QuoteProject
Orthodoxy is a relaxation of the mind accompanied by a stiffening of the heart.
Edward Abbey
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that rigid adherence to conventional beliefs can lead to closed-mindedness and emotional numbness.

Edward Abbey's quote critiques the concept of orthodoxy, implying that strict conformity to established beliefs may lead to mental complacency and a lack of emotional engagement. It highlights the danger of becoming so entrenched in accepted norms that one’s capacity for critical thought and empathy diminishes, inviting individuals to challenge their beliefs and embrace a more open-minded approach to life.

Themes

OrthodoxyBeliefsConformityOpen-MindednessCriticism

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate about traditional values, one might use this quote to illustrate the risks of blindly adhering to past norms.

More from Edward Abbey

Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
I love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
Edward AbbeyRead
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Edward AbbeyRead
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead

Similar quotes

I am willing to admit that some people might live there for years, or even a lifetime, so protected that they never sense the sweet stench of corruption that is all around them - the keen, thin scent of decay that pervades everything and accuses with a terrible accusation the superficial youthfulness, the abounding undergraduate noise, that fills those ancient buildings.
Thomas MertonRead
When a government betrays the people by amassing too much power and becoming tyrannical, the people have no choice but to exercise their original right of self-defense β€” to fight the government.
Alexander HamiltonRead
Emmitt Till had walked into a cultural narrative in which his role was already tragically written. It was a narrative designed to preserve white supremacy. So it gave power - the right to kill - to any white claiming to defend the honor of white women.
Shelby SteeleRead
I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You are not scared. You are an asshole.
Morgan FreemanRead
Human life and objects and trees vibrate with mysterious meanings, which can be deciphered like cuneiform writing. There exists a meaning, hidden from day to day, but accessible in moments of greatest attentiveness, in those moments when consciousness loves the world.
Adam ZagajewskiRead
Live as a villain, die as a hero
BanksyRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.