A man must be orthodox upon most things, or he will never even have time to preach his own heresy.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- To have time to promote a unique belief, one must mostly agree with society on other matters.
- In plain terms
- You need to fit in with most things to have energy for your one weird idea.
- What can you take from it?
- Conformity in small things allows space for individuality in big ones.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What do you conform on to save energy for what matters?
Another view
It assumes time is the only resource limiting radical thought.
More from Gilbert Keith Chesterton
When learned men begin to use their reason, then I generally discover that they haven't got any.
Permalink to quote #16 Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before.
Permalink to quote #18 And it is always the humble man who talks too much; the proud man watches himself too closely.
Permalink to quote #15
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