Avoided Quote by Carroll Quigley
“The hope for the twentieth century rests on recognition that war and depression are man-made, and needless. They can be avoided in the future by turning from the nineteenth-century characteristics just mentioned (materialism, selfishness, false values, hypocrisy, and secret vices) and going back to other characteristics that our Western Society has always regarded as virtues: generosity, compassion, cooperation, rationality, and foresight, and finding a increased role in human life for love, spirituality, charity, and self discipline.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Future of Freedom, 1965
Peace and prosperity require abandoning materialism and selfishness, embracing virtues like compassion and rationality.
In simple terms: Drop selfishness, adopt compassion and rationality for a better future.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate generosity and cooperation.
Themes
peace
virtue ethics
social reform
Mood
hopeful
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- community building
- education curricula
- personal practice
Key Concepts
materialism
selfishness
humanism
spirituality
Questions to Reflect On
- What virtues can you practice today?
- How can societies shift from materialism?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep cultural values is difficult and slow.
