--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: them from the ruthless mechanism of the…" description: "\"“them from the ruthless mechanism of the world.”\" — Colson Whitehead" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/colson-whitehead-1042_mechanism_them-from-the-ruthless-mechanism-of-the_358155.png" --- # them from the ruthless mechanism of the world. ![“them from the ruthless mechanism of the world.” quote by Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/colson-whitehead-1042_mechanism_them-from-the-ruthless-mechanism-of-the_358155.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/colson-whitehead-1042_mechanism_them-from-the-ruthless-mechanism-of-the_358155.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f70/colson-whitehead-1042_mechanism_them-from-the-ruthless-mechanism-of-the_358155.png) > ““them from the ruthless mechanism of the world.”” [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns against the harsh, dehumanizing forces of society. **In simple terms:** Beware the world’s ruthless mechanisms. Key Takeaway Guard against systemic oppression. Themes justice oppression humanity Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - activism - policy making - community organizing Key Concepts social critique philosophical insight Questions to Reflect On - How do you resist systemic cruelty? - What can individuals change? A Different Perspective Complex systems are not easily dismantled. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanism/) [Mechanism World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanism-world-655062/) [Ruthless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruthless/) [Ruthless Mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruthless-mechanism-3293499/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [If I want to get my ideas out, I have to be involved in the mechanism that the world is ran by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/if-i-want-to-get-my-ideas-out-i-have-to-be-involved-in-the-mechanism/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Florey was not an easy personality. His drive and ambition were manifest from the day he arrived ... He could be ruthless and selfish;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-drury/florey-was-not-an-easy-personality-his-drive-and-ambition-were/) [Allen Drury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-drury/) > [I've been fortunate to play many different types of characters thus far. However, I really enjoy playing roles that are different than who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-holden/i-ve-been-fortunate-to-play-many-different-types-of-characters-thus/) [Gina Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-holden/) > [I'm trying to make the box, trying to be more ruthless, more clinical, and trying to decide games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-sterling/i-m-trying-to-make-the-box-trying-to-be-more-ruthless-more-clinical/) [Raheem Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-sterling/) > [“There was an infinitesimal pause while he watched her face, as though he half expected her to recognise it, before he went on, 'My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wilkinson/there-was-an-infinitesimal-pause-while-he-watched-her-face-as-though/) [Lee Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-wilkinson/) > [Deathstroke is the dark-mirror version of Batman, basically. He is every bit as resourceful, every bit as ruthless, every bit as powerful as Batman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/deathstroke-is-the-dark-mirror-version-of-batman-basically-he-is/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [Look at these ISIS people. These people are ruthless. They don't operate by any sort of normal civilized code. That's the world. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-newbern/look-at-these-isis-people-these-people-are-ruthless-they-don-t/) [George Newbern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-newbern/) > [Where there is no danger of overt action there is rarely any interference with freedom. 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I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) ## More by Colson Whitehead > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I want to keep growing as a writer. 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Cora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-great-war-had-always-been-between-the-white-and-the-black-it/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“The worst sort of scoundrels took up the chase. Drunkards, incorrigibles, poor whites who didn’t even own shoes delighted in this opportunity to scourge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-worst-sort-of-scoundrels-took-up-the-chase-drunkards/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Don’t go searching for a subject, let your subject find you. You can’t rush inspiration. … Once your subject finds you, it’s like falling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/don-t-go-searching-for-a-subject-let-your-subject-find-you-you-can-t/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“its terms? Homer watched her as she dressed, like a valet who had waited on her since the cradle. “I’m caught,” Cora said. “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/its-terms-homer-watched-her-as-she-dressed-like-a-valet-who-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [These days I find myself wanting to avoid being pigeon-holed, ghettoized, held in a different category than other authors. And when people ask me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/these-days-i-find-myself-wanting-to-avoid-being-pigeon-holed/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Part of any book is establishing the rules at the end of the world. My first book, 'The Intuitionist,' takes place in an alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/part-of-any-book-is-establishing-the-rules-at-the-end-of-the-world-my/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [There's always an attack on the sophomore novel from some quarters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/there-s-always-an-attack-on-the-sophomore-novel-from-some-quarters/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“All he felt now was envy. These people had expectations. Of the world, of the future, it didn't matter--expectation was such an innovative concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/all-he-felt-now-was-envy-these-people-had-expectations-of-the-world/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Growing up as a product of the black civil-rights movement, I had a lot of different models for black weirdness, whether it's Richard Pryor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/growing-up-as-a-product-of-the-black-civil-rights-movement-i-had-a/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [Schools don't teach American history that well, especially a lot of black American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/schools-don-t-teach-american-history-that-well-especially-a-lot-of/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) [Explore all 302 Colson Whitehead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) ## More Mechanism quotes > [Story is about pulling the reader in and a plot is a more externalized mechanism of revelation. 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He looked weird and I think he took a really defensive attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-fritts/tom-stafford-was-an-odd-character-you-know-a-brilliant-guy-he-looked/) [Donnie Fritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-fritts/) > [I think the most important way to understand play is that it's this property that's in things. Like there's play in a mechanism. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/i-think-the-most-important-way-to-understand-play-is-that-it-s-this/) [Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/) > [Obedience is the psychological mechanism that links individual action to political purpose. It is the dispositional cement that binds men to systems of authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/obedience-is-the-psychological-mechanism-that-links-individual-action/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [One mechanism of repression is the grand jury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/one-mechanism-of-repression-is-the-grand-jury/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) > [When you're walking at the airport, you're expected to smile at people because they know you... I find that tough. I'm only trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kaif/when-you-re-walking-at-the-airport-you-re-expected-to-smile-at-people/) [Katrina Kaif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kaif/) > [With taxes, if they aren't working right, we can change them with a stroke of the pen. It's basically a market-type mechanism. 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