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 by Edith Wharton
Quotes: 2
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