---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people seem to gravitate from one…"
description: "\"Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png"
---

#  Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to…

![“Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other way around, which is not very helpful.” quote by Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png)

> “Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other way around, which is not very helpful.”

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

## About This Quote

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

Switching between secular and religious fundamentalism offers little benefit and may hinder understanding.

**In simple terms:** Fundamentalism shifts are unhelpful.

Key Takeaway

Seek nuanced perspectives.

Themes

fundamentalism secularism religion dialogue

Mood

critical analytical

Type

sociological inspirational

When to use this quote

- political debates
- community discussions
- personal belief formation

Key Concepts

sociology ideology identity

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people cling to rigid beliefs?
- How can dialogue bridge ideological gaps?

A Different Perspective

Changing sides may not solve underlying issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/) [Fundamentalism Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism-kind-3772011/) [Fundamentalism Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism-way-3772012/) [Gravitate Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravitate-fundamentalism-3772014/) [Helpful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helpful/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-fundamentalism/) [Secular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular/) [Secular Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular-fundamentalism-3772013/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [“Fundamentalism wears many masks, but always claims a monopoly on the Truth. Many people buy into fundamentalism in much the same way people buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-main/fundamentalism-wears-many-masks-but-always-claims-a-monopoly-on-the/)

[Darren Main](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-main/)

> [Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your mind about something...Many of us are fundamentalists...because it worked pretty well for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not-to-change-your-mind-about/)

[Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/)

> [Hysterical fundamentalism is not the way into the future; it is the last gasp of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/hysterical-fundamentalism-is-not-the-way-into-the-future-it-is-the/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [“Any scripture that demands irrefutable obedience must be discarded at once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/any-scripture-that-demands-irrefutable-obedience-must-be-discarded-at/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Killing a bunch of Jihadis may be morally justified, to save humanity from their wrath, but it won't terminate Jihad for long. Jihad or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/killing-a-bunch-of-jihadis-may-be-morally-justified-to-save-humanity/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Any book that spreads weakness in the heart of one gender, and authoritarianism in the other, must be burnt to ashes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/any-book-that-spreads-weakness-in-the-heart-of-one-gender-and/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“People fight over religion, because they don't understand religion. They think reading a few Bibles, Qurans and Vedas makes them religious. Books are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/people-fight-over-religion-because-they-don-t-understand-religion/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Christ the man died long ago, but Christ the idea of love, still exists, not in any church, rather in the mind of humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/christ-the-man-died-long-ago-but-christ-the-idea-of-love-still-exists/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Either you are homophobic or you are a human - you cannot be both.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/either-you-are-homophobic-or-you-are-a-human-you-cannot-be-both/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [While liberals are leery of religious fundamentalism in general, they consistently imagine that all religions at their core teach the same thing and teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/while-liberals-are-leery-of-religious-fundamentalism-in-general-they/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [“Any individual whose conscience is pure and clear, who can think for himself or herself, is a musalman or muslim, regardless of socio-religious background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/any-individual-whose-conscience-is-pure-and-clear-who-can-think-for/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Discriminations suit animals, not humans. And yet, the unfortunate reality is, it is the humans that discriminate each other on the grounds of imaginary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/discriminations-suit-animals-not-humans-and-yet-the-unfortunate/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [I really don't want to offend anybody, but I find all forms of religious fundamentalism frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-fern/i-really-don-t-want-to-offend-anybody-but-i-find-all-forms-of/)

[Cody Fern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-fern/)

> [In other words, I’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/in-other-words-i-m-against-cheating-greed-cruelty-racism-imperialism/)

[Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/)

> [“When a person irrationally and quite pathologically sticks to the creeds of his scriptures too much, it can turn even a great human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/when-a-person-irrationally-and-quite-pathologically-sticks-to-the/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

## More by Peter L. Berger

> [“In sum, the actor identifies with the socially objectivated typifications of conduct in actu, but re-establishes distance from them as he reflects about his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/in-sum-the-actor-identifies-with-the-socially-objectivated/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [In acute suffering the need for meaning is as strong or stronger than the need for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/in-acute-suffering-the-need-for-meaning-is-as-strong-or-stronger-than/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [In all advanced industrial societies, education has become the single most important vehicle of upward mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/in-all-advanced-industrial-societies-education-has-become-the-single/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [“Different objects present themselves to consciousness as constituents of different spheres of reality. I recognize the fellowmen I must deal with in the course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/different-objects-present-themselves-to-consciousness-as-constituents/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [F. A. Hayek is probably the most prominent advocate of capitalism in the present period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/f-a-hayek-is-probably-the-most-prominent-advocate-of-capitalism-in/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [India is the most religious country in the world, Sweden is the most secular country in the world, and America is a country of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/india-is-the-most-religious-country-in-the-world-sweden-is-the-most/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [“It is in the legitimation of death that the transcending potency of symbolic universes manifests itself most clearly, and the fundamental terror-assuaging character of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/it-is-in-the-legitimation-of-death-that-the-transcending-potency-of/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [An economy oriented toward production for market exchange provides the optimal conditions for long-lasting and ever-expanding productive capacity based on modern technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/an-economy-oriented-toward-production-for-market-exchange-provides/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [It has been true in Western societies and it seems to be true elsewhere that you do not find democratic systems apart from capitalism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/it-has-been-true-in-western-societies-and-it-seems-to-be-true/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [On the one hand, man is a body, in the same way that this may be said of every other animal organism. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/on-the-one-hand-man-is-a-body-in-the-same-way-that-this-may-be-said/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [“One of the traits of sophistication is the capacity to cross borders between different cultural relevancies. Humor is often, intentionally or not, the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/one-of-the-traits-of-sophistication-is-the-capacity-to-cross-borders/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [“All human activity is subject to habitualization. Any action that is repeated frequently becomes cast into a pattern, which can then be reproduced with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/all-human-activity-is-subject-to-habitualization-any-action-that-is/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [Language is capable of becoming the objective repository of vast accumulations of meaning and experience, which it can then preserve in time and transmit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/language-is-capable-of-becoming-the-objective-repository-of-vast/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [“Activity becomes process. Choices become destiny. Men then live in the world they themselves have made as if they were fated to do so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/activity-becomes-process-choices-become-destiny-men-then-live-in-the/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

> [“...his consuming interest remains in the world of men, their institutions, their history, their passions. And because he is interested in men, nothing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/his-consuming-interest-remains-in-the-world-of-men-their-institutions/)

[Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

[Explore all 80 Peter L. Berger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/)

## More Fundamentalism quotes

> [I am a woman, and as such, I experience the ever-increasing restrictions on our liberty in our country through the development of Islamic fundamentalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/i-am-a-woman-and-as-such-i-experience-the-ever-increasing/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [“Despite the fact that, the idea of religion has been filled by the human society with all sorts of garbage, and thus been made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/despite-the-fact-that-the-idea-of-religion-has-been-filled-by-the/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [Christianity isn't the only group that has fundamentalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/christianity-isn-t-the-only-group-that-has-fundamentalists/)

[Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/)

> [Islamic fundamentalism is attacking us at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/islamic-fundamentalism-is-attacking-us-at-home/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [We have to review our foreign policy and stop rolling out the red carpet for countries we know to be funding fundamentalism: countries like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-have-to-review-our-foreign-policy-and-stop-rolling-out-the-red/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-avnery/critics-of-the-war-plans-including-myself-have-pointed-to-the/)

[Uri Avnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uri-avnery/)

> [“When a person irrationally and quite pathologically sticks to the creeds of his scriptures too much, it can turn even a great human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/when-a-person-irrationally-and-quite-pathologically-sticks-to-the/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [Fundamentalists are panicked by the apparent disintegration of the family, the disappearance of certainty and the decay of morality. Fear leads them to ask,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/fundamentalists-are-panicked-by-the-apparent-disintegration-of-the/)

[Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/)

> [Fundamentalists believe that we don't believe in anything. In their view of the world, they are in possession of absolute certainties, while we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/fundamentalists-believe-that-we-don-t-believe-in-anything-in-their/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [In turbulent times, in times of great change, people head for the two extremes: fundamentalism and personal, spiritual experience...With no membership lists or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naisbitt/in-turbulent-times-in-times-of-great-change-people-head-for-the-two/)

[John Naisbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naisbitt/)

> [“Pilgrim's Regress (Sonnet 2324) Mirage mistaken as message, when ethnic cleansing feels enlightened, Sinai becomes septic, Bethlehem becomes Bedlam. Dogma decreed as divine, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/pilgrim-s-regress-sonnet-2324-mirage-mistaken-as-message-when-ethnic/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [I don't think that fundamentalism has anything to do with Jesus Christ. They call themselves Christians, but if that's Christian, count me out. Fundamentalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-don-t-think-that-fundamentalism-has-anything-to-do-with-jesus/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [But it is no good using the tongs of reason to pull the Fundamentalists' chestnuts out of the fire of contradiction. Their real troubles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-hardin/but-it-is-no-good-using-the-tongs-of-reason-to-pull-the/)

[Garrett Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-hardin/)

> [I think in times of fear and hysteria in a culture, gender experimentation as it pertains to men has to go underground because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/i-think-in-times-of-fear-and-hysteria-in-a-culture-gender/)

[RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/)

> [I have no religious belief myself, but I don't think we should fight about it. In particular, I think that we should not rubbish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/i-have-no-religious-belief-myself-but-i-don-t-think-we-should-fight/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

[Browse all 437 Fundamentalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other way around, which is not very helpful.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter L. Berger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-fundamentalism-to-another-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fundamentalism"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-fundamentalism-to-another-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/peter-l-berger-8474_fundamentalism_some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-f_2037103.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism…” — Peter L. Berger",
                "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": "Peter L. Berger",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Some people seem to gravitate from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-fundamentalism-to-another-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-fundamentalism-to-another-from/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
