Skip to content

The people of the United States have been fortunate in…

“The people of the United States have been fortunate in many things. One of the things in which we have been most fortunate has been that so far, due perhaps to certain basic virtues in our traditional ways of doing things, we have managed to keep the crisis of western civilization, which has…” quote by John Dos Passos
Download Open image
“The people of the United States have been fortunate in many things. One of the things in which we have been most fortunate has been that so far, due perhaps to certain basic virtues in our traditional ways of doing things, we have managed to keep the crisis of western civilization, which has devastated the rest of the world and in which we are as much involved as anybody, more or less at arm's length.”

John Dos Passos

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He credits traditional virtues for keeping Western civilization’s crises at a manageable distance compared to the rest of the world.

In simple terms: Traditional values helped limit global crises.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and uphold core virtues.

Themes

virtue civilization history politics

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

  • policy analysis
  • education reform
  • public discourse
  • international relations

Key Concepts

cultural resilience historical perspective

Questions to Reflect On

  • What virtues are most threatened today?
  • How can societies balance tradition with progress?
A Different Perspective

Overlooks systemic flaws and external factors influencing crises.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by John Dos Passos

Explore all 125 John Dos Passos quotes

More America quotes

Browse all 20,382 America quotes