--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our culture has few taboos that can't be…" description: "\"Our culture has few taboos that can't be violated, and our establishment has largely given up on setting standards in the first place. Except where Isl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/ross-douthat-2949_accepted_our-culture-has-few-taboos-that-can-t-be_460600.png" --- # Our culture has few taboos that can't be violated, and our… ![“Our culture has few taboos that can't be violated, and our establishment has largely given up on setting standards in the first place. Except where Islam is concerned. There, the standards are established under threat of violence, and accepted out of a mix of self-preservation and self-loathing…” quote by Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/ross-douthat-2949_accepted_our-culture-has-few-taboos-that-can-t-be_460600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/ross-douthat-2949_accepted_our-culture-has-few-taboos-that-can-t-be_460600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/ross-douthat-2949_accepted_our-culture-has-few-taboos-that-can-t-be_460600.png) > “Our culture has few taboos that can't be violated, and our establishment has largely given up on setting standards in the first place. Except where Islam is concerned. There, the standards are established under threat of violence, and accepted out of a mix of self-preservation and self-loathing. This is what decadence looks like: a frantic coarseness that "bravely" trashes its own values and traditions, and then knuckles under swiftly to totalitarianism and brute force.” [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) ## 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 argues that modern culture tolerates many taboos, but when it comes to Islam, standards are enforced through fear, leading to a decay of values and a slide toward authoritarianism. **In simple terms:** Cultural standards are weak, especially regarding Islam, causing moral decay and authoritarian drift. Key Takeaway Recognize and address the fear‑based enforcement of standards. Themes culture religion authoritarianism decadence Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy debate - community dialogue - educational reform Key Concepts social contract identity politics extremism Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can protect values without resorting to fear? - How can societies balance tolerance and security? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizing about Islam can obscure diverse experiences and fuel prejudice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brute force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brute-force/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Decadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decadence/) [Establishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/establishment/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Frantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frantic/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Preservation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preservation/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self loathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-loathing/) [Self preservation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-preservation/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taboo/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Totalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarianism/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [Letting your customers set your standards is a dangerous game, because the race to the bottom is pretty easy to win. 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