Culture Quote by Philip Johnson
“I like to be buttoned onto tradition. The thing is to improve it, twist it and mold it; to make something new of it; not to deny it. The riches of history can be plucked at any point.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Architectural Review, 1972
Innovation builds on tradition, reshaping existing ideas into something new rather than discarding the past.
In simple terms: Use history as a springboard for new designs.
Key Takeaway
Respect tradition, then transform it.
Themes
innovation
tradition
design
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
theoretical
practical
When to use this quote
- building projects
- product design
- urban planning
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
architecture
creativity
history
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance respect for tradition with bold innovation?
- When should you break from the past?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on tradition can stifle radical change.
![“Scientific naturalism is a story that reduces reality to physical particles and impersonal laws, [and] portrays life as a meaningless competition among organisms that exist only to survive and reproduce.” quote by Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bb6/philip-johnson-10392_biology_scientific-naturalism-is-a-story-that-re_284275.jpg)
