Old ways Quote by Terry Pratchett
““Vimes, listening with his mouth open, wondered why the hell it was that dwarfs believed that they had no religion and no priests. Being a dwarf was a religion. People went into the dark for the good of the clan, and heard things, and were changed, and came back to tell… And then, fifty years ago, a dwarf tinkering in Ankh-Morpork had found that if you put a simple fine mesh over your lantern flame it'd burn blue in the presence of the gas but wouldn't explode. It was a discovery of immense value to the good of dwarfkind and, as so often happens with such discoveries, almost immediately led to a war. "And afterwards there were two kinds of dwarf," said Cheery sadly. "There's the Copperheads, who all use the lamp and the patent gas exploder, and the Schmaltzbergers, who stick to the old ways. Of course we're all dwarfs," she said, "but relations are strained.””
About This Quote
Source Discworld Novel: Men at Arms, 1993
Dwarfs view labor and discovery as religious, leading to division and conflict.
In simple terms: Dwarfs treat work as faith, causing splits.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how belief systems shape conflict.
Themes
belief
technology
conflict
tradition
innovation
Mood
cautionary
thought‑provoking
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- workplace change
- technological adoption
- cultural integration
- policy debates
Key Concepts
sociology
anthropology
science
religion
Questions to Reflect On
- How do beliefs influence acceptance of innovation?
- Can tradition coexist with progress?
A Different Perspective
New tech can deepen divisions if cultural values clash.
![“One of us will just have to stay at the cottage to keep an eye on her.' [...] Let's see if Widow Hazel wouldn't take her in during the day, maybe teach her something useful -' No, remember when she learned how to knit? Now we're stuck wearing these dreadful hats.' Not so loud! She'll hear you.' In…” quote by Janette Rallison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dda/janette-rallison-7705_fairy-tale_one-of-us-will-just-have-to-stay-at-the_1711583.jpg)
![“. . . Luddites were those frenzied traditionalists of the early 19th century who toured [England] wrecking new weaving machines on the theory that if they were destroyed . . . old jobs and old ways of life could be preserved . . . At certain times in his life each man is tempted to become a…” quote by James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/182/james-a-michener-1627_19th-century_luddites-were-those-frenzied-traditional_76909.jpg)
