--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When society is made up of men who know…" description: "\"When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude it can no longer be held together by love: and consequently it is held together by a viole..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/thomas-merton-231_abusive_when-society-is-made-up-of-men-who-know_974002.jpg" --- # When society is made up of men who know no interior… ![“When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude it can no longer be held together by love: and consequently it is held together by a violent and abusive authority. But when men are violently deprived of the solitude and freedom which are their due, then society in which they live…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/thomas-merton-231_abusive_when-society-is-made-up-of-men-who-know_974002.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/thomas-merton-231_abusive_when-society-is-made-up-of-men-who-know_974002.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/thomas-merton-231_abusive_when-society-is-made-up-of-men-who-know_974002.jpg) > “When society is made up of men who know no interior solitude it can no longer be held together by love: and consequently it is held together by a violent and abusive authority. But when men are violently deprived of the solitude and freedom which are their due, then society in which they live becomes putrid, it festers with servility, resentment and hate.” [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. A society lacking inner solitude and personal freedom collapses, relying on coercion, which breeds resentment and hatred. **In simple terms:** Without inner peace, society turns violent and hateful. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal solitude to prevent societal decay. Themes solitude freedom societal health violence authority Mood reflective concerned critical Type philosophical social commentary. When to use this quote - personal meditation - community building - conflict resolution - education reform - mental health initiatives Key Concepts existentialism social contract psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does personal inner life affect collective well‑being? - What practices can restore solitude in modern life? A Different Perspective If individuals resist solitude, the collective may still fall into oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abusive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abusive/) [Abusive Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abusive-authority-1889716/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Deprived Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deprived-solitude-1889715/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Resentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resentment/) [Servility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servility/) [Society Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-men-423204/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Solitude Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude-freedom-1743203/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) ## Related quotes > [“When I was a child, I thought, Casually, that solitude Never needed to be sought. 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It means a state of society in which some men are forced to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhimrao-ramji-ambedkar/slavery-does-not-merely-mean-a-legalised-form-of-subjection-it-means/) [Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhimrao-ramji-ambedkar/) > [In smart society men are jealous of one another after the fashion of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/in-smart-society-men-are-jealous-of-one-another-after-the-fashion-of/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [In the society of men the truth resides now less in what things are than in what they are not. Our social realities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/in-the-society-of-men-the-truth-resides-now-less-in-what-things-are/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [A state of society where men may not speak their minds cannot long endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/a-state-of-society-where-men-may-not-speak-their-minds-cannot-long/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [We are the state, and we shall continue to be the state until we have created the institutions that form a real community and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-landauer/we-are-the-state-and-we-shall-continue-to-be-the-state-until-we-have/) [Gustav Landauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustav-landauer/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. 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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. 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