--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There should be asylums for habitual…" description: "\"There should be asylums for habitual teetotalers, but they would probably relapse into teetotalism as soon as they got out.\" — Samuel Butler" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg" --- # There should be asylums for habitual teetotalers, but they… ![“There should be asylums for habitual teetotalers, but they would probably relapse into teetotalism as soon as they got out.” quote by Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg) > “There should be asylums for habitual teetotalers, but they would probably relapse into teetotalism as soon as they got out.” [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Habitual abstainers might need a place to stay, yet they could quickly revert to their old habits once freed. **In simple terms:** Abstainers may relapse without proper support. Key Takeaway Provide ongoing support to sustain lifestyle changes. Themes addiction habit formation social support Mood reflective cautious Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - rehab programs - support groups - aftercare planning - peer mentorship Key Concepts behavioral change psychology community resources Questions to Reflect On - What structures help maintain long‑term abstinence? - How does community influence habit persistence? A Different Perspective Support alone may not prevent relapse without personal commitment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) [Asylums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asylums/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Teetotalers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teetotalers/) ## Related quotes > [“I know wot it is,’ said Mrs. Kemp, shaking her head; ‘the fact is, you ain’t used ter drinkin’, an’ of course it’s upset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-somerset-maugham/i-know-wot-it-is-said-mrs-kemp-shaking-her-head-the-fact-is-you-ain-t/) [William Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-somerset-maugham/) > [A teetotaler would regard it as his duty to associate with his drunkard brother for the purpose of weaning him from the evil habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-teetotaler-would-regard-it-as-his-duty-to-associate-with-his/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [My parents were teetotalers and my grandparents were - it's all the way back. It's New English puritanical tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-parents-were-teetotalers-and-my-grandparents-were-it-s-all-the-way/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I was horribly bookish, to the point of coming right out and saying it, which I knew was not socially acceptable. I particularly loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-was-horribly-bookish-to-the-point-of-coming-right-out-and-saying-it/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [He didn't call his father and mother 'Father' and 'Mother' but Harold and Alberta. They were very up to date and advanced people. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/he-didn-t-call-his-father-and-mother-father-and-mother-but-harold-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I particularly loved the adjective bookish, which I found other people used about as often as ramrod or chum or teetotaler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/i-particularly-loved-the-adjective-bookish-which-i-found-other-people/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [“But then Benny came to the rescue and said that teetotalers in general—according to Allan—were a threat to world peace, but that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/but-then-benny-came-to-the-rescue-and-said-that-teetotalers-in/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [I drink exactly as much as I want, and one drink more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/i-drink-exactly-as-much-as-i-want-and-one-drink-more/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [All the great villainies of history, from the murder of Abel onward, have been perpetrated by sober men, chiefly by Teetotalers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/all-the-great-villainies-of-history-from-the-murder-of-abel-onward/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The typical socialist... a prim little man with a white-collar job, usually a secret teetotaler and often with vegetarian leanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-typical-socialist-a-prim-little-man-with-a-white-collar-job/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [TEETOTALER, n. One who abstains from strong drink, sometimes totally, sometimes tolerably totally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/teetotaler-n-one-who-abstains-from-strong-drink-sometimes-totally/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [The copy of an ad is merely a punning gag to distract the critical faculties while the image of the product goes to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/the-copy-of-an-ad-is-merely-a-punning-gag-to-distract-the-critical/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [I worked nightclubs all through my 20s, and I was a teetotaler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-van-dyke/i-worked-nightclubs-all-through-my-20s-and-i-was-a-teetotaler/) [Dick Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-van-dyke/) > [I'm only a beer teetotaler, not a champagne teetotaler; I don't like beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-m-only-a-beer-teetotaler-not-a-champagne-teetotaler-i-don-t-like/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A modern vegetarian is also a teetotaler, yet there is no obvious connection between consuming vegetables and not consuming fermented vegetables. A drunkard, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-modern-vegetarian-is-also-a-teetotaler-yet-there-is-no-obvious/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Samuel Butler > [Is life worth living? This is a question for an embryo not for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/is-life-worth-living-this-is-a-question-for-an-embryo-not-for-a-man/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [I am the enfant terrible of literature and science. If I cannot, and I know I cannot, get the literary and scientific bigwigs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/i-am-the-enfant-terrible-of-literature-and-science-if-i-cannot-and-i/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If you follow reason far enough it always leads to conclusions that are contrary to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-you-follow-reason-far-enough-it-always-leads-to-conclusions-that/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/all-animals-except-man-know-that-the-principal-business-of-life-is-to/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-advantage-of-doing-one-s-praising-for-oneself-is-that-one-can-lay/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Spare the rod and spoil the child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Opinions have vested interests just as men have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/opinions-have-vested-interests-just-as-men-have/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“we must judge men not so much by what they, as by what they make us feel that they have it in them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/we-must-judge-men-not-so-much-by-what-they-as-by-what-they-make-us/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [If I die prematurely I shall be saved from being bored to death at my own success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/if-i-die-prematurely-i-shall-be-saved-from-being-bored-to-death-at-my/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism. Whether it is or is not more efficacious I do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/vaccination-is-the-medical-sacrament-corresponding-to-baptism-whether/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“Having, then, once introduced an element of inconsistency into his system, he was far too consistent not to be inconsistent consistently, and he lapsed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/having-then-once-introduced-an-element-of-inconsistency-into-his/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [Brigands demand your money or your life; women require both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/brigands-demand-your-money-or-your-life-women-require-both/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [A man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/a-man-who-lets-himself-be-bored-is-even-more-contemptible-than-the/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [It is not sufficiently considered in the hour of exultation, that all human excellence is comparative; that no man performs much but in proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/it-is-not-sufficiently-considered-in-the-hour-of-exultation-that-all/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“The oldest books are still only just out to those who have not read them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-oldest-books-are-still-only-just-out-to-those-who-have-not-read/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) [Explore all 355 Samuel Butler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) ## More Alcoholism quotes > [And, when night Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons Of Belial, flown with insolence and wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-when-night-darkens-the-streets-then-wander-forth-the-sons-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [If you decide on having an alcoholic at your party, make sure it's a large gathering. This way, until the alcoholic begins removing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/if-you-decide-on-having-an-alcoholic-at-your-party-make-sure-it-s-a/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [There are plenty of alcoholics who can be magnificent when drunk: it does not make them any less alcoholic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-bengis/there-are-plenty-of-alcoholics-who-can-be-magnificent-when-drunk-it/) [Ingrid Bengis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-bengis/) > [“If you threw Elvis and a scarecrow in a blender, topped the whole thing off with Seagram's 7 and pressed dice, you would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-portes/if-you-threw-elvis-and-a-scarecrow-in-a-blender-topped-the-whole/) [Andrea Portes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-portes/) > [The fun, joy, and humor dry up in a relationship when one of the partners is swimming in gin. To my way of thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-rogers/the-fun-joy-and-humor-dry-up-in-a-relationship-when-one-of-the/) [Ginger Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-rogers/) > [“Bourbon, Kentucky bourbon especially, is like Dante’s Inferno in a glass, fire walks down your throat, lungs, and heart and everything in between with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-crown/bourbon-kentucky-bourbon-especially-is-like-dante-s-inferno-in-a/) [Bruce Crown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-crown/) > [“There are various reasons why an individual might habitually consume large quantities of alcohol, but they all effectively boil down to the same thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-are-various-reasons-why-an-individual-might-habitually-consume/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [He who has once taken to drink can seldom be said to be guilty of one sin only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/he-who-has-once-taken-to-drink-can-seldom-be-said-to-be-guilty-of-one/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [I was drunk: Christian and drunk. They just don't go together. But that's what happened. And the next day, obviously God had honored those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hamilton/i-was-drunk-christian-and-drunk-they-just-don-t-go-together-but-that/) [Jim Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hamilton/) > [When a woman drinks it's as if an animal were drinking, or a child. Alcoholism is scandalous in a woman, and a female alcoholic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/when-a-woman-drinks-it-s-as-if-an-animal-were-drinking-or-a-child/) [Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [The worst thing you can do for your loved one caught in alcoholism or addiction is to help the person continue in the deception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-t-anderson/the-worst-thing-you-can-do-for-your-loved-one-caught-in-alcoholism-or/) [Neil T Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-t-anderson/) > [“Not much more than a broke disgrace who's hooked on tonics, so excuse him if his poker face has puke on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-lecture/not-much-more-than-a-broke-disgrace-who-s-hooked-on-tonics-so-excuse/) Hannibal Lecture [Browse all 388 Alcoholism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There should be asylums for habitual teetotalers, but they would probably relapse into teetotalism as soon as they got out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Butler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-teetotalers-but-they-would/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alcoholism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-teetotalers-but-they-would/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/009/samuel-butler-823_alcoholism_there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-tee_681220.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There should be asylums for habitual teetotalers, but they would probably relapse into teetotalism as soon…” — Samuel Butler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Samuel Butler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There should be asylums for habitual...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-teetotalers-but-they-would/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/there-should-be-asylums-for-habitual-teetotalers-but-they-would/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```