… his religion, his worship was like his daily bread to him; — which he did not take the trouble to talk much about; which he merely ate at stated intervals, and lived and did his work upon! This is :w:Samson of Tottington|Abbot Samson’s Catholicism of the Twelfth Century; — something like the Ism of all true men in all true centuries, I fancy! Alas, compared with any of the Isms current in these poor days, what a thing!
An ism does not have to possess the fearful implements of state power to cut off a a deviant or heretical member.
1969, Walter E. Minchinton, Mercantilism; System Or Expediency?, p. xi,
In his exposition, he has failed to achieve the identification of situation, theory, and policy necessary to create an ism.
1986, (w) (as Ferris Bueller), w:Ferris Buellers Day Off|Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:''
Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an ism – he should believe in himself.
1994, Kenneth Kaye, Workplace Wars and How to End Them, p. 70,
It is important to distinguish between an ism and a mere generalization about group differences. Generalizations that have statistical validity are not isms. An ism assumes that the generalization applies to an individual.
Specifically, a form of discrimination, such as racism or sexism.