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Feminism Quote by Virginia Woolf

“Here is nature once more at her old game of self-preservation. This train of thought, she perceives, is threatening mere waste of energy, even some collision with reality, for who will ever be able to lift a finger against Whitaker’s Table of Precedency? The Archbishop of Canterbury is followed by…” quote by Virginia Woolf
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““Here is nature once more at her old game of self-preservation. This train of thought, she perceives, is threatening mere waste of energy, even some collision with reality, for who will ever be able to lift a finger against Whitaker’s Table of Precedency? The Archbishop of Canterbury is followed by the Lord High Chancellor; the Lord High Chancellor is followed by the Archbishop of York. Everybody follows somebody, such is the philosophy of Whitaker; and the great thing is to know who follows whom. Whitaker knows, and let that, so Nature counsels, comfort you, instead of enraging you; and if you can’t be comforted, if you must shatter this hour of peace, think of the mark on the wall.   11 I understand Nature’s game—her prompting to take action as a way of ending any thought that threatens to excite or to pain. Hence, I suppose, comes our slight contempt for men of action—men, we assume, who don’t think. Still, there’s no harm in putting a full stop to one’s disagreeable thoughts by looking at a mark on the wall.””

Virginia Woolf

About This Quote

Source Novel: Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf, 1925

Nature’s instinct to preserve itself drives actions that end disruptive thoughts, urging us to recognize hierarchies and find comfort in simple symbols.

In simple terms: Nature pushes us to act, ending troubling thoughts, using symbols for comfort.

Key Takeaway

Recognize patterns, seek simple comforts.

Themes

nature action hierarchy comfort thoughts

Mood

contemplative reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • personal reflection
  • creative writing
  • mental health
  • decision making

Key Concepts

self‑preservation philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you identify your own “Whitaker’s Table” of influence?
  • What simple symbol brings you peace?
A Different Perspective

Relying on symbols may avoid deeper analysis of underlying issues.

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