History had been man's effort to accomodate himself to what he could not do. Amereican history in the 20th century would, more than ever before, test man's ability to accomodate himself to all the new things he could do.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
We need not be theologians to see that we have shifted responsibility for making the world interesting from God to the newspaperman.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on how society has transferred the duty of shaping our understanding of the world from divine sources to journalists.
Daniel J. Boorstin's quote examines the transition of responsibility for interpreting and engaging with the world from a religious or divine perspective to that of the media, specifically newspapers. This shift suggests that our perceptions of reality are now heavily influenced by the narratives crafted by journalists, indicating a cultural move away from faith-based interpretations towards a more secular, media-driven understanding of events and ideas.
Themes
ResponsibilityMediaJournalismPerceptionSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on the impact of media on public opinion, I would reference Boorstin's quote to highlight the changing dynamics of information dissemination.
More from Daniel J. Boorstin
All quotes →The most promising words ever written on the maps of human knowledge are terra incognita, unknown territory.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Human models are more vivid and more persuasive than explicit moral commands.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. Knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
There was a time when the reader of an unexciting newspaper would remark, 'How dull is the world today!' Nowadays he says, 'What a dull newspaper!'
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
Similar quotes
As soon as we identify ourselves with the work we do, we feel miserable; but if we do not identify ourselves with it, we do not feel that misery.
Swami VivekanandaRead
The Devil fears the word of God, He can't bite it; it breaks his teeth.
Martin LutherRead
Well, think of what I’m doing to you right now. For me I’m the self, and you’re the object. For you, of course, it’s the exact opposite—you’re the self to you and I’m the object. And by exchanging self and object, we can project ourselves onto the other and gain self-consciousness. Volitionally.” “I still don’t get it, but it sure feels good.” “That’s the whole idea,” the girl said.
Haruki MurakamiRead
I'm afraid of losing my obscurity. Genuineness only thrives in the dark. Like celery.
Aldous HuxleyRead
I am an unwilling devil. I cry like some vagrant child. I want to go home.
Anne RiceRead
We know one another. This is the present. There is no past and no future. Here I am washing my hands, and the cracked mirror shows me to myself, suspended as it were, in time; this is me, this moment will not pass.
Daphne Du MaurierRead