It is in books, poems, paintings which often give us the confidence to take seriously feelings in ourselves that we might otherwise never have thought to acknowledge.
Alain De BottonRead
Our disrespect for thinking: someone sitting in a chair, gazing out of a window blankly, always described as 'doing nothing'.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that society undervalues contemplation and reflection, viewing them as inactivity.
Alain De Botton's quote critiques the common perception that simply sitting and thinking is unproductive or useless. He points out that this 'doing nothing' is often a necessary cognitive process that can foster creativity, insight, and deeper understanding, thereby revealing the importance of mental space and reflection in our busy lives.
Themes
ThinkingContemplationReflectionDoing NothingPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a seminar on the importance of mindfulness, this quote can highlight the value of taking time to think.
More from Alain De Botton
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The more closely we analyze what we consider 'sexy,' the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.
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Good books put a finger on emotions that are deeply our own - but that we could never have described on our own.
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The challenge of modern relationships: how to prove more interesting than the other's smartphone.
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It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. This is a particular priority for secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.
Alain De BottonRead
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So potent was religion in persuading to evil deeds.
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