--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History teaches us that the capacity for…" description: "\"History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.\" — Chalmers Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png" --- # History teaches us that the capacity for things to get… ![“History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.” quote by Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png) > “History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.” [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History shows that deterioration can be boundless; things can get infinitely worse. **In simple terms:** Bad outcomes can spiral without limit. Key Takeaway Prepare for worst‑case scenarios. Themes history risk pessimism Mood cautious analytical Type historical strategic When to use this quote - policy planning - crisis management - financial forecasting - social planning Key Concepts political science economics security studies Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent escalation? - How to balance optimism with realism? A Different Perspective Focusing only on worst case can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Teaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-teaches/) [Limitless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitless/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Teaches Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaches-capacity-4545383/) [Things Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-worse/) [Worse Limitless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-limitless-4545382/) ## Related quotes > [History teaches us that the capacity of things to get worse is limitless. Roman history suggests that the short, happy life of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-of-things-to-get-worse-is/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The universe is but a partial manifestation of your limitless capacity to become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/the-universe-is-but-a-partial-manifestation-of-your-limitless/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [In other words, I’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/in-other-words-i-m-against-cheating-greed-cruelty-racism-imperialism/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [If history teaches us anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/if-history-teaches-us-anything-it-teaches-that-simple-minded/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“History teaches us many things. Most importantly, the things that made us who and what we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bonville/history-teaches-us-many-things-most-importantly-the-things-that-made/) [Robert Bonville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bonville/) > [History teaches us that a given view has been abandoned in favor of another by all men, or by all competent men, or perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/history-teaches-us-that-a-given-view-has-been-abandoned-in-favor-of/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“What history teaches us is that men have never learned anything from it.” —G. W. F. Hegel, nineteenth-century German philosopher”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-viola/what-history-teaches-us-is-that-men-have-never-learned-anything-from/) [Frank Viola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-viola/) > [“If history teaches anything it is that there can be no peace without equilibrium and no justice without restraint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-kissinger/if-history-teaches-anything-it-is-that-there-can-be-no-peace-without/) [Henry Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-kissinger/) > [“History teaches us that men and nations only behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." --”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/history-teaches-us-that-men-and-nations-only-behave-wisely-once-they/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/history-teaches-that-war-begins-when-governments-believe-the-price-of/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The only thing history teaches us, a wise man once said, is that history doesn’t teach us anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/the-only-thing-history-teaches-us-a-wise-man-once-said-is-that/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [If history teaches anything, it teaches humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-s-wood/if-history-teaches-anything-it-teaches-humility/) [Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-s-wood/) > [“History teaches us that ordinary people can grow accustomed to horrible, normally unthinkable acts—what”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-e-lieberman/history-teaches-us-that-ordinary-people-can-grow-accustomed-to/) [Daniel E. Lieberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-e-lieberman/) > [If History teaches any lesson at all, it is that there are no historical lessons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucien-febvre/if-history-teaches-any-lesson-at-all-it-is-that-there-are-no/) [Lucien Febvre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucien-febvre/) > [From men motivated by moral certitude, history teaches, no lasting good ever comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/from-men-motivated-by-moral-certitude-history-teaches-no-lasting-good/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) ## More by Chalmers Johnson > [A nation can be one or the other, a democracy or an imperialist, but it can't be both. If it sticks to imperialism, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/a-nation-can-be-one-or-the-other-a-democracy-or-an-imperialist-but-it/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [When war becomes the most profitable course of action, we can certainly expect more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/when-war-becomes-the-most-profitable-course-of-action-we-can/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The term blowback, which officials of the Central Intelligent Agency first invented for their own internal use, . . . refers to the unintended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-term-blowback-which-officials-of-the-central-intelligent-agency/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all are likely to pay a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/although-most-americans-may-be-largely-ignorant-of-what-was-and-still/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [None of the people's wars of the sixties did very well, including the one in Vietnam. Vo Nguyen Giap himself has admitted a loss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/none-of-the-people-s-wars-of-the-sixties-did-very-well-including-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The demise of the American empire will be no more regretted than the demise of the Soviet empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-demise-of-the-american-empire-will-be-no-more-regretted-than-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [History teaches us that the capacity of things to get worse is limitless. Roman history suggests that the short, happy life of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-of-things-to-get-worse-is/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [As a form of government, imperialism does not seek or require the consent of the governed. It is a pure form of tyranny. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/as-a-form-of-government-imperialism-does-not-seek-or-require-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion dollars. Profits went up last year well over 25%. I guarantee you: when war becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of-a-trillion-dollars-profits/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/lastly-there-is-bankruptcy-as-the-united-states-pours-its-economic/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Blowback is simply another way of saying that a nation reaps what it sows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/blowback-is-simply-another-way-of-saying-that-a-nation-reaps-what-it/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Imperial politics represents the conquest of domestic politics and the latter's conversion into a crucial element of inverted totalitarianism. It makes no sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/imperial-politics-represents-the-conquest-of-domestic-politics-and/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) [Explore all 13 Chalmers Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) ## More Capacity quotes > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [For years mental health professionals taught people that they could be psychologically healthy without social support, that “unless you love yourself, no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-d-perry/for-years-mental-health-professionals-taught-people-that-they-could/) [Bruce D. Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-d-perry/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [“Teach honesty by all means - you do know what it is, don't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/teach-honesty-by-all-means-you-do-know-what-it-is-don-t-you/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/human-freedom-involves-our-capacity-to-pause-between-the-stimulus-and/) [Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/) > [he cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-popova/he-cult-of-productivity-has-its-place-but-worshipping-at-its-altar/) [Maria Popova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-popova/) > [Can you understand why the Congress, most states and most cities refuse to pass legislation requiring the registration and licensing of any and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/can-you-understand-why-the-congress-most-states-and-most-cities/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bravery-is-the-capacity-to-perform-properly-even-when-scared-half-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,320 Capacity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chalmers Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for-things-to-get-worse-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capacity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for-things-to-get-worse-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aff/chalmers-johnson-35363_capacity_history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for_2966600.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.” — Chalmers Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "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": "Chalmers Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "History teaches us that the capacity...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for-things-to-get-worse-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for-things-to-get-worse-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@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 } } ] } ```