--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If someone who had given up his whole…" description: "\"“If someone who had given up his whole life to thinking about goodness and rightness and truth and still expected nuns to cook him his fish fingers (be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/scarlett-thomas-8232_good-enough_if-someone-who-had-given-up-his-whole-li_1776566.jpg" --- # If someone who had given up his whole life to thinking… ![“If someone who had given up his whole life to thinking about goodness and rightness and truth and still expected nuns to cook him his fish fingers (because after all, nuns haven't got anything else better to do, and none of them are ever going to be priests or become the Pope, because women aren't…” quote by Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/scarlett-thomas-8232_good-enough_if-someone-who-had-given-up-his-whole-li_1776566.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/scarlett-thomas-8232_good-enough_if-someone-who-had-given-up-his-whole-li_1776566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/scarlett-thomas-8232_good-enough_if-someone-who-had-given-up-his-whole-li_1776566.jpg) > ““If someone who had given up his whole life to thinking about goodness and rightness and truth and still expected nuns to cook him his fish fingers (because after all, nuns haven't got anything else better to do, and none of them are ever going to be priests or become the Pope, because women aren't good enough for that), then something was very wrong. How could he have missed the bit about everyone being equal in the eyes of God?”” [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expecting others to fulfill personal needs ignores equality before God; true fairness requires recognizing everyone’s equal worth, not relying on stereotypes. **In simple terms:** Everyone is equal before God; don’t expect special treatment. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions of unequal roles. Themes equality justice spirituality stereotypes personal responsibility Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical social When to use this quote - Workplace policies - community service - personal reflection - education curricula Key Concepts theology social critique gender roles Questions to Reflect On - How can we practice true equality? - What biases affect our expectations? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated beliefs is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expected Nuns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected-nuns-1825497/) [Fingers Nuns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers-nuns-1825500/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Goodness Rightness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness-rightness-1825498/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nuns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuns/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Thinking Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-goodness-1825499/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [Our goodness comes solely from thinking on goodness; our wickedness from thinking on wickedness. We too are the victims of our own contemplation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay-chapman/our-goodness-comes-solely-from-thinking-on-goodness-our-wickedness/) [John Jay Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay-chapman/) > [“one of the kinder nuns had lauded Carol for how original she was in her sinfulness, as if God had yet to announce the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-j-sullivan/one-of-the-kinder-nuns-had-lauded-carol-for-how-original-she-was-in/) [Matthew J. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-j-sullivan/) > [“I’m never going to run out of steam, am I? I’ll be the Energizer bunny of militant nuns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-m-never-going-to-run-out-of-steam-am-i-i-ll-be-the-energizer-bunny/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“He was an indecent man, I told myself - prayerfully - and then I prayed for him to become decent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/he-was-an-indecent-man-i-told-myself-prayerfully-and-then-i-prayed/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [The picture of Mother Teresa that I remember from my childhood is of a short, sari-wearing woman scurrying down a red gravel path between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bharati-mukherjee/the-picture-of-mother-teresa-that-i-remember-from-my-childhood-is-of/) [Bharati Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bharati-mukherjee/) > [It’s funny to hear priests and nuns argue with each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendelin-van-draanen/it-s-funny-to-hear-priests-and-nuns-argue-with-each-other/) [Wendelin Van Draanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendelin-van-draanen/) > [It's a funny thing about being raised Catholic and then going to Catholic schools with nuns - the cliche about the mean nun was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-dowd/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-being-raised-catholic-and-then-going-to/) [Ann Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-dowd/) > [“She was tall and dark-skinned and looked like a Nigerian sculpture. She moved like a lioness, her every step bristling with suppressed violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-greer/she-was-tall-and-dark-skinned-and-looked-like-a-nigerian-sculpture/) [Bonnie Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-greer/) > [“It is hardly lonely in a nunnery, son, with other women. And God is there." Morgause said, "I would rather dwell in a hermitage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-zimmer-bradley/it-is-hardly-lonely-in-a-nunnery-son-with-other-women-and-god-is/) [Marion Zimmer Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-zimmer-bradley/) > [I went to Catholic school and experienced racism firsthand from nuns and priests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/i-went-to-catholic-school-and-experienced-racism-firsthand-from-nuns/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [“Girls need to know they can break the rules. If the nuns had told me that, I could have saved twenty years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/girls-need-to-know-they-can-break-the-rules-if-the-nuns-had-told-me/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If it were true that children mimicked their teachers, you'd sure have a helluva lot more nuns running around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/if-it-were-true-that-children-mimicked-their-teachers-you-d-sure-have/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [I admire certain priests and nuns who go off on their own and do God's work on their own, who help in the ghettos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-admire-certain-priests-and-nuns-who-go-off-on-their-own-and-do-god/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Ha! Easy for nuns to talk about giving up things. That's what they do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/ha-easy-for-nuns-to-talk-about-giving-up-things-that-s-what-they-do/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) ## More by Scarlett Thomas > [“Someone who has the delusion Glass, is made of, does not literally believe herself to be made of glass but rather feels fragile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/someone-who-has-the-delusion-glass-is-made-of-does-not-literally/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Child, all books are magic. Just think,' he said, 'about what books make people do. People go to war on the basis of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/child-all-books-are-magic-just-think-he-said-about-what-books-make/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Living for ever would be like marrying yourself, with no possibility of a divorce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/living-for-ever-would-be-like-marrying-yourself-with-no-possibility/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [But I quite like the way you can talk about science without necessarily using mathematics, but using metaphors instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/but-i-quite-like-the-way-you-can-talk-about-science-without/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“My mind now has a celebration party and a funeral going on in the same room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/my-mind-now-has-a-celebration-party-and-a-funeral-going-on-in-the/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [You can't do science in a novel, but you can do philosophy. Or, if you're really lucky, you can manage to pose a question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/you-can-t-do-science-in-a-novel-but-you-can-do-philosophy-or-if-you/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Even if you did drop into someone's consciousness, you'd have all their memories and desires and hang-ups right there in front of you. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/even-if-you-did-drop-into-someone-s-consciousness-you-d-have-all/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [I erased the thought from my mind, but I couldn't undo the fact that I'd had the thought in the first place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-erased-the-thought-from-my-mind-but-i-couldn-t-undo-the-fact-that-i/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“They really do have nothing in common on paper, these people and him. But yet there are so many common reference points; even some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/they-really-do-have-nothing-in-common-on-paper-these-people-and-him/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Aquinas wondered what would happen if God wanted to achieve universal resurrection. In other words, bringing everybody who had ever lived back to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/aquinas-wondered-what-would-happen-if-god-wanted-to-achieve-universal/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“There's something romantic about it, of course, in the way only other people's lives can be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/there-s-something-romantic-about-it-of-course-in-the-way-only-other/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [Routine kills creative thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/routine-kills-creative-thought/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [You tell them what a happy ending consists of, which is always individual success. You tell them that nothing irrational exists in this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/you-tell-them-what-a-happy-ending-consists-of-which-is-always/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [I hate stereotypes and I hate cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/i-hate-stereotypes-and-i-hate-cliche/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [“Not all events are stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/not-all-events-are-stories/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) [Explore all 81 Scarlett Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) ## More Good enough quotes > [“Ain’t got no shit to fuckin worry on, dig. Ladybird good enough to handle any all comes she fuckin way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/ain-t-got-no-shit-to-fuckin-worry-on-dig-ladybird-good-enough-to/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [Don't listen to people who say trying your best is good enough, It's not. First is first! Second is last!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-ryan-of-hereford/don-t-listen-to-people-who-say-trying-your-best-is-good-enough-it-s/) [Sir Ryan Of Hereford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-ryan-of-hereford/) > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [~You told me that you have feelings me then next thing you know you ignore me then I see you flirting with other girls……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/you-told-me-that-you-have-feelings-me-then-next-thing-you-know-you/) [Angel\_eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-eyes/) > [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [The first thing you put on in the morning is your lingerie, and you have to look at yourself and tell yourself that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/the-first-thing-you-put-on-in-the-morning-is-your-lingerie-and-you/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I may never be good enough for everybody. But I'll always be the best for someone who's contented to have me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-never-be-good-enough-for-everybody-but-i-ll-always-be-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [“Why do people kill themselves? I think they do it when they can no longer find a reason to keep going. When nothing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beth-miller/why-do-people-kill-themselves-i-think-they-do-it-when-they-can-no/) [Mary Beth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beth-miller/) > [I wasn't good enough. I had a little talent but not enough. There is nothing more discouraging than having just a little talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/i-wasn-t-good-enough-i-had-a-little-talent-but-not-enough-there-is/) [Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/) > [You can look at everything from pre-Heisman to post-Heisman, and I think that's why it ranks up at the top, because before then, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-sanders/you-can-look-at-everything-from-pre-heisman-to-post-heisman-and-i/) [Barry Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-sanders/) > [I was so unsuccessful for so long. I was used to the word no. I was used to you're not good enough or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamar-braxton/i-was-so-unsuccessful-for-so-long-i-was-used-to-the-word-no-i-was/) [Tamar Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamar-braxton/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) [Browse all 2,935 Good enough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If someone who had given up his whole life to thinking about goodness and rightness and truth and still expected nuns to cook him his fish fingers (because after all, nuns haven't got anything else better to do, and none of them are ever going to be priests or become the Pope, because women aren't good enough for that), then something was very wrong. 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