--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In relation to the earth we have been…" description: "\"In relation to the earth we have been autistic for centuries. Only now have we begun to listen with some attention and with a willingness to respond to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/thomas-berry-7391_abandon_in-relation-to-the-earth-we-have-been-au_2248012.png" --- # In relation to the earth we have been autistic for… ![“In relation to the earth we have been autistic for centuries. Only now have we begun to listen with some attention and with a willingness to respond to the earth's demands that we cease our industrial assault, that we abandon our inner rage against the conditions of our earthly existence, that we…” quote by Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/thomas-berry-7391_abandon_in-relation-to-the-earth-we-have-been-au_2248012.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/thomas-berry-7391_abandon_in-relation-to-the-earth-we-have-been-au_2248012.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/563/thomas-berry-7391_abandon_in-relation-to-the-earth-we-have-been-au_2248012.png) > “In relation to the earth we have been autistic for centuries. Only now have we begun to listen with some attention and with a willingness to respond to the earth's demands that we cease our industrial assault, that we abandon our inner rage against the conditions of our earthly existence, that we renew our human participation in the grand liturgy of the universe.” [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity must shift from exploiting the planet to listening and responding to its needs, ending destructive industrial habits and inner hostility. **In simple terms:** We need to stop harming Earth and start listening to it. Key Takeaway Listen and act to protect the planet. Themes environment spirituality activism interconnectedness Mood concerned hopeful determined Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - policy reform - community activism - personal mindfulness - educational curricula Key Concepts ecology deep listening inner transformation Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals influence large-scale environmental policy? - What personal habits reflect inner rage toward Earth? A Different Perspective Changing deep-rooted industrial systems is politically and economically challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Autistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autistic/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Liturgy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liturgy/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Participation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/participation/) [Rage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rage/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) > [Our difficulty is that we have become autistic. We no longer listen to what the Earth, its landscape, its atmospheric phenomena and all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/our-difficulty-is-that-we-have-become-autistic-we-no-longer-listen-to/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [Ancient worship . . . does truth. All one has to do is to study the ancient liturgies to see that liturgies clearly do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-webber/ancient-worship-does-truth-all-one-has-to-do-is-to-study-the-ancient/) [Robert E. Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-webber/) > [The real 'action' in the liturgy in which we are all supposed to participate is the action of God himself. This is what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-real-action-in-the-liturgy-in-which-we-are-all-supposed-to/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [The gospel has but a forced alliance with war. Its doctrine of human brotherhood would ring strangely between the opposed ranks. The bellowing speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/the-gospel-has-but-a-forced-alliance-with-war-its-doctrine-of-human/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [Give me bitter years of sickness, Suffocation, insomnia, fever, Take my child and my lover, And my mysterious gift of song This I pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-akhmatova/give-me-bitter-years-of-sickness-suffocation-insomnia-fever-take-my/) [Anna Akhmatova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-akhmatova/) > [“Worship, then, needs to be characterized by hospitality; it needs to be inviting. But at the same time, it should be inviting seekers into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-a-smith/worship-then-needs-to-be-characterized-by-hospitality-it-needs-to-be/) [James K.A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-a-smith/) > [“We have everyday habits—formative practices—that constitute daily liturgies. 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In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-nichols-o-p/there-is-however-one-reason-why-the-arts-so-rarely-accept-a-mission/) Aidan Nichols O.P > [“I often think of the set pieces of liturgy as certain words which people have successfully addressed to God without their getting killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-often-think-of-the-set-pieces-of-liturgy-as-certain-words-which/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [ \[John Calvin's\] treatment of the person and work of Christ, of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, of prayer and liturgy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/john-calvin-s-treatment-of-the-person-and-work-of-christ-of-the-holy/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [“Liturgy puts us to work along with all the others who have been and are being put to work in the world by and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-puts-us-to-work-along-with-all-the-others-who-have-been-and/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. 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