---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are things within the culture that…"
description: "\"There are things within the culture that absolutely enrage me, and for me it is sacred rage. But it's not just peculiar to Mormonism - it's any patriar..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg"
---

#  There are things within the culture that absolutely enrage…

![“There are things within the culture that absolutely enrage me, and for me it is sacred rage. But it's not just peculiar to Mormonism - it's any patriarchy that I think stops, thwarts, or denies our creativity.” quote by Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg)

> “There are things within the culture that absolutely enrage me, and for me it is sacred rage. But it's not just peculiar to Mormonism - it's any patriarchy that I think stops, thwarts, or denies our creativity.”

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sacred anger arises when patriarchy suppresses creativity, demanding resistance.

**In simple terms:** Rage against oppression fuels creative freedom.

Key Takeaway

Channel anger into constructive activism.

Themes

feminism creativity rage

Mood

determined passionate

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- activism
- artistic expression
- education reform

Key Concepts

patriarchy social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- What creative impulses emerge when you feel restricted?
- How can sacred rage be transformed into positive change?

A Different Perspective

Rage can alienate allies if not directed wisely.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny/) [Enrage Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enrage-sacred-5805122/) [Mormonism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormonism/) [Mormonism Patriarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormonism-patriarchy-5805120/) [Patriarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchy/) [Peculiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peculiar/) [Peculiar Mormonism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peculiar-mormonism-5805121/) [Rage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rage/) [Sacred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred/) [Sacred Rage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred-rage-5296861/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [The act of civil disobedience is the act of taking our anger and turning it into sacred rage. It is a personal and collective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/the-act-of-civil-disobedience-is-the-act-of-taking-our-anger-and/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [At the heart of Mormonism is a high regard for community. That is its strength. I have great respect for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/at-the-heart-of-mormonism-is-a-high-regard-for-community-that-is-its/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [ “It was not until the spring of 1859 \[two years later\] that the children \[the survivors of the murdered emigrant train\] were officially turned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/it-was-not-until-the-spring-of-1859-two-years-later-that-the-children/)

[Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/)

> [Mormonism truly was a part of my every decision since the day I was born. It taught me to serve others and to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/mormonism-truly-was-a-part-of-my-every-decision-since-the-day-i-was/)

[Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/)

> [“We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith/we-should-gather-all-the-good-and-true-principles-in-the-world-and/)

[Joseph Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith/)

> [ “...Both Elizabeth \[Smart\] and Ruby \[Jessop\] were fourteen when they were kidnapped, raped and "kept captive by polygamous fanatics." The main difference in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/both-elizabeth-smart-and-ruby-jessop-were-fourteen-when-they-were/)

[Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/)

> [Philosophy does provide me a structure and a way of thinking. Religion - like the religion I grew up with, Mormonism - also provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-evenson/philosophy-does-provide-me-a-structure-and-a-way-of-thinking-religion/)

[Brian Evenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-evenson/)

> [Sometimes people have said that Islam, in its own calendar, is still only in the Middle Ages. It's still in the fifteenth century or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-people-have-said-that-islam-in-its-own-calendar-is-still/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [Friendship is the grand fundamental principle of Mormonism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/friendship-is-the-grand-fundamental-principle-of-mormonism/)

[Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/)

> [“In 2010, the Priesthood quorums and Relief Society used the same manual (Gospel Principles)… Most lessons consist of a few pages of exposition on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bowman/in-2010-the-priesthood-quorums-and-relief-society-used-the-same/)

[Matthew Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bowman/)

> [One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/one-of-the-grand-fundamental-principles-of-mormonism-is-to-receive/)

[Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/)

> [“Johnson evidently did not want it said that they had murdered the people for their property, but the leaders could not stand to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/johnson-evidently-did-not-want-it-said-that-they-had-murdered-the/)

[Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/)

> [There is a heavy emphasis in Mormonism on initiative, on responsibility, on a work ethic, and on education. If you take those elements together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/there-is-a-heavy-emphasis-in-mormonism-on-initiative-on/)

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

> [Now, there's parts about Mormonism that I love and appreciate. And as far as things that I was embarrassed about, I just don't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/now-there-s-parts-about-mormonism-that-i-love-and-appreciate-and-as/)

[Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/)

> [Mormonism is not simply a commitment to a theology or a church practice, but a social-cultural order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-m-mcmurrin/mormonism-is-not-simply-a-commitment-to-a-theology-or-a-church/)

[Sterling M. McMurrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-m-mcmurrin/)

## More by Terry Tempest Williams

> [I admire how she protects her energy and understands her limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-admire-how-she-protects-her-energy-and-understands-her-limitations/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [Buddha says there are two kinds of suffering: the kind that leads to more suffering and the kind that brings an end to suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/buddha-says-there-are-two-kinds-of-suffering-the-kind-that-leads-to/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [I wonder how, among the Fremont, mothers and daughters shared their world. Did they walk side by side along the lake edge? What stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-wonder-how-among-the-fremont-mothers-and-daughters-shared-their/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [I believe the personal is the collective. One of the ironies of writing memoir is in using the "I" it becomes an alchemical "we."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-believe-the-personal-is-the-collective-one-of-the-ironies-of/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [“I write to discover. I write to uncover. I write to meet my ghosts... I write because it is dangerous, a bloody risk, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-write-to-discover-i-write-to-uncover-i-write-to-meet-my-ghosts-i/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [“I write to make peace with the things I cannot control. I write to create red in a world that often appears black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-write-to-make-peace-with-the-things-i-cannot-control-i-write-to/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [Hope is not attached to outcomes but is a state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/hope-is-not-attached-to-outcomes-but-is-a-state-of-mind/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [I have spoken about what we can do as citizens, what we can do as a responsive citizenry, and this is where we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-have-spoken-about-what-we-can-do-as-citizens-what-we-can-do-as-a/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [The moment Eve bit into the apple, her eyes opened and she became free. She exposed the truth of what every woman knows: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/the-moment-eve-bit-into-the-apple-her-eyes-opened-and-she-became-free/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [I accept the Organic Trinity of Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal with as much authority as I accept the Holy Trinity. Both are sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-accept-the-organic-trinity-of-mineral-vegetable-and-animal-with-as/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [Good writing must stay open to the questions and not fall prey to the pull of a polemic, otherwise, words simply become predictable, sentimental,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/good-writing-must-stay-open-to-the-questions-and-not-fall-prey-to-the/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [“I believe we must do things in our lives for the right reasons, because we enjoy doing them, with no expectation of getting something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-believe-we-must-do-things-in-our-lives-for-the-right-reasons/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [A mother and daughter are an edge. Edges are ecotones, transitional zones, places of danger or opportunity. House-dwelling tension. When I stand on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/a-mother-and-daughter-are-an-edge-edges-are-ecotones-transitional/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [“To be read. To be heard. To be seen. I want to be read, I want to be heard. I don't need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/to-be-read-to-be-heard-to-be-seen-i-want-to-be-read-i-want-to-be/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [The Eyes of the Future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/the-eyes-of-the-future-are-looking-back-at-us-and-they-are-praying/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

[Explore all 357 Terry Tempest Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

## More Creativity quotes

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/)

[Andrei Amalrik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-amalrik/)

> [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/)

[John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/)

> [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/)

[Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/)

[Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/)

> [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/)

[Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/)

> [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/)

[Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/)

> [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/)

[Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/)

> [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/)

[David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/)

> [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/)

[Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/)

> [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are things within the culture that absolutely enrage me, and for me it is sacred rage. But it's not just peculiar to Mormonism - it's any patriarchy that I think stops, thwarts, or denies our creativity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Tempest Williams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/there-are-things-within-the-culture-that-absolutely-enrage-me-and-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Creativity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/there-are-things-within-the-culture-that-absolutely-enrage-me-and-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/terry-tempest-williams-835_creativity_there-are-things-within-the-culture-that_3176849.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are things within the culture that absolutely enrage me, and for me it is sacred rage. But it's not…” — Terry Tempest Williams",
                "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": "Terry Tempest Williams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There are things within the culture...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/there-are-things-within-the-culture-that-absolutely-enrage-me-and-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/there-are-things-within-the-culture-that-absolutely-enrage-me-and-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
