The belief, not only of Socialists but also of those so-called Liberals who are diligently
preparing the way for them, is that by due skill an ill-working humanity may be framed in
well-working institutions. It is a delusion.
—Herbert Spencer, 1884
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals.
—Marie Curie, 1923
The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.
—George Eliot, 1858
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
29
—George Bernard Shaw, 1903
***
Adapt or perish, now as ever, is Nature’s inexorable imperative.
—H. G. Wells, 1945
Natural selection determined the evolution of cultures in the same manner as it did that of
species.
—Konrad Lorenz, 1966
The history of man is a graveyard of great cultures that came to catastrophic ends because
of their incapacity for planned, rational, voluntary reaction to challenge.
—Erich Fromm, 1962
We civilizations now know ourselves mortal.
—Paul Valéry, 1919
The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1870
The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.
—Don Marquis, 1927
The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddles
no more, and longs eagerly for just two things - bread and circuses!
—Juvenal, 2
nd century AD
We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls.
—Bill Bryson, 1991
30
Civilizations die by suicide, not by murder.
—Arnold J. Toynbee, 1947
29
A popular (anonymous?) extension of this quote is: “…this becomes evident if you watch that
‘progress’ for a while”.
30
Note the date; by now we have stopped doing even that – besides those in computer games.
160
On Society and Solitude, Liberty and Civilization
preparing the way for them, is that by due skill an ill-working humanity may be framed in
well-working institutions. It is a delusion.
—Herbert Spencer, 1884
You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals.
—Marie Curie, 1923
The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.
—George Eliot, 1858
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to
adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
29
—George Bernard Shaw, 1903
***
Adapt or perish, now as ever, is Nature’s inexorable imperative.
—H. G. Wells, 1945
Natural selection determined the evolution of cultures in the same manner as it did that of
species.
—Konrad Lorenz, 1966
The history of man is a graveyard of great cultures that came to catastrophic ends because
of their incapacity for planned, rational, voluntary reaction to challenge.
—Erich Fromm, 1962
We civilizations now know ourselves mortal.
—Paul Valéry, 1919
The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1870
The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.
—Don Marquis, 1927
The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, legions, and all else, now meddles
no more, and longs eagerly for just two things - bread and circuses!
—Juvenal, 2
nd century AD
We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls.
—Bill Bryson, 1991
30
Civilizations die by suicide, not by murder.
—Arnold J. Toynbee, 1947
29
A popular (anonymous?) extension of this quote is: “…this becomes evident if you watch that
‘progress’ for a while”.
30
Note the date; by now we have stopped doing even that – besides those in computer games.
160
On Society and Solitude, Liberty and Civilization