Ordinary people Quote by Thomas Merton
““What a revelation it was, to discover so many ordinary people in a place together, more conscious of God than of one another: not there to show off their hats or their clothes, but to pray, or at least to fulfill a religious obligation, not a human one. For even those who might have been there for no better motive than that they were obliged to be, were at least free from any of the self-conscious and human constraint which is never absent from a Protestant church where people are definitely gathered together as people, as neighbors, and always have at least half an eye for one another, if not all of both eyes.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Soul of the World” by Thomas Merton, 1965
Observes that communal religious practice can foster genuine humility and collective focus, contrasting it with self‑consciousness in other settings.
In simple terms: Seeing others in prayer reduces self‑importance.
Key Takeaway
Seek humility in shared rituals.
Themes
humility
community
spirituality
Mood
reflective
contemplative
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- church services
- interfaith gatherings
- public worship
- community events
Key Concepts
collective consciousness
self‑effacement
Questions to Reflect On
- How does shared worship change personal ego?
- What risks arise when conformity replaces authenticity?
A Different Perspective
May overlook individual agency or dissent within the group.
![“I just feel like the people who are discouraged about religion, it's [really] the connotation of people that go to church. People that go to church love the Lord and they like to be around people who love the Lord. It's a fellowship and it's a growth and it's a feeding for them that when they're…” quote by Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f73/reba-mcentire-4189_believe_i-just-feel-like-the-people-who-are-disc_538454.jpg)
