Home / Topics / Civilised Quotes

Civilised Quotes

Browse 113 quotes about Civilised.

Related topics

Civilised Quotes

“Most men, whether men or women, wish above all else to be comfortable, and thought is a pre-eminently uncomfortable process; it brings to the individual far more suffering than happiness in a semi-civilised world which still goes to war.”

Men World Stills War Suffering Individual Wish Process Comfortable Uncomfortable Civilised

Author:Vera Brittain

“A civilised man is someone who has discovered something more satisfying than combat.”

Men Combat Satisfying Civilised

Author:John Keegan

“The war on terror is the most insane and immoral war of all time. The Americans are doing what they did in Vietnam, bombing villages. But how can a civilised nation do this? How can you can eliminate suspects, their wives, their children, their families, their neighbours? How can you justify this?”

Children War Nations Wife Terror Insane All Time Justify Suspects Village Vietnam Immoral Neighbour Bombing War On Terror Civilised

Author:Imran Khan

“Brits are far more intelligent and civilised than Americans. I love the fact that you can hail a taxi and just pick up your pram and put in the back of the cab without having to collapse it. I love the parks and places I go for dinner and my friends.”

Facts Picks My Friends Intelligent Dinner Parks Collapse Taxi Hail Cab Civilised Brits Prams

Author:Gwyneth Paltrow

“London is one of the most civilised places in the world for the procedure of making architecture and urban design.”

World Design London Architecture Urban Procedures Places In The World Civilised Urban Design

Author:Renzo Piano

“The theoretical understanding of the world, which is the aim of philosophy, is not a matter of great practical importance to animals, or to savages, or even to most civilised men.”

Men World Matter Philosophy Understanding Animal Importance Aim Practicals Savages Theoretical Civilised

Book:Mysticism and Logic

Source: Mysticism and Logic

“It is the duty of the followers of Islam to spread through the civilised world, a knowledge of what Islam means - its spirit and message.”

World Mean Spirit Duty Messages Islam Spread Followers Civilised

Author:Annie Besant

“Swedes are such a civilised, perfect society - at least on the surface. There's a great safety net, a huge middle class, free education, free health care. People are very polite, they wait their turn. They're not too loud, they're not too quiet, but sometimes it's a little too perfect.”

“I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me the most civilised music in the world.”

World Happiness Joy Sound Music Laughter Heartless Civilised

Author:Peter Ustinov

“If one could only teach the English how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, society here would be quite civilized.”

Ifs Would Be Funny Teach Travel Witty Sarcastic Civilized Civilised Being Irish Irish Writers Funny Irish Civilised Society

Author:Oscar Wilde

“If no set of moral ideas were truer or better than any other, there would be no sense in preferring civilised morality to savage morality.”

Ifs Ideas Would Be Moral Morality Savages Civilised

Book:Mere Christianity

Source: Mere Christianity

“Civilised life, you know, is based on a huge number of illusions in which we all collaborate willingly. The trouble is we forget after a while that they are illusions and we are deeply shocked when reality is torn down around us.”

Knows Reality Forget Numbers Trouble Huge Illusion Shocked Torn Civilised Huge Numbers

Author:J. G. Ballard

“War was a hellish, horrible hideous thing - too horrible and hideous to happen in the twentieth century between civilised nations.”

War Happens Nations Century Horrible Twentieth Century Hideous Civilised

Book:Rilla of Ingleside

Source: Rilla of Ingleside

“A country is considered the more civilised the more the wisdom and efficiency of its laws hinder a weak man from becoming too weak and a powerful one too powerful.”

Men Country Law Powerful Becoming Weak Efficiency Hinder Civilised Weak Man

Author:Primo Levi

“I would like you to teach [the orcs] civilised behaviour," said Ladyship coldly. He appeared to consider this. "Yes of course, I think that would be quite possible," he said. "And who would you send to teach the humans?”

Thinking Humans Said Would Be Courses Teach Like You Behaviour Civilised Orcs

Author:Terry Pratchett

“Why are you not smarter? It's only the rich who can't afford to be smart. They're compromised. They got locked years ago into privilege. They have to protect their belongings. No one is meaner than the rich. Trust me. But they have to follow the rules of their shitty civilised world. They declare war, they have honour, and they can't leave. But you two. We three. We're free.”

World Years Two War Three Rich Protect Smart Years Ago Privilege Belonging Honour Locked Smarter Trust Me Being Smart Civilised

Author:Michael Ondaatje

“At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace throughout the world the savage races. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, as Professor Schaaffhausen has remarked, will no doubt be exterminated. The break will then be rendered wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state as we may hope, than the Caucasian and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as at present between the negro or Australian and the gorilla.”

Source: The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex

“Civilised my syphilised yarbles.”

Book:A Clockwork Orange: Restored Edition

Source: A Clockwork Orange: Restored Edition

“I could show fight on natural selection having done and doing more for the progress of civilization than you seem inclined to admit. Remember what risk the nations of Europe ran, not so many centuries ago of being overwhelmed by the Turks, and how ridiculous such an idea now is! The more civilised so-called Caucasian races have beaten the Turkish hollow in the struggle for existence. Looking to the world at no very distant date, what an endless number of the lower races will have been eliminated by the higher civilized races throughout the world.”

Source: Life and Letters of Charles Darwin: the Evolution

“We in the House of Lords are never in touch with public opinion. That makes us a civilised body.”

Body House Lord Opinion Public Opinion Civilised House Of Lords

Book:Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays Including De Profundis

Source: Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays Including De Profundis

“Look at me!" I roar. "Do you think you'll be the first I've killed today? I wasn't a murderer, but you changed me. I'm a monster now. And I'm hungry." "Meera!" Anotoine whines. "Prae! Please, I beg you. You're civilised people. Help me!" "We can't," Prae says coldly. "Even if we wanted to - and personally I have no problem with him gutting you - we couldn't. He's not ours to control. He's one of your specimens. You helped create him - now you have to deal with him”

People Ifs Thinking Firsts Looks Helping Problem Today Wanted Deals Changed Please Monsters Hungry Help Me Look At Me Murderer No Problem Civilised You Changed

Author:Darren Shan

“There is something hugely civilised about allowing long pauses in a conversation. Very few people can stand that kind of silence.”

People Kind Long Silence Conversation Patience Allowing Pauses Civilised

Author:James Robertson

“It is the decisive people who have become civilised; it is the indecisive, otherwise called the higher sceptics, or the idealistic doubters, who have remained barbarians.”

People Higher Skeptic Barbarians Idealistic Civilised Doubters Sceptic Indecisive

Author:Gilbert K. Chesterton

“One must expect a war between U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. which will begin with the total destruction of London. I think the war will last 30 years, and leave a world without civilised people, from which everything will have to build afresh - a process taking (say) 500 years.”

People Thinking World Years War Lasts Process Known Months Destruction London Eras Just One Activist Explosions Hiroshima Civilised

Author:Bertrand Russell

“Do you know what a soldier is, young man? He's the chap who makes it possible for civilized folk to despise war.”

Knows Men War Young Soldier Folks Young Man Civilized Do You Know Despise Navy Civilised Chaps

Book:A Question Of Loyalties

Source: A Question Of Loyalties

“The nineteenth century will ever be known as the one in which the influences of science were first fully realised in civilised communities; the scientific progress was so gigantic that it seems rash to predict that any of its successors can be more important in the life of any nation.”

Firsts Important Seems Science Nations Community Known Progress Influence Century Civilization Accounts Realised Nineteenth Century Successors Civilised Scientific Progress

Book:Education and National Progress

Source: Education and National Progress

“All civilised countries should unite in the fight against international terrorism.”

Should Country Fighting Crime International Terrorism Civilised International Terrorism

Author:Vladimir Putin

“This extraordinary metal, the soul of every manufacture, and the mainspring perhaps of civilised society. Of iron.”

Soul Science Society Civilization Extraordinary Iron Metals Civilised Civilised Society

Book:Men of Invention and Industry

Source: Men of Invention and Industry

“When most objects are truly functional, this technological age, which is just beginning, will be truly civilised. When all objects in this country are truly functional, Australia will be as beautiful in its own way as classical Greece.”

Way Country Age Beautiful Beauty Objects Architecture Australia Technological Greece Civilised

Book:Artificial Australia

Source: Artificial Australia

“It is the law of love that rules mankind. Had violence, i.e. hate, rules us we would have become extinct long ago. And yet, the tragedy of it is that the so-called civilised men and nations conduct themselves as if the basis of society was violence.”

Ifs Men Love Long Law Hate Nations Violence Mankind Bases Tragedy Long Ago Civilised

Book:Gandhi on Non-violence

Source: Gandhi on Non-violence

“Globalisation can provide the route for the development of a sustainable and prosperous planetary society in the next generation, provided that globalisation itself becomes more civilised than it is right now.”

Next Environment Generations Development Right Now Routes Next Generation Prosperous Civilised Globalisation

Author:Peter Ellyard

“I think you will agree the sign of a civilised society is a regular dining schedule.”

Thinking Agree Schedules Dining Civilised Civilised Society

Author:Philippa Ballantine

“It is so far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a state of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilised society imposes to prevent separation, are hardly sufficient to keep them together.”

Men States Together Natural Marriage Men And Women Connections Separation Sufficient Motive Restraint Civilised Being Natural Civilised Society

Author:Samuel Johnson

“The artichoke above all is the vegetable expression of civilised living, of the long view, of increasing delight by anticipation and crescendo. No wonder it was once regarded as an aphrodisiac. It had no place in the troll's world of instant gratification. It makes no appeal to the meat-and-two-veg mentality.”

Source: Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book

“We can only truly be civilised people when we have regular and meaningful contact with the wild world”

People World Nature Environment Meaningful Contact Natural Environment Civilised Wild World

Author:Simon Barnes

“In itself and in its consequences the life of leisure is beautiful and ennobling in all civilised men's eyes.”

Men Life Eye Beautiful Inspire Consequence Leisure Civilised Conspicuous Consumption

Book:THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS: An Economic Study of American Institutions and a Social Critique of Conspicuous Consumption: Development of Institutions That Shape Society and Influence the Livelihood of Citizens: Based on Sociological & Economical Theories of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Adam Smith and Herbert Spencer

Source: THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS: An Economic Study of American Institutions and a Social Critique of Conspicuous Consumption: Development of Institutions That Shape Society and Influence the Livelihood of Citizens: Based on Sociological & Economical Theories of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Adam Smith and Herbert Spencer

“The English language is like London: proudly barbaric yet deeply civilised, too, common yet royal, vulgar yet processional, sacred yet profane.”

Language Common Sacred London Royal Vulgar English Language Profane Barbaric Civilised

Book:The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within

Source: The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within

“The permissive society has been allowed to become a dirty phrase. A better phrase is the civilised society”

Has Beens Dirty Phrases Nasty Civilised Civilised Society

Author:Roy Jenkins

“At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace the savage races throughout the world.”

Men World Race Century Evolution Periods Civilized Fierce Savages Descent Civilised Extermination Evolution Of Man Origin Of Man

Book:The Descent of Man (Diversion Classics)

Source: The Descent of Man (Diversion Classics)

“In all highly civilised communities Pretence is prominent, and sooner or later invades the regions of Literature.”

Literature Community Regions Sooner Or Later Prominent Pretence Civilised

Book:Sammlung

Source: Sammlung

“You’re talking about Rwanda or Bangladesh, or Cambodia, or the Philippines. They’ve got democracy, according to Freedom House. But have you got a civilised life to lead? People want economic development first and foremost. The leaders may talk something else. You take a poll of any people. What is it they want? The right to write an editorial as you like? They want homes, medicine, jobs, schools.”

“Well, the world is vastly counted in favour of men at every level - except if you live in a civilised country and you’re sort of educated and middle-class, because then you’re almost certainly junior in your relationship and in a state of permanent, crippled apology. Your preferences are routinely mocked. There’s a huge, unfortunate lack of respect for anything male.”

“Bombing is not especially inhumane. War itself is inhumane and the bombing plane, which is used to paralyse industry and transport, is a relatively civilised weapon. 'Normal' or 'legitimate' warfare is just as destructive of inanimate objects and enormously so of human lives.”

Humans War Used Objects Industry Normal Weapons Historical Planes Human Life Destructive Warfare Transport Bombing Civilised Inanimate Objects Inhumane

Book:Fifty Essays (George Orwell) (Literary Thoughts Edition)

Source: Fifty Essays (George Orwell) (Literary Thoughts Edition)

“Men play at tragedy because they do not believe in the reality of the tragedy which is actually being staged in the civilised world”

Men World Believe Play Reality Tragedy Civilised

Book:the Revolt of the Masses

Source: the Revolt of the Masses

“The civilised cultures are the most cruel. It's the same with education - often it breeds sadistic forms of cruelty.”

Form Culture Cruelty Civilised Sadistic

Author:Nellie McKay

“A wasteland is a confrontation to a man of stature: an empty place, a gauntlet thrown down in challenge and defiance. A place like that cries out to be conquered and civilised.”

Men Challenges Cry Empty Thrown Confrontation Defiance Stature Civilised Wasteland Gauntlet Empty Places

Book:The Hermetic Millennia

Source: The Hermetic Millennia

“This generation may either be the last to exist in any semblance of a civilised world or that it will be the first to have the vision, the bearing and the greatness to say, 'I will have nothing to do with this destruction of life, I will play no part in this devastation of the land, I am determined to live and work for peaceful construction for I am morally responsible for the world of today and the generations of tomorrow.'”

“It is a mark of civilised man that he seeks to understand his traditions, and to criticise them, not to swallow them whole.”

Men Whole History Tradition Mark Civilised Criticise

Author:Moses Finley

“On this waterlogged landscape....are scattered palaces and hovels....It is here that the human spirit becomes perfect, and at the same time brutalised, that civilisation produces its marvels and that civilised man returns to the savage.”

Men Humans Spirit Perfect Cities Produce Return Landscape Savages Human Spirit Palaces Civilisation Civilised

Author:Alexis de Tocqueville

“Africa may yet prove to be the spiritual conservatory of the world ... When the civilised nations in consequence of their wonderful material development, shall have had their spiritual susceptibilities blunted through the agency of a captivating and absorbing materialism, it may be that they have to resort to Africa to recover some of the simple elements of faith.”