“Men flocked to see it and ascended it as it was a novelty and of unique dimensions. It was the toy of the exhibition. So long as we are children we are attracted by toys, and the tower was a good demonstration of the fact that we are all children attracted by trinkets. That may be claimed to be the purpose served by the Eiffel Tower.”
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Source: Autobiography, ch. 22 'The Great Exhibition' (Gandhi on the Eiffel Tower, Paris 1890).
About this quote
Novelty pulls harder than usefulness. Something big, new, and unlike anything before draws crowds simply for being a spectacle — the grown version of a child reaching for a shiny toy. Naming that pull is the first step toward spending attention on what actually earns it.
When to use it
- Camping overnight for a phone that does little the old one didn't.
- A tourist trap that packs crowds because it's famous, not because it's worth the time.
- Buying a flashy kitchen gadget that impresses guests but never gets used.