---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think intellectualization is what's…"
description: "\"I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.\" — Van Morrison"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg"
---

#  I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.

![“I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.” quote by Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg)

> “I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.”

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

## About This Quote

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

Intellectualizing distances us from feeling and acting, leading to disengagement and stagnation.

**In simple terms:** Overthinking kills connection and action.

Key Takeaway

Embrace feeling over analysis.

Themes

self-awareness mental health authenticity

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- therapy sessions
- creative work
- decision making

Key Concepts

psychology existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does overanalysis affect your daily life?
- When have you let feeling guide you?

A Different Perspective

Intellectualization can be a useful tool when balanced with emotion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Intellectualization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectualization-93204/) [Intellectualization Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectualization-killing-4355938/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Killing people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Think Intellectualization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-intellectualization-4355939/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Irony is a great tool to deal with things. It's an intellectualization, a way to go above things, which can work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/irony-is-a-great-tool-to-deal-with-things-it-s-an-intellectualization/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“The progressive intellectualization of language, its progressive conversion by the work of grammar and logic into a scientific symbolism, ... represents not a progressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-g-collingwood-2/the-progressive-intellectualization-of-language-its-progressive/)

[R.G. Collingwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-g-collingwood-2/)

> [“Infantilism, the main characteristic of today's "developed societies", animalizes man by humanizing animals, enslaves man by "liberating" nature and stupefies man by intellectualizing machines.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/infantilism-the-main-characteristic-of-today-s-developed-societies/)

[Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/)

> [The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/the-fate-of-our-times-is-characterized-by-rationalization-and-2/)

[Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/)

> [“Rationalization: This is a close cousin of intellectualization. It occurs when we are so afraid of feeling pain, disappointment, or guilt that we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-impellizzeri/rationalization-this-is-a-close-cousin-of-intellectualization-it/)

[Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/)

> [Reality is always the moment of vision before the intellectualization takes place. There is no other reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/reality-is-always-the-moment-of-vision-before-the-intellectualization/)

[Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/)

> [“Intellectualization complicates truth as it abstracts from what is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-delawar/intellectualization-complicates-truth-as-it-abstracts-from-what-is/)

[Omar Delawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-delawar/)

> [Even the best weapon is an unhappy tool, hateful to living things. So the follower of the Way stays away from it. Weapons are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/even-the-best-weapon-is-an-unhappy-tool-hateful-to-living-things-so/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [Don't fret. We'll just have to find something else you're good at besides killing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-b-dunkle/don-t-fret-we-ll-just-have-to-find-something-else-you-re-good-at/)

[Clare B. Dunkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-b-dunkle/)

> [You've got this world, these pathologists that are, day in and day out, taking apart bodies, coming up with theories about how they died…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/you-ve-got-this-world-these-pathologists-that-are-day-in-and-day-out/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [If you think about it, Washington's overwhelming power in the world is founded on death, the awesome arsenal for killing people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greider/if-you-think-about-it-washington-s-overwhelming-power-in-the-world-is/)

[William Greider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greider/)

> [Kira is evil ... There's no denying that ... But lately I've been starting to think of it more like this ... The real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/kira-is-evil-there-s-no-denying-that-but-lately-i-ve-been-starting-to/)

[Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/)

> [A lot of people heard 'Murda Business' and thought it was about killing people, trying to be tough and hardcore. If you actually listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/a-lot-of-people-heard-murda-business-and-thought-it-was-about-killing/)

[Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/)

> [What? Had a dry spell of killing people lately? (Susan) As a matter of fact, yes. If it doesn’t end soon, I might get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/what-had-a-dry-spell-of-killing-people-lately-susan-as-a-matter-of/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/)

[Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/)

## More by Van Morrison

> [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [Somebody's going to hear a song that will key in a nerve or something in their experience that represents their own vision. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/somebody-s-going-to-hear-a-song-that-will-key-in-a-nerve-or-something/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [I realized that what I was looking for was doing collaborations with other people - people who can play a ballad, rock, jazz. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-realized-that-what-i-was-looking-for-was-doing-collaborations-with/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [It will make you feel good, and it will make you feel whole, when the spirit moves you and it fills you through and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/it-will-make-you-feel-good-and-it-will-make-you-feel-whole-when-the/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [ I'd much prefer to hear somebody like Ed Thigpen \[drummer with New York session group Stuff, and featured on innumerable hits\] take a solo.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-d-much-prefer-to-hear-somebody-like-ed-thigpen-drummer-with-new/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [I've always listened to jazz or folk or blues. I was always listening to the prophets. I don't really go for...I don't know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-ve-always-listened-to-jazz-or-folk-or-blues-i-was-always-listening/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [My experiences with dope were not good for me. I had to go another route. Because in my experience, dope didn't give me those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/my-experiences-with-dope-were-not-good-for-me-i-had-to-go-another/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [You learn to read the audiences after a while, and there are all different kinds of gigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/you-learn-to-read-the-audiences-after-a-while-and-there-are-all/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [You gotta fight every day to keep mediocrity at bay...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/you-gotta-fight-every-day-to-keep-mediocrity-at-bay/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [I didn't know what some of the stuff on Astral Weeks was about until years later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-didn-t-know-what-some-of-the-stuff-on-astral-weeks-was-about-until/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [Sometimes you do know where the ideas are coming from and sometimes you don't. You might get a song coming through that you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/sometimes-you-do-know-where-the-ideas-are-coming-from-and-sometimes/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [At the end of the day, we should give thanks and pray, to the one, to the one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/at-the-end-of-the-day-we-should-give-thanks-and-pray-to-the-one-to/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [Have I told you lately that I love you, have I told you lately there's no one above you. Fill my heart with gladness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/have-i-told-you-lately-that-i-love-you-have-i-told-you-lately-there-s/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [I also like to do physical things. I like swimming a lot. I like traveling. Not touring traveling but just plain traveling. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-also-like-to-do-physical-things-i-like-swimming-a-lot-i-like/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

> [There's no man alive who has any answers. We all know that. It's like the guru trip. All a guru can do is direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/there-s-no-man-alive-who-has-any-answers-we-all-know-that-it-s-like/)

[Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

[Explore all 276 Van Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/)

## More Intellectualization quotes

> [“Intellectualization complicates truth as it abstracts from what is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-delawar/intellectualization-complicates-truth-as-it-abstracts-from-what-is/)

[Omar Delawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-delawar/)

> [Reality is always the moment of vision before the intellectualization takes place. There is no other reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/reality-is-always-the-moment-of-vision-before-the-intellectualization/)

[Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/)

> [“Rationalization: This is a close cousin of intellectualization. It occurs when we are so afraid of feeling pain, disappointment, or guilt that we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-impellizzeri/rationalization-this-is-a-close-cousin-of-intellectualization-it/)

[Shirley Impellizzeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-impellizzeri/)

> [The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/the-fate-of-our-times-is-characterized-by-rationalization-and-2/)

[Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/)

> [“Infantilism, the main characteristic of today's "developed societies", animalizes man by humanizing animals, enslaves man by "liberating" nature and stupefies man by intellectualizing machines.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/infantilism-the-main-characteristic-of-today-s-developed-societies/)

[Jakub Bożydar Wiśniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakub-bo-ydar-wi-niewski/)

> [“The progressive intellectualization of language, its progressive conversion by the work of grammar and logic into a scientific symbolism, ... represents not a progressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-g-collingwood-2/the-progressive-intellectualization-of-language-its-progressive/)

[R.G. Collingwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-g-collingwood-2/)

> [Irony is a great tool to deal with things. It's an intellectualization, a way to go above things, which can work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/irony-is-a-great-tool-to-deal-with-things-it-s-an-intellectualization/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

[Browse all 8 Intellectualization quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectualization-93204/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Van Morrison"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-killing-most-people/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Intellectualization"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-killing-most-people/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/van-morrison-1192_killing_i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-ki_1313852.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think intellectualization is what's killing most people.” — Van Morrison",
                "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": "Van Morrison",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think intellectualization is what's killing...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-killing-most-people/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-think-intellectualization-is-what-s-killing-most-people/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
