Spitting Quote by Orhan Pamuk
““ESAELP GNITTIPS ON This mysterious decree would incite me to defy it and spit on the ground at once, but because the police were stationed two steps away in front of the Governor's Mansion, I'd just stare at it uneasily instead. Now I began to fear that spit would suddenly climb out of my throat and land on the ground without my even willing it. But as I knew, spitting was mostly a habit of grown-ups of the same stock as those brainless, weak-willed, insolent children who were always being punished by my teacher. Yes, we would sometimes see people spitting on the streets, or hawking up phlegm because they had no tissues, but this didn't happen often enough to merit a decree of this severity, even outside the Governor's Manson. Later on, when I read about the Chinese spitting pots and discovered how commonplace spitting was in other parts of the world, I asked myself why they'd gone to such lengths to discourage spitting in Istanbul, where it had never been popular.””
About This Quote
The passage sat how social norms, authority, and personal habit intertwine, revealing discomfort with imposed rules and cultural differences in behavior.
In simple terms: Social rules clash with personal habits.
Question authority and cultural norms.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- public behavior
- travel etiquette
- policy making
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we obey minor rules?
- How do cultural taboos shape behavior?
Changing deep‑rooted habits is difficult.