--- title: "2 Barbarians Quotes By J. M. Coetzee" description: "2 Barbarians quotes by J. M. Coetzee. Plus more from J. M. Coetzee and more Barbarians sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_the-barbarians-come-out-at-night-569072_569072.jpg" --- > [The barbarians come out at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-barbarians-come-out-at-night/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_the-barbarians-come-out-at-night-569072_569072.jpg) > [I know somewhat too much; and from this knowledge, once one has been infected, there seems to be no recovering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/i-know-somewhat-too-much-and-from-this-knowledge-once-one-has-been/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_i-know-somewhat-too-much-and-from-this-k_1758306.jpg) ## Other authors on Barbarians - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-edward-gibbon-31792.jpg) Edward Gibbon 14 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/edward-gibbon/) ## More by J. M. Coetzee > [“For I am no orator. What would I have said if they had let me go on? That it is worse to beat a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/for-i-am-no-orator-what-would-i-have-said-if-they-had-let-me-go-on/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [To me, a philosopher who says that the distinction between human and nonhuman depends on whether you have a white or a black skin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/to-me-a-philosopher-who-says-that-the-distinction-between-human-and/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The spark of true poetry flashes when ideas are juxtaposed that no one has yet thought of bringing together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-spark-of-true-poetry-flashes-when-ideas-are-juxtaposed-that-no/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“But with this woman it is as if there is no interior, only a surface across which I hunt back and forth seeking entry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/but-with-this-woman-it-is-as-if-there-is-no-interior-only-a-surface/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [You think you know what is just and what is not. I understand. We all think we know." I had no doubt, myself, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/you-think-you-know-what-is-just-and-what-is-not-i-understand-we-all/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The highest type of intelligence, says Aristotle, manifests itself in an ability to see connections where no one has seen them before, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-highest-type-of-intelligence-says-aristotle-manifests-itself-in/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [I am corrupted to the bone with the beauty of this forsaken world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/i-am-corrupted-to-the-bone-with-the-beauty-of-this-forsaken-world/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Elizabeth, Lady C, claims to be writing at the limits of language. Would it not be insulting to her if I were diligently to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/elizabeth-lady-c-claims-to-be-writing-at-the-limits-of-language-would/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Denunciations of the manipulativeness of advertisers can unfortunately all too easily be turned on their heads into denunciations of the gullibility of consumers. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/denunciations-of-the-manipulativeness-of-advertisers-can/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Deprived of human intercourse, I inevitably overvalue the imagination and expect it to make the mundane glow with an aura of self-transcendence. Yet why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/deprived-of-human-intercourse-i-inevitably-overvalue-the-imagination/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [What is miraculous about the past is that we have succeeded--God knows how--in making thousands and millions of individual human beings, lock well enought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/what-is-miraculous-about-the-past-is-that-we-have-succeeded-god-knows/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [...the program of scientific experimentation that leads you to conclude that animals are imbeciles is profoundly anthropocentric. It values being able to find your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-program-of-scientific-experimentation-that-leads-you-to-conclude/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The mode of consciousness of nonhuman species is quite different from human consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-mode-of-consciousness-of-nonhuman-species-is-quite-different-from/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“The Empire does not require that its servants love each other, merely that they perform their duty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-empire-does-not-require-that-its-servants-love-each-other-merely/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The most important of all rights is the right to life, and I cannot foresee a day when domesticated animals will be granted that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-most-important-of-all-rights-is-the-right-to-life-and-i-cannot/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/#itemlist", "name": "2 Barbarians Quotes By J. M. Coetzee", "numberOfItems": 2, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The barbarians come out at night.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. M. Coetzee" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-barbarians-come-out-at-night/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_the-barbarians-come-out-at-night-569072_569072.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_the-barbarians-come-out-at-night-569072_569072.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_the-barbarians-come-out-at-night-569072_569072.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The barbarians come out at night.” — J. M. Coetzee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know somewhat too much; and from this knowledge, once one has been infected, there seems to be no recovering.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. M. Coetzee" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/i-know-somewhat-too-much-and-from-this-knowledge-once-one-has-been/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_i-know-somewhat-too-much-and-from-this-k_1758306.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_i-know-somewhat-too-much-and-from-this-k_1758306.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_i-know-somewhat-too-much-and-from-this-k_1758306.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know somewhat too much; and from this knowledge, once one has been infected, there seems to be no…” — J. M. Coetzee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/", "name": "Barbarians Quotes by J. M. Coetzee", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_barbarians_the-barbarians-come-out-at-night-569072_569072.jpg" }, "description": "2 Barbarians quotes by J. M. Coetzee. Plus more from J. M. Coetzee and more Barbarians sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Barbarians", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "J. M. Coetzee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/j-m-coetzee-2/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```