--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ideology always paves the way toward…" description: "\"Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity.\" — Terence McKenna" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png" --- # Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity. ![“Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png) > “Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rigid belief systems can justify extreme actions, leading societies toward cruelty and oppression. **In simple terms:** Extreme beliefs can cause cruelty. Key Takeaway Question rigid beliefs. Themes politics ethics history Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - political movements - religious sects - social reforms Key Concepts totalitarianism radicalism Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs do you hold that could become harmful? - How can you keep ideas flexible? A Different Perspective Ideologies can also inspire positive change when reinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atrocities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities/) [Atrocity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocity/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Ideology Paves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology-paves-4134662/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind blowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-blowing/) [Paves Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paves-way-3454434/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Atrocity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-atrocity-4134661/) ## Related quotes > [A setback only paves the way for a comeback.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/a-setback-only-paves-the-way-for-a-comeback/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) > [There are always people willing to commit unspeakable human atrocity in exchange for a little power and privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/there-are-always-people-willing-to-commit-unspeakable-human-atrocity/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [The first atrocity, the first war crime committed in any war of aggression by the aggressors is against the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/the-first-atrocity-the-first-war-crime-committed-in-any-war-of/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [It is unthinkable in the twentieth century to fail to distinguish between what constitutes an abominable atrocity that must be prosecuted and what constitutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-unthinkable-in-the-twentieth-century-to-fail-to-distinguish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no such thing as an "atrocity" in warfare that is greater than the atrocity of warfare itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-atrocity-in-warfare-that-is-greater-than/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [Funboy: Pal, something is seriously wrong with you. The Crow: Atrocity has that effect on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-o-barr/funboy-pal-something-is-seriously-wrong-with-you-the-crow-atrocity/) [James O'Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-o-barr/) > [Abortion is an atrocity. Those who practice or praise it are either damn idiots, misguided fools, or treacherous devils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/abortion-is-an-atrocity-those-who-practice-or-praise-it-are-either/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [“We must let love simmer, without being consumed by contempt, otherwise atrocity will never end, only switch sides.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/we-must-let-love-simmer-without-being-consumed-by-contempt-otherwise/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [After all this atrocity, this is how human beings really pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/after-all-this-atrocity-this-is-how-human-beings-really-pray/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [It is in our nature to enjoy atrocity so long as it continues to shock and remains comfortably removed from our own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-marantz-cohen/it-is-in-our-nature-to-enjoy-atrocity-so-long-as-it-continues-to/) [Paula Marantz Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-marantz-cohen/) > [Atrocity never balances or rectifies the past. Atrocity merely arms the future for more atrocity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/atrocity-never-balances-or-rectifies-the-past-atrocity-merely-arms/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [The biggest atrocity of all is to indoctrinate our children into a system that does not value their creative expression, nor encourage their unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-greene/the-biggest-atrocity-of-all-is-to-indoctrinate-our-children-into-a/) [Benjamin Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-greene/) > [“I am the center of an atrocity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-am-the-center-of-an-atrocity/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“The character of Moses, as stated in the Bible, is the most horrid that can be imagined. If those accounts be true, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-character-of-moses-as-stated-in-the-bible-is-the-most-horrid-that/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves. The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/fanatics-can-justify-practically-any-atrocity-to-themselves-the-more/) [Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Atrocities quotes > [A furious Peeta hammers Haymitch with the atrocity he could become party to, but I can feel Haymitch watching me. This is the moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/a-furious-peeta-hammers-haymitch-with-the-atrocity-he-could-become/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“I do not know where Viktor and Rudolf were taken. I cannot find the records. I never Elisabeth or Iggie. It is possible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-de-waal/i-do-not-know-where-viktor-and-rudolf-were-taken-i-cannot-find-the/) [Edmund de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-de-waal/) > [I have become convinced, through my studies, that the only way to achieve a safe, just and viable world is to live by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/i-have-become-convinced-through-my-studies-that-the-only-way-to/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Yet only the atrocities of the conquered are referred to as criminal acts; those of the conqueror are justified as necessary, heroic, and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fergus/yet-only-the-atrocities-of-the-conquered-are-referred-to-as-criminal/) [Jim Fergus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fergus/) > [“I don't know how to stop the atrocities. I don't know how to make people care. But looking into my sister's eyes, we seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-shannon/i-don-t-know-how-to-stop-the-atrocities-i-don-t-know-how-to-make/) [Lisa Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-shannon/) > [War is horrible no matter what. There's going to be atrocities, there's going to be horrible things that happen in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hoffman/war-is-horrible-no-matter-what-there-s-going-to-be-atrocities-there-s/) [Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) > [Man is the only animal that deals in that atrocity of atrocities War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/man-is-the-only-animal-that-deals-in-that-atrocity-of-atrocities-war/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Well before September 11, it was understood that with modern technology, the rich and powerful will lose their near monopoly of the means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/well-before-september-11-it-was-understood-that-with-modern/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Every Christian who studies history can only grieve over the atrocities that have been committed in the name of God by people who refuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berit-kjos/every-christian-who-studies-history-can-only-grieve-over-the/) [Berit Kjos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berit-kjos/) > [Fanatics can justify practically any atrocity to themselves. The more untenable their position becomes, the harder they hold to it, and the worse the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/fanatics-can-justify-practically-any-atrocity-to-themselves-the-more/) [Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/) > [We must never forget the atrocities of slavery as we continue to work towards equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-n-green/we-must-never-forget-the-atrocities-of-slavery-as-we-continue-to-work/) [Al N. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-n-green/) > [“The terrified men did not move. Then Nadia Fedin did something instinctive; she drew her Nagant revolver and fired three short bursts into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kge-konkel/the-terrified-men-did-not-move-then-nadia-fedin-did-something/) [KGE Konkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kge-konkel/) > [Human beings can be redeemed. Empires cannot. Our refusal to face the truth about empire, our refusal to defy the multitudinous crimes and atrocities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/human-beings-can-be-redeemed-empires-cannot-our-refusal-to-face-the/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) [Browse all 335 Atrocities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atrocities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terence McKenna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atrocity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atrocities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atrocity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77e/terence-mckenna-287_atrocities_ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atr_2902501.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity.” — Terence McKenna", "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": "Terence McKenna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Ideology always paves the way toward...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atrocity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/ideology-always-paves-the-way-toward-atrocity/#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 } } ] } ```