--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We grow up as natural optimists as…" description: "\"We grow up as natural optimists as Americans. Catholic priests were so hopeful as we watched the Vatican II experience. Yet, it's a punch in the belly ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/richard-rohr-618_belly_we-grow-up-as-natural-optimists-as-ameri_843518.png" --- # We grow up as natural optimists as Americans. Catholic… ![“We grow up as natural optimists as Americans. Catholic priests were so hopeful as we watched the Vatican II experience. Yet, it's a punch in the belly to see what has happened in the church and the world. Dualistic thinking seems to have taken over the church and our politics to a really neurotic…” quote by Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/richard-rohr-618_belly_we-grow-up-as-natural-optimists-as-ameri_843518.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/richard-rohr-618_belly_we-grow-up-as-natural-optimists-as-ameri_843518.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fc/richard-rohr-618_belly_we-grow-up-as-natural-optimists-as-ameri_843518.png) > “We grow up as natural optimists as Americans. Catholic priests were so hopeful as we watched the Vatican II experience. Yet, it's a punch in the belly to see what has happened in the church and the world. Dualistic thinking seems to have taken over the church and our politics to a really neurotic degree.” [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author laments the loss of hopeful optimism in American culture and the Church, noting a shift to rigid dualistic thinking that fuels anxiety. **In simple terms:** Hopeful optimism has been replaced by rigid dualism. Key Takeaway Cultivate nuanced thinking over binary views. Themes culture religion psychology politics optimism Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political debate - religious discussions - personal belief evaluation Key Concepts dualism neuroticism hope Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify moments where dualistic thinking limits you? - How might embracing uncertainty improve wellbeing? A Different Perspective Dualism can oversimplify complex realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Hopeful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopeful/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurotic/) [Optimist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimist/) [Optimists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimists/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vatican ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vatican-ii/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that this Republic will endure for many centuries. If so there will doubtless be among its Presidents Protestants and Catholics, and very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-believe-that-this-republic-will-endure-for-many-centuries-if-so/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Religion has in fact outdone culture in dualistic thinking - we've become as violent, as hateful toward our enemies, damning them to hell and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/religion-has-in-fact-outdone-culture-in-dualistic-thinking-we-ve/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [Everything has to be understood in opposition to something else. 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Then we begin to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haridas-chaudhuri/the-kind-of-operation-that-is-necessary-to-help-us-out-of-our/) Haridas Chaudhuri > [Because the Western civilization is dominated by dualistic thinking, holistic scientists and philosophers don't get the recognition they deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kumar/because-the-western-civilization-is-dominated-by-dualistic-thinking/) [Satish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kumar/) > [“The teaching of the sexual tantras all come down to one point. 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Ferrara > [My memories of Vatican II center on white parishioners turning away from me when I went to shake their hands at Mass during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/my-memories-of-vatican-ii-center-on-white-parishioners-turning-away/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfullfilled potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-xxiii/think-not-about-your-frustrations-but-about-your-unfullfilled/) [Pope John XXIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-xxiii/) > [For Catholics before Vatican II, the land of the free was pre-eminently the land of Sister Says-except, of course, for Sister, for whom it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/for-catholics-before-vatican-ii-the-land-of-the-free-was-pre/) [Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/) > [It was before Vatican II and the liberalization of church doctrine. 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You can make a naïve assertion that you trust in Jesus, but until it is tested a good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-real-spiritual-journey-is-work-you-can-make-a-na-ve-assertion/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“The soul needs meaning as much as the body needs food.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-soul-needs-meaning-as-much-as-the-body-needs-food/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) [Explore all 443 Richard Rohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) ## More Belly quotes > [I'm bigger than you! 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