# Quote — Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt

> What I fight in Zenith is the standardization of thought, and, of course, the traditions of competition. The real villains of the piece are the clean, kind, industrious Family Men who use every known brand of trickery and cruelty to insure the prosperity of their cubs. The worst thing about these fellows is that they're so good and, in their work at least, so intelligent. You can't hate them properly, and yet their standardized minds are the enemy. ~ Ch. 7

- Author: [Sinclair Lewis](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sinclair-lewis.md)
- Book: [Babbitt](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sinclair-lewis/babbitt.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sinclair_Lewis#Babbitt_(1922)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/sinclair-lewis/babbitt/what-i-fight

## More from this book

> He was worried lest during his late discontent he had imperiled his salvation. He was not quite sure there was a Heaven to be attained, but Dr. John Jennison said there was, and Babbitt was not going to take a chance. ~ Ch. 34

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sinclair-lewis/babbitt/he-was-worried.md)

> All of them perceived that American Democracy did not imply any equality of wealth, but did demand a wholesome sameness of thought, dress, painting, morals, and vocabulary. ~ Ch. 34

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sinclair-lewis/babbitt/all-of-them.md)

> They were newly rich contractors who, having bought houses, motors, hand-painted pictures, and gentlemanliness, were now buying a refined ready-made philosophy. It had been a tossup with them whether to buy New Thought, Christian Science, or a good standard high-church model of Episcopalianism. ~ Ch. 30

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/sinclair-lewis/babbitt/they-were-newly.md)