--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An ivory tower is a fine place as long as…" description: "\"An ivory tower is a fine place as long as the door is open.\" — Walter Darby Bannard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png" --- # An ivory tower is a fine place as long as the door is open. ![“An ivory tower is a fine place as long as the door is open.” quote by Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png) > “An ivory tower is a fine place as long as the door is open.” [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An ivory tower can be valuable if it remains accessible and open to exchange. **In simple terms:** Closed towers hinder growth. Key Takeaway Keep intellectual spaces open. Themes education elitism accessibility Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - academic conferences - public lectures - online forums - community workshops Key Concepts open dialogue inclusive scholarship Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure true openness? - What barriers persist in elite institutions? A Different Perspective Isolation can still occur despite openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivory/) [Ivory tower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ivory-tower/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-graham-bell/sometimes-we-stare-so-long-at-a-door-that-is-closing-that-we-see-too/) [Alexander Graham Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-graham-bell/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Friedmans influence reaches far beyond the academic community and the world of economics. Rather than lock himself in an ivory tower, he has joined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-simon/friedmans-influence-reaches-far-beyond-the-academic-community-and-the/) [William E. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-simon/) > [Language evolves and moves on. It is an organic thing. It is not stuck in an ivory tower, hung with expensive works of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-2/language-evolves-and-moves-on-it-is-an-organic-thing-it-is-not-stuck/) [E. L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-2/) > [Maybe what I admired most about John Steinbeck is that he never mortgaged his 45-acre heart for a suite in an ivory tower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/maybe-what-i-admired-most-about-john-steinbeck-is-that-he-never/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [For me or a Bruce Springsteen to sit up in our ivory towers and make comments about racism, well, were not really in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/for-me-or-a-bruce-springsteen-to-sit-up-in-our-ivory-towers-and-make/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I don't ascribe to the idea of the ivory tower composer who sits alone in a room composing his masterpieces and then comes down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-don-t-ascribe-to-the-idea-of-the-ivory-tower-composer-who-sits/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [Great question in science - questions like the ones Herschel raised about the structure of the universe - are seldom answered by ivory-tower types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-trefil/great-question-in-science-questions-like-the-ones-herschel-raised/) James Trefil > [If you shut yourself up disdainfully in your ivory tower and insist that you have your own conscience and are satisfied with its approval,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/if-you-shut-yourself-up-disdainfully-in-your-ivory-tower-and-insist/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [I make friends easily. I'm a gregarious guy, I'm open, I'm easy to get to know - I don't lock myself in an ivory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-weintraub/i-make-friends-easily-i-m-a-gregarious-guy-i-m-open-i-m-easy-to-get/) [Jerry Weintraub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-weintraub/) > [I am an idealist. I often feel I would like to be an artist in an ivory tower. Yet it is imperative that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-eugene-smith/i-am-an-idealist-i-often-feel-i-would-like-to-be-an-artist-in-an/) [W. Eugene Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-eugene-smith/) > [The ivory tower of the artist may be the only stronghold left for human values, cultural treasures, man’s cult of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-ivory-tower-of-the-artist-may-be-the-only-stronghold-left-for/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [As for mathematicians themselves: don't expect too much help. Most of them are too far removed in their ivory towers to take up such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apostolos-doxiadis/as-for-mathematicians-themselves-don-t-expect-too-much-help-most-of/) [Apostolos Doxiadis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apostolos-doxiadis/) > [The commonest ivory tower is that of the average man, the state of passivity towards experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/the-commonest-ivory-tower-is-that-of-the-average-man-the-state-of/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [I don't see myself in an ivory tower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/i-don-t-see-myself-in-an-ivory-tower/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) ## More by Walter Darby Bannard > [The more freedom artists have to do what they want to do, the more they do what other artists are doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/the-more-freedom-artists-have-to-do-what-they-want-to-do-the-more/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [There are too many artists, too many dealers and too much art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/there-are-too-many-artists-too-many-dealers-and-too-much-art/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Start a painting with fresh ideas, and then let the painting replace your ideas with its ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/start-a-painting-with-fresh-ideas-and-then-let-the-painting-replace/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [The struggle to be original hates conformity, but the struggle to be better disregards it, or takes advantage of it to build workable conventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/the-struggle-to-be-original-hates-conformity-but-the-struggle-to-be/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [There is no best way to make art, but there are a lot of better ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/there-is-no-best-way-to-make-art-but-there-are-a-lot-of-better-ways/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Of course I will look at anything, but I have not got the time or the patience to keep on looking at art that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/of-course-i-will-look-at-anything-but-i-have-not-got-the-time-or-the/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Too much freedom inhibits choice. Constructive narrowness clarifies choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/too-much-freedom-inhibits-choice-constructive-narrowness-clarifies/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Talent is like a seed which needs fertile soil. There is no less talent now, there is less fertile soil to nourish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/talent-is-like-a-seed-which-needs-fertile-soil-there-is-no-less/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Live to paint, don't paint to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/live-to-paint-don-t-paint-to-live/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Good new art may not look like art. Inspiration doesn't follow style, it creates it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/good-new-art-may-not-look-like-art-inspiration-doesn-t-follow-style/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [There is no regional art. The only region left is the art magazine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/there-is-no-regional-art-the-only-region-left-is-the-art-magazine/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [There's a big difference between grabbing attention and rewarding attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/there-s-a-big-difference-between-grabbing-attention-and-rewarding/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [Part of history is facts. The other part is what we find easier to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/part-of-history-is-facts-the-other-part-is-what-we-find-easier-to/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [When good ideas get put to bad use, it is the fault of the user, not the idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/when-good-ideas-get-put-to-bad-use-it-is-the-fault-of-the-user-not/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) > [The power of art is not in communication but effect; what it does, not what it relates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/the-power-of-art-is-not-in-communication-but-effect-what-it-does-not/) [Walter Darby Bannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) [Explore all 98 Walter Darby Bannard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/) ## More Door quotes > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When one door closes another doesn't just open, you can either open the same door or open a different one...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-door-closes-another-doesn-t-just-open-you-can-either-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) Unkown > [Dear parents,knocking while open the door to my bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of knocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-parents-knocking-while-open-the-door-to-my-bedroom-kind-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/couples-therapy-is-pretty-big-for-me-because-it-s-opening-the-door-to/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [“Happiness isn't something that you plan for. It comes knocking unexpectedly, just like opportunity. And it's up to you to answer the door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-doughton/happiness-isn-t-something-that-you-plan-for-it-comes-knocking/) [Autumn Doughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-doughton/) > [Nothing attracts me like a closed door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/nothing-attracts-me-like-a-closed-door/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Hayley Haslett raised her hand and tapped on the door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rose/hayley-haslett-raised-her-hand-and-tapped-on-the-door/) [Carol Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rose/) > [I think you've still got to try to be good, day-to-day. You see a granny, you hold the door open for her. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/i-think-you-ve-still-got-to-try-to-be-good-day-to-day-you-see-a/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) Browse all 3,104 Door quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "An ivory tower is a fine place as long as the door is open.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Darby Bannard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-as-the-door-is-open/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Door" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-as-the-door-is-open/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5b/walter-darby-bannard-6715_door_an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-a_1353876.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An ivory tower is a fine place as long as the door is open.” — Walter Darby Bannard", "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": "Walter Darby Bannard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-darby-bannard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An ivory tower is a fine...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-as-the-door-is-open/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-darby-bannard/an-ivory-tower-is-a-fine-place-as-long-as-the-door-is-open/#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 } } ] } ```