In simple terms:** Modern architects must consider many viewpoints.

Key Takeaway

Design with inclusivity and empathy.

Themes

pluralism design ethics

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- urban planning
- public spaces
- educational institutions
- religious buildings
- digital platforms

Key Concepts

cultural relativism humanism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you reconcile differing cultural expectations in design?
- Can a single vision satisfy all stakeholders?

A Different Perspective

Balancing conflicting values can stall decisions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Secular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular/)

## Related quotes

> [The fact that institutional churches have gone into decline doesn't mean that we're going to enter some purely secular age. Secular people need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-fact-that-institutional-churches-have-gone-into-decline-doesn-t/)

[Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/)

> [In a secular age, an authentic miracle must purport to be a hoax, in order to gain credit in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/in-a-secular-age-an-authentic-miracle-must-purport-to-be-a-hoax-in/)

[Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/)

> [“A historic transition is occurring, barely noticed. Slowly, quietly, imperceptibly, religion is shriveling in America, as it has done in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-haught/a-historic-transition-is-occurring-barely-noticed-slowly-quietly/)

[James A. Haught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-haught/)

> [When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-piano/when-you-design-a-building-you-start-from-a-general-philosophy-and/)

[Renzo Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-piano/)

> [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/)

[Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/)

> [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/)

[Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/)

> [Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/)

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

> [The challenge of today's generation of architects is the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/the-challenge-of-today-s-generation-of-architects-is-the-environment/)

[Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/)

> [Yes, Garnett Grey was an Architect. Were a psychoanalyst to approach him from behind, tap his shoulder, and say 'Humanity,' Garrett'd spin and respond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/yes-garnett-grey-was-an-architect-were-a-psychoanalyst-to-approach/)

[Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/)

> [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/)

[Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/)

> [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/)

[Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/)

> [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/)

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

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/when-i-am-asked-what-i-believe-in-i-say-that-i-believe-in/)

[Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/)

## More by Nikki Giovanni

> [ I just think she was a wonderful woman. What I think of when I think of Nina \[Simone\] is someone that I could relate… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/i-just-think-she-was-a-wonderful-woman-what-i-think-of-when-i-think/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [It's really just interesting to ask: why not? And see where that takes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/it-s-really-just-interesting-to-ask-why-not-and-see-where-that-takes/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [I am ever fascinated by the human experience and by, actually, human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/i-am-ever-fascinated-by-the-human-experience-and-by-actually-human/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [You do what you can with what you have. You have to work the edges whatever they are. The main thing is keeping your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/you-do-what-you-can-with-what-you-have-you-have-to-work-the-edges/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/mistakes-are-a-fact-of-life-it-is-the-response-to-the-error-that/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [I’ve not learned the acceptable way of saying you fascinate me...I’ve not even learned how to say I like you without frightening people away-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/i-ve-not-learned-the-acceptable-way-of-saying-you-fascinate-me-i-ve/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [ever been kidnapped by a poet if i were a poet i'd kidnap you put you in my phrases and meter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/ever-been-kidnapped-by-a-poet-if-i-were-a-poet-i-d-kidnap-you-put-you/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [We love because it's the only true adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/we-love-because-it-s-the-only-true-adventure/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [Young people coming up who are having difficulty with their so-called celebrity need to get back into their lives. It's your life and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/young-people-coming-up-who-are-having-difficulty-with-their-so-called/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [ \[To become a poet\] The most important thing is to pay attention. The next would probably be to read; it's so important to pay… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/to-become-a-poet-the-most-important-thing-is-to-pay-attention-the/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [daddy says the world is a drum tight and hard and i told him i’m gonna beat out my own rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/daddy-says-the-world-is-a-drum-tight-and-hard-and-i-told-him-i-m/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [We eat up artists like there's going to be a famine at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/we-eat-up-artists-like-there-s-going-to-be-a-famine-at-the-end/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [Life is a process where people mix and match, fall apart and come back together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/life-is-a-process-where-people-mix-and-match-fall-apart-and-come-back/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans. I say, the trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/the-trip-to-mars-can-only-be-understood-through-black-americans-i-say/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

> [War is not a jobs program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/war-is-not-a-jobs-program/)

[Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

[Explore all 210 Nikki Giovanni quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [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/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this secular age. Where once he had a god to extol, he now has humans like himself; where once he had \"he,\" he now has \"she\" and \"they.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nikki Giovanni"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-difficult-in-this-secular-age/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-difficult-in-this-secular-age/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a1/nikki-giovanni-1757_age_the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-di_1719649.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The job of the architect becomes more difficult in this secular age. Where once he had a god to extol, he…” — Nikki Giovanni",
                "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": "Nikki Giovanni",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The job of the architect becomes...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-difficult-in-this-secular-age/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/the-job-of-the-architect-becomes-more-difficult-in-this-secular-age/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
