Friday, September 20, 2024
The Bump of Veneration
John Buchan (1875-1940), Mr. Standfast, chapter XV (Launcelot Wake speaking):
‹Older
Every man should be happy in a service, like you, when he obeys orders. I couldn't get on in any service. I lack the bump of veneration. I can't swallow things merely because I'm told to. My sort are always talking about 'service,' but we haven't the temperament to serve. I'd give all I have to be an ordinary cog in the wheel, instead of a confounded outsider who finds fault with the machinery. . . .The expression comes from phrenology.
