--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The psychological impotence of our…" description: "\"The psychological impotence of our enraged generation must be traced to the overwhelming accusation of insincerity which every man and woman has to con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/thomas-merton-231_accusation_the-psychological-impotence-of-our-enrag_1717242.jpg" --- # The psychological impotence of our enraged generation must… ![“The psychological impotence of our enraged generation must be traced to the overwhelming accusation of insincerity which every man and woman has to confront, in the depths of his own soul, when he seeks to love merely for his own pleasure.And yet the men of our time do not love with enough courage…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/thomas-merton-231_accusation_the-psychological-impotence-of-our-enrag_1717242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/thomas-merton-231_accusation_the-psychological-impotence-of-our-enrag_1717242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/thomas-merton-231_accusation_the-psychological-impotence-of-our-enrag_1717242.jpg) > “The psychological impotence of our enraged generation must be traced to the overwhelming accusation of insincerity which every man and woman has to confront, in the depths of his own soul, when he seeks to love merely for his own pleasure.And yet the men of our time do not love with enough courage to risk even discomfort or inconvenience.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern love is hindered by distrust and fear of vulnerability, limiting genuine connection. **In simple terms:** Distrust blocks true love. Key Takeaway Embrace honest, courageous love. Themes love trust authenticity courage Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - dating - friendships - personal growth Key Concepts existential angst psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What fears prevent you from loving fully? - How can you confront insincerity within yourself? A Different Perspective Courageous love can be painful and risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accusation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accusation/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Discomfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Inconvenience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inconvenience/) [Insincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insincerity/) [Man and woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-and-woman/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Psychological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [The insincerity of man-all men are liars, partial or hiders of facts, half tellers of truths, shirks, moral sneaks. When a merely honest man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-insincerity-of-man-all-men-are-liars-partial-or-hiders-of-facts/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Insincerity in a man's own heart must make all his enjoyments, all that concerns him, unreal; so that his whole life must seem like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/insincerity-in-a-man-s-own-heart-must-make-all-his-enjoyments-all/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [One element of maturity is the realization that we don't get away with anything. Any advantage gained or convenience taken, any private procrastination or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/one-element-of-maturity-is-the-realization-that-we-don-t-get-away/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [Nothing is more disgraceful than insincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-more-disgraceful-than-insincerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I found this hardly comforting, and wondered if there was not some virtue in the quality of insincerity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/i-found-this-hardly-comforting-and-wondered-if-there-was-not-some/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) > [What matters in Politics is what men actually do - sincerity is no excuse for acting unpolitically, and insincerity may be channelled by politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-crick/what-matters-in-politics-is-what-men-actually-do-sincerity-is-no/) [Bernard Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-crick/) > [I love to read the dedications of old books written in monarchies for they invariably honor some (usually insignificant) knight or duke with fulsome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-love-to-read-the-dedications-of-old-books-written-in-monarchies-for/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [...So Englishmen saw it. Lincoln's insincerity was regarded as proven by two things: his earlier denial of any lawful right or wish to free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/so-englishmen-saw-it-lincoln-s-insincerity-was-regarded-as-proven-by/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) > [It's not unfortunate that people aren't genuine; what's unfortunate is that insincere people try to act sincere and in doing so, mislead and deceive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-unfortunate-that-people-aren-t-genuine-what-s-unfortunate-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never say sorry to anyone if you don't really mean it, and don't commit about anything that you know you don't really mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/never-say-sorry-to-anyone-if-you-don-t-really-mean-it-and-don-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns, as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-great-enemy-of-clear-language-is-insincerity-when-there-is-a-gap/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The real loneliness is living among all these kind people who only ask one to pretend!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/the-real-loneliness-is-living-among-all-these-kind-people-who-only/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [What people call insincerity is simply a method by which we can multiply our personalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/what-people-call-insincerity-is-simply-a-method-by-which-we-can/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The basis of insincerity is the idealized image we hold of ourselves and wish to impose on others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-basis-of-insincerity-is-the-idealized-image-we-hold-of-ourselves/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Once you can fake sincerity, you can fake anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jo-putney/once-you-can-fake-sincerity-you-can-fake-anything/) [Mary Jo Putney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jo-putney/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. 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The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Love winter when the plant says nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-winter-when-the-plant-says-nothing/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“The wisdom of the flesh is a judgement that the ordinary ends of our natural appetites are the goods to which the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-wisdom-of-the-flesh-is-a-judgement-that-the-ordinary-ends-of-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I will no longer wound myself with the thoughts and questions that have surrounded me like thorns: that is a penance You do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-will-no-longer-wound-myself-with-the-thoughts-and-questions-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. 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