--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The British are civilized. People still…" description: "\"“The British are civilized. People still read and some conversations can be interesting. By contrast American are fat and stupid and so thoroughly brai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/dan-fante-37433_american_the-british-are-civilized-people-still-r_1846641.png" --- # The British are civilized. People still read and some… ![“The British are civilized. People still read and some conversations can be interesting. By contrast American are fat and stupid and so thoroughly brain-blurred and over-sold by our culture that there's a numbing, unapologetic, arrogance and desperation about us. In fact, I've just defined the…” quote by Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/dan-fante-37433_american_the-british-are-civilized-people-still-r_1846641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/dan-fante-37433_american_the-british-are-civilized-people-still-r_1846641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6f/dan-fante-37433_american_the-british-are-civilized-people-still-r_1846641.png) > ““The British are civilized. People still read and some conversations can be interesting. By contrast American are fat and stupid and so thoroughly brain-blurred and over-sold by our culture that there's a numbing, unapologetic, arrogance and desperation about us. In fact, I've just defined the perfect consumer.”” [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker contrasts perceived British civility with a harsh view of American consumer culture, suggesting it creates arrogance and desperation. **In simple terms:** British seen as cultured; Americans depicted as shallow consumers. Key Takeaway Recognize stereotypes and avoid blanket judgments. Themes culture stereotypes consumerism arrogance Mood critical skeptical Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - marketing analysis - media studies - cross‑cultural communication Key Concepts national identity media influence social critique Questions to Reflect On - How do media narratives shape our view of national character? - Can we find nuance beyond stereotypes? A Different Perspective The view may be overly generalized and dismissive of diversity within each nation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Civilized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-civilized-2394632/) [Civilized People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilized-people-564740/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Contrast American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrast-american-2394633/) ## Related quotes > [I was in a group show at a museum in Torino, a lot of American artists installed in a floor of this museum. Another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-salle/i-was-in-a-group-show-at-a-museum-in-torino-a-lot-of-american-artists/) [David Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-salle/) > [Nothing and no one can destroy the Chinese people. They are relentless survivors. They are the oldest civilized people on earth. Their civilization passes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/nothing-and-no-one-can-destroy-the-chinese-people-they-are-relentless-2/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [We talk about civilization as though it's a static state. There are no civilized people yet, it's a process that's constantly going on... As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/we-talk-about-civilization-as-though-it-s-a-static-state-there-are-no/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [Civilized people can talk about anything. For them no subject is taboo… In civilized societies there will be no intellectual bogeys at sight of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-bell/civilized-people-can-talk-about-anything-for-them-no-subject-is-taboo/) [Clive Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-bell/) > [I could tell Hugo was convinced that he would get to walk back up these stairs: after all, he was a civilized person. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-could-tell-hugo-was-convinced-that-he-would-get-to-walk-back-up/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“If a good system of agriculture, unrivaled manufacturing skill, a capacity to produce whatever can contribute to either convenience or luxury, schools established in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-munro/if-a-good-system-of-agriculture-unrivaled-manufacturing-skill-a/) [Thomas Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-munro/) > [Indigenous people believe that Man belongs to the World; civilized people believe that the World belongs to Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/indigenous-people-believe-that-man-belongs-to-the-world-civilized/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Don't talk like you're one of them! You're not... even if you'd like to be. To them you're just a freak, like me. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nolan/don-t-talk-like-you-re-one-of-them-you-re-not-even-if-you-d-like-to/) [Christopher Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nolan/) > [Language, the machine of the poet, is best fitted for his purpose in its rudest state. Nations, like individuals, first perceive, and then abstract.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/language-the-machine-of-the-poet-is-best-fitted-for-his-purpose-in/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The most civilized people are as near to barbarism as the most polished steel is to rust. Nations, like metals, have only a superficial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-rivarol/the-most-civilized-people-are-as-near-to-barbarism-as-the-most/) [Antoine Rivarol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-rivarol/) > [there is a danger, when thinking of the earliest civilized people, of putting too much emphasis on technology. One tends to assume that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquetta-hawkes/there-is-a-danger-when-thinking-of-the-earliest-civilized-people-of/) [Jacquetta Hawkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquetta-hawkes/) > [“Civilized people must, I believe, satisfy the following criteria: 1) They respect human beings as individuals and are therefore always tolerant, gentle, courteous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/civilized-people-must-i-believe-satisfy-the-following-criteria-1-they/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Civilized people loose fire in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-poison-king/civilized-people-loose-fire-in-it/) [Dr. Poison King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-poison-king/) > [I trust the time is nigh when, with the universal assent of civilized people, all international differences shall be determined without resort to arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/i-trust-the-time-is-nigh-when-with-the-universal-assent-of-civilized/) [Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/) > [“All scientific effort must now be concentrated in the area of defence (sic). We have learned our lesson. We, the most civilized of people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/all-scientific-effort-must-now-be-concentrated-in-the-area-of-defence/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) ## More by Dan Fante > [Creativity is achieved in the doing, it's not achieved in the thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/creativity-is-achieved-in-the-doing-it-s-not-achieved-in-the-thinking/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [The passion has never left me. I live as two people - myself, Dan Fante, and Bruno Dante or Mickey Di Salvo, or whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/the-passion-has-never-left-me-i-live-as-two-people-myself-dan-fante/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [“All American politicians are bought and paid for by American lobbyists. We no longer have representative government here. We breed monsters like Kissinger and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/all-american-politicians-are-bought-and-paid-for-by-american/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [“...man can survive ...he can kill and be twisted and broken and desperate and insane and fuck barnyard pets in the dark and wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/man-can-survive-he-can-kill-and-be-twisted-and-broken-and-desperate/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [“We're fat, we're greedy, and we don't give a shit. Our religion is TV. Our saviour is Bill Gates. 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Were it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/organized-religion-is-horseshit-spirituality-the-spirituality-that-i/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [“My secret weapon is my anger. That's what stimulates me as an artist. I want change. I want it yesterday. I'm pissed off at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/my-secret-weapon-is-my-anger-that-s-what-stimulates-me-as-an-artist-i/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [“no wonder i let queers suck my cock”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/no-wonder-i-let-queers-suck-my-cock/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) > [I think we create our own reality by the thoughts we have. Recovery for me has been learning how to choose my thoughts, learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fante/i-think-we-create-our-own-reality-by-the-thoughts-we-have-recovery/) [Dan Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) [Explore all 12 Dan Fante quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fante/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. 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The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The British are civilized. People still read and some conversations can be interesting. By contrast American are fat and stupid and so thoroughly brain-blurred and over-sold by our culture that there's a numbing, unapologetic, arrogance and desperation about us. 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