Addiction Quote by William H. Shannon
““collectivity, on the other hand, is the place of what the seventeenth-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal calls “divertissement,” an untranslatable word which roughly means “distraction” or “diversion”: It is the escape from life’s problems, and also its invitations, into activities that in ultimate terms are meaningless. It is a constant turning to superficial actions as a way to avoid facing the true realities of human life. The soap operas and situation comedies easily become an addiction. They take the place of the “bread and circuses” of ancient Rome. There was plenty wrong with Roman society and the Roman emperors offered the diversion of food and entertainment to make people forget the banality and meaninglessness of the lives they lived. Our society does much the same and has ever so much more in the way of sophisticated tools for doing so.””
About This Quote
The quote critiques modern diversion as a superficial escape from life's real problems, likening it to ancient Roman "bread and circuses."
In simple terms: People distract themselves with meaningless activities to avoid reality.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront deeper issues.
Themes
distraction
meaninglessness
societal critique
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
Addiction:1
Ancient rome:1
Distraction:1
Diversion:1
French philosopher:0
Human life:1
Philosophy:1
Roman Emperors:1
Blaise Pascal:1
Distraction Diversion:0
Means Distraction:0
Banality Meaninglessness:1
When to use this quote
- media consumption
- political propaganda
- personal habits
Key Concepts
diversion
superficiality
historical analogy
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate healthy breaks from harmful diversion?
- What deeper problems are you avoiding?
A Different Perspective
Escapism can also provide temporary relief.
![“In a...media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter...Information [can] become a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da2/barack-obama-17_happiness_in-a-media-environment-that-bombards-us_1208212.jpg)
