Conformity Quote by T. S. Eliot
“We do not quite say that the new is more valuable because it fits in; but its fitting in is a test of its value - a test, it is true, which can only be slowly and cautiously applied, for we are none of us infallible judges of conformity.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Sacred Wood, 1920
New ideas must prove worth beyond mere conformity; their value is judged slowly and cautiously because we lack perfect judgment.
In simple terms: Value of new ideas requires careful testing.
Key Takeaway
Test new ideas before accepting.
Themes
innovation
conformity
judgment
valuation
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- product development
- art criticism
- scientific research
- policy making
Key Concepts
philosophy
critical thinking
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess a new concept’s true value?
- What safeguards prevent premature acceptance?
A Different Perspective
Assumes we can ever fully separate novelty from bias.
![“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)
