“We must resist the temptation to be “normal,” because those who are now considered normal accept the values and practices of an insane world. In modern society, for example, normal people strive to accumulate as many commodities as possible, because they believe that their success and personal worth are linked to the number of possessions they have acquired. As the joke goes, “The one who dies with the most toys, wins.” If we espouse this viewpoint, the toys we have to play with form the measure of our personal worth. Unfortunately, this notion confuses acquired material worth with our inherent worth as spiritual beings.”

— Bhakti Tirtha Swami

Source: Books, Spiritual Warrior, Volume III: Solace for the Heart in Difficult Times (Hari-Nama Press, 2000), Chapter 8 - How To Strengthen Ourselves

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "We must resist the temptation to be “normal,” because those who are now considered normal accept the values and practic…" by Bhakti Tirtha Swami?

Bhakti Tirtha Swami73

American Hindu writer 1950–2005

Related quotes

“Anyone listening to this show that believes homosexuality is a normal lifestyle has been brainwashed. It's very dangerous if we start accepting lower and lower forms of behavior as the normal.”

Sean Hannity (1961) American television host, conservative political commentator

Hannity's first radio show at UC Santa Barbara (25 May 1989), as quoted in FAIR (November/December 2003) http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1158

“So, "normal" is really what society dictates as normal and if we're born in that world, we would see that as normal. But if you think about it for a second, is it really?”

Jacque Fresco (1916–2017) American futurist and self-described social engineer

“I was always fascinated by people who are considered completely normal, because I find them the weirdest of all”

Johnny Depp (1963) American actor, film producer, and musician

“Those we most often exclude from the normal life of society, people with disabilities, have profound lessons to teach us. When we do include them, they add richly to our lives and add immensely to our world.”

Jean Vanier (1928–2019) Canadian humanitarian

Jean Vanier, Becoming Human, 2001
From books

“The difference between a normal person and an insane one is precisely that the normal person has all the diseases of the mind, while the madman has only one!”

Robert Musil book The Man Without Qualities

Source: The Man Without Qualities

“In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.”

Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American politician, 40th president of the United States (in office from 1981 to 1989)

1980s, First term of office (1981–1985), First Inaugural address (1981)
Context: To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.