--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our disenchantment of the night through…" description: "\"“Our disenchantment of the night through artificial lighting may appear, if it is noticed at all, as a regrettable but eventually trivial side effect o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/robert-macfarlane-11240_checks-and-balances_our-disenchantment-of-the-night-through_1646713.jpg" --- # Our disenchantment of the night through artificial… ![“Our disenchantment of the night through artificial lighting may appear, if it is noticed at all, as a regrettable but eventually trivial side effect of contemporary life. That winter hour, though, up on the summit ridge with the stars falling plainly far above, it seemed to me that our…” quote by Robert Macfarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/robert-macfarlane-11240_checks-and-balances_our-disenchantment-of-the-night-through_1646713.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/robert-macfarlane-11240_checks-and-balances_our-disenchantment-of-the-night-through_1646713.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/robert-macfarlane-11240_checks-and-balances_our-disenchantment-of-the-night-through_1646713.jpg) > ““Our disenchantment of the night through artificial lighting may appear, if it is noticed at all, as a regrettable but eventually trivial side effect of contemporary life. That winter hour, though, up on the summit ridge with the stars falling plainly far above, it seemed to me that our estrangement from the dark was a great and serious loss. We are, as a species, finding it increasingly hard to imagine that we are part of something which is larger than our own capacity. We have come to accept a heresy of aloofness, a humanist belief in human difference, and we suppress wherever possible the checks and balances on us - the reminders that the world is greater than us or that we are contained within it.”” [Robert Macfarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-macfarlane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern artificial lighting distances us from night, causing a loss of awe and humility toward the cosmos. **In simple terms:** Artificial lights hide the night, reducing our sense of wonder. Key Takeaway Seek moments of darkness to reconnect with the larger universe. Themes nature technology humility existence Mood reflective melancholic Type essayistic philosophical When to use this quote - camping under stars - urban planning - mindfulness practices Key Concepts environmental philosophy cosmic perspective anthropocentrism Questions to Reflect On - What would you miss if night were always bright? - How can we balance safety with starlight appreciation? A Different Perspective It may romanticize darkness without addressing practical needs for safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aloofness Humanist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aloofness-humanist-614615/) [Artificial Lighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artificial-lighting-614618/) [Checks and balances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checks-and-balances/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Estrangement Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/estrangement-dark-614617/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Night Artificial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night-artificial-614616/) [Temporary Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temporary-life/) ## Related quotes > [Artificial lighting, air-conditioning, and automobiles, all powered by fossil fuels, swaddle us in our giddy modernity. 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