--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Study history, Alleluia. In this century…" description: "\"“Study history, Alleluia. In this century history stopped paying attention to the old psychological orientation of reality. I mean, these days, charact..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/888/salman-rushdie-153_chance_study-history-alleluia-in-this-century-h_722953.jpg" --- # Study history, Alleluia. In this century history stopped… ![“Study history, Alleluia. In this century history stopped paying attention to the old psychological orientation of reality. I mean, these days, character isn't destiny any more. Economics is destiny. Ideology is destiny. Bombs are destiny. What does a famine, a gas chamber, a grenade care how you…” quote by Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/888/salman-rushdie-153_chance_study-history-alleluia-in-this-century-h_722953.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/888/salman-rushdie-153_chance_study-history-alleluia-in-this-century-h_722953.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/888/salman-rushdie-153_chance_study-history-alleluia-in-this-century-h_722953.jpg) > ““Study history, Alleluia. In this century history stopped paying attention to the old psychological orientation of reality. I mean, these days, character isn't destiny any more. Economics is destiny. Ideology is destiny. Bombs are destiny. What does a famine, a gas chamber, a grenade care how you lived your life? Crisis comes, death comes, and your pathetic individual self doesn't have a thing to do with it, only to suffer the effects. This Gibreel of yours: maybe he's how history happens to you.”” [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that modern forces—economics, ideology, war—override personal destiny, making individual lives insignificant in the face of historic crises. **In simple terms:** Big forces dominate personal fate. Key Takeaway Recognize systemic influences over personal narratives. Themes history determinism individualism power war Mood reflective critical somber Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political analysis - personal reflection - academic discourse Key Concepts Economic determinism ideological determinism historical materialism Questions to Reflect On - How do individuals navigate meaning amid overwhelming systemic forces? - Can personal choices still impact larger historical currents? A Different Perspective It may overlook personal agency and resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Life crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-crisis/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) ## Related quotes > [“In this century history stopped paying attention to the old psychological orientation of reality. I mean, these days, character isn't destiny any more. Economy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/in-this-century-history-stopped-paying-attention-to-the-old/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [One of the things I know from the study of history is that history surprises you. History is not written. It's not inevitable.The victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/one-of-the-things-i-know-from-the-study-of-history-is-that-history/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“...you have to keep things in perspective, even when you are in the middle if a personal crisis. Fear breeds fear and worry builds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/you-have-to-keep-things-in-perspective-even-when-you-are-in-the/) [Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/) > [Mainly, the more faddish and newer stages of life are really just marketing schemes. Tweenhood. The young old. The quarter-life crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-lepore/mainly-the-more-faddish-and-newer-stages-of-life-are-really-just/) [Jill Lepore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-lepore/) > [It's the typical mid-life crisis kind of thing, where you just stop and wonder, 'Should I go back to university and get a law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/it-s-the-typical-mid-life-crisis-kind-of-thing-where-you-just-stop/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [The only time you lose at something is when you don't learn from that experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/the-only-time-you-lose-at-something-is-when-you-don-t-learn-from-that/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [It was mid-life crisis time and you can't have more of a mid-life crisis than going off on a motorbike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-myers/it-was-mid-life-crisis-time-and-you-can-t-have-more-of-a-mid-life/) [Dave Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-myers/) > [At any decade in your life, our results suggest that there is a 40 to 50 percent chance of having a life crisis. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-robinson/at-any-decade-in-your-life-our-results-suggest-that-there-is-a-40-to/) [Oliver Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-robinson/) > [In times of life crisis, whether wild fires or smoldering stress, the first thing I do is go back to basics... am I eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/in-times-of-life-crisis-whether-wild-fires-or-smoldering-stress-the/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [You can't have a mid-life crisis in the airline industry because every day is a crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kelleher/you-can-t-have-a-mid-life-crisis-in-the-airline-industry-because/) [Herb Kelleher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kelleher/) > [While it may come as a profound surprise to those of us who are in the throes of an emotional or life crisis, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/while-it-may-come-as-a-profound-surprise-to-those-of-us-who-are-in/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [Through dance, people meet demons, ward off death, shake off sin and evil, come to terms with life crises, mediate paradoxes, resolve conflict, revitalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lynne-hanna/through-dance-people-meet-demons-ward-off-death-shake-off-sin-and/) [Judith Lynne Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lynne-hanna/) > [I don't think the job of the antiracist is to convert the far-out heathen racist, or give them their 'come to Jesus' moment, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/i-don-t-think-the-job-of-the-antiracist-is-to-convert-the-far-out/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [“During life's crisis...try to worry less and smile more. Keep your head up because It will get better...it always does!✌”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/during-life-s-crisis-try-to-worry-less-and-smile-more-keep-your-head/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [What's success anyway? Is success about making the most money? No, money for the most part turns people into jerks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/what-s-success-anyway-is-success-about-making-the-most-money-no-money/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) ## More by Salman Rushdie > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [It's a terrible thing that your life turns into a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-a-terrible-thing-that-your-life-turns-into-a-good-story/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I want to write novels. I want to write stories. I want to do the stuff that I became a writer to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-want-to-write-novels-i-want-to-write-stories-i-want-to-do-the-stuff/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. 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My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“...proving once again that there was no escape from recurrence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/proving-once-again-that-there-was-no-escape-from-recurrence/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“information, in a stream-of-consciousness soliloquy that revealed the extent to which he had internalised the adversarial fragmentation of American culture and made it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/information-in-a-stream-of-consciousness-soliloquy-that-revealed-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [A little bit of one story joins onto an idea from another, and hey presto, . . . not old tales but new ones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/a-little-bit-of-one-story-joins-onto-an-idea-from-another-and-hey/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I'm a novelist. 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Tullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-a-tullman/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) [Browse all 12,460 Chance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Study history, Alleluia. In this century history stopped paying attention to the old psychological orientation of reality. I mean, these days, character isn't destiny any more. Economics is destiny. Ideology is destiny. Bombs are destiny. What does a famine, a gas chamber, a grenade care how you lived your life? Crisis comes, death comes, and your pathetic individual self doesn't have a thing to do with it, only to suffer the effects. 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