Age Quote by T. S. Eliot
“But it seems that something has happened that has never happened before; though we know not just when, or why, or how, or where. Men have left God not for gods, they say, but for no gods; and this has never happened before. That men both deny gods and worship gods, professing first Reason, and the money, and power, and what they call life, or race, or dialect.The church disowned, the tower overthrown, the bells upturned, what have we to do but stand with empty hands and palms upturned in an age which advances progressively backwards?”
About This Quote
Source Poem: The Hollow Men, 1925
The poet observes a cultural shift where people reject traditional deities yet still create new idols of reason, wealth, and power, leading to spiritual emptiness and regression.
In simple terms: People abandon old gods but worship new false idols, leaving a void.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and fill the spiritual void with authentic values.
Themes
spirituality
culture
modernity
identity
regression
Mood
reflective
somber
critical
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- political discourse
- personal reflection
- community building
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
existentialism
secularism
iconoclasm
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance reason and spirituality?
- What authentic values can replace empty idols?
A Different Perspective
The critique may overlook positive aspects of rational progress.
![“the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. [He] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with each other, or with the noise of the typewriter, or the smell of cooking; in the mind of the poet these experiences are always forming new wholes” quote by T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/18e/t-s-eliot-633_art_the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic_93688.jpg)
