Quote by John Updike

Our brains are no longer conditioned for reverence and awe. We cannot imagine a Second Coming that would not be cut down to size by the televised evening news, or a Last Judgment not subject to pages of holier-than-thou second-guessing in The New York Review of Books.

Our brains are no longer conditioned for reverence and awe.

Summary

This quote suggests that in the modern age, our minds have become desensitized and more skeptical, lacking the ability to experience reverence and awe. It implies that even if a significant event like a Second Coming or Last Judgment were to occur, it would be portrayed and analyzed by media and intellectual circles, losing its impact and being subjected to criticism. The quote reflects on the diminishing ability of people to recognize and appreciate the extraordinary, as our thoughts and reactions have become conditioned by widespread accessibility to information and constant questioning.

Topics

Christianity

By John Updike

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