Authors
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist and short-story writer known for her incisive portrayals of upper-class New York society. She won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence and wrote novels, short stories, and nonfiction exploring class, morality, and social change.
Quotes: 2
Quotes by Edith Wharton
Spreading Light: Candles, Mirrors, and Shared Illumination
Moreover, light multiplies through people. Social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) shows that modeled behaviors propagate by observation, turning one candle into many. Empirically, cooperative actions can cascade; Fowler and Christakis (PNAS, 2010) found that generosity in public-goods games spreads across network ties. Consider a small neighborhood cleanup: one resident buys supplies and starts picking up litter; a local newsletter highlights the effort; within weeks, volunteers join, and the city partners on maintenance. The originator lit the flame; the storytellers and joiners reflected it into shared habit. [...]
Created on: 8/26/2025
Beware of Monotony; It’s the Mother of All Deadly Sins — Edith Wharton
She implies that monotony leads to deeper failings or 'sins', such as apathy and complacency. [...]
Created on: 4/24/2025