Humor distorts nothing, and only false gods are laughed off their earthly pedestals.
Agnes RepplierRead
People who cannot recognize a palpable absurdity are very much in the way of civilization.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Recognizing absurdities is crucial for progress in society.
Agnes Repplier's quote highlights the importance of acknowledging absurdities in life for the betterment of civilization. Those who fail to see the ridiculousness in certain situations or beliefs can hinder societal growth and critical thinking, suggesting that a confrontation with absurdity can lead to a more enlightened and progressive society.
Themes
AbsurdityCivilizationRecognitionProgressSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social change, quoting Repplier can emphasize the need for awareness of absurdities in outdated systems.
More from Agnes Repplier
All quotes βIt is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.
Agnes RepplierRead
Who that has plodded on to middle age would take back upon his shoulders ten of the vanished years, with their mingled pleasures and pains? Who would return to the youth he is forever pretending to regret?
Agnes RepplierRead
Similar quotes
...The hagaddah came to Sarajevo for a reason. It was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divided us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox. p. 361
Geraldine BrooksRead
And lips say βGod be pitiful,β Who ne'er said βGod be praised.β
Elizabeth Barrett BrowningRead
These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.
C. S. LewisRead
I do feel that evolution is being controlled by some sort of divine engineer. I can't help thinking that. And this engineer knows exactly what he or she is doing and why, and where evolution is headed. That's why we've got giraffes and hippopotami and the clap.
Kurt VonnegutRead
Imagine one day, the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words and actions that put an end to it. Will you be excited?
Ai WeiweiRead
Silence has many dimensions. It can be a regression and an escape, a loss of self, or it can be presence, awareness, unification, self-discovery. Negative silence blurs and confuses our identity, and we lapse into daydreams or diffuse anxieties. Positive silence pulls us together and makes us realize who we are, who we might be, and the distance between these two.
Thomas MertonRead