"Thinking has become a superfluous exercise... purely internal, without compelling force, more or less a game"

This quote by Jacques Ellul recommends that the act of thinking has actually become a pointless activity. He suggests that thinking has actually ended up being a simply internal procedure, without any external impact or inspiration. It is as if thinking has become a game, with no genuine function or outcome. This might be analyzed as a criticism of modern-day society, where individuals are not motivated to think deeply or seriously about the world around them. Rather, they are content to simply accept what they are informed and not question it. Ellul's quote recommends that this lack of critical thinking has actually resulted in a scenario where thinking has become a superfluous workout, with no real benefit or consequence. This could be seen as a cautioning to society, that if we do not make the effort to believe deeply and seriously, then our society will become stagnant and ineffective.