--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You’re captives of a civilizational…" description: "\"“You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.”\" — Daniel Quinn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png" --- # You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or… ![“You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.” quote by Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png) > ““You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.”” [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We are trapped in a cultural system that forces destructive behavior for survival. **In simple terms:** Culture forces harmful habits. Key Takeaway Question and change the system. Themes environment culture responsibility Mood critical reflective Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - personal lifestyle choices Key Concepts systems theory ecology anthropology Questions to Reflect On - How does your daily life support the system? - What can you change personally? A Different Perspective Changing systems is complex and faces resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“You're captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live... I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-system-that-more-or-less-compels-3/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [You're captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live. … You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-system-that-more-or-less-compels-2/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [We're not destroying the world because we're clumsy. We're destroying the world because we are, in a very literal and deliberate way, at war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/we-re-not-destroying-the-world-because-we-re-clumsy-we-re-destroying/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The world is not going to survive very much longer as humanity's captive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-world-is-not-going-to-survive-very-much-longer-as-humanity-s/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [We are all captives of a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/we-are-all-captives-of-a-story/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The US is the wrecking machine that is destroying everything. The world is hoping that China will somehow come to the rescue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-us-is-the-wrecking-machine-that-is-destroying-everything-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Business is destroying the world, with flair, expertise, and panache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/business-is-destroying-the-world-with-flair-expertise-and-panache/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [Capitalism is destroying the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/capitalism-is-destroying-the-world/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [There is no polite way to say that business is destroying the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/there-is-no-polite-way-to-say-that-business-is-destroying-the-world/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [We’re destroying the world because we are, in a very literal and deliberate way, at war with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael/we-re-destroying-the-world-because-we-are-in-a-very-literal-and/) [Ishmael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael/) > [There's no doubt whatsoever that there's no future in capitalism. It's probably no more than 500 years old, and it's demonstrating over and over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-tompkins/there-s-no-doubt-whatsoever-that-there-s-no-future-in-capitalism-it-s/) [Douglas Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-tompkins/) > [But if I could do anything? Maybe you would want to be able to save the world, the Voice said. Did you ever think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/but-if-i-could-do-anything-maybe-you-would-want-to-be-able-to-save/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [The people destroying this world are not taking a break..How can I ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/the-people-destroying-this-world-are-not-taking-a-break-how-can-i/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [The white man is destroying the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/the-white-man-is-destroying-the-world/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [It's about panic. It's about fear. It's about instilling the American populace with terror, dread, and apprehension about the future. It's all about making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/it-s-about-panic-it-s-about-fear-it-s-about-instilling-the-american/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Daniel Quinn > [“Because we imagine that we are what humanity was divinely destined to become, we assume that our prehistoric ancestors were trying to be us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/because-we-imagine-that-we-are-what-humanity-was-divinely-destined-to/) [daniel quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The deer aren't our prey or our possessions -- they're us. They're us at one point in the cycle of life and we're them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-deer-aren-t-our-prey-or-our-possessions-they-re-us-they-re-us-at/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [ “\[N\]ow we have a clearer idea what this story is all about: The world was made for man, and man was made to rule… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/n-ow-we-have-a-clearer-idea-what-this-story-is-all-about-the-world/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [The premise of the Taker story is 'the world belongs to man'. … The premise of the Leaver story is 'man belongs to the world'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/the-premise-of-the-taker-story-is-the-world-belongs-to-man-the/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Pharaohs It took Khufu twenty-three years to build his Great Pyramid at Giza, where some eleven hundred stone blocks, each weighing about two and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/pharaohs-it-took-khufu-twenty-three-years-to-build-his-great-pyramid/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done.. almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-the-world-and-this-is-what-he-s/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Many peoples practiced agriculture, but they were never obsessed by the delusion that what they were doing was \*right\*, that everyone in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/many-peoples-practiced-agriculture-but-they-were-never-obsessed-by/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“No undesirable behavior has ever been eliminated by passing a law against it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/no-undesirable-behavior-has-ever-been-eliminated-by-passing-a-law/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“How easy it is first to leap to a false conclusion about someone and then to view everything he does in light of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/how-easy-it-is-first-to-leap-to-a-false-conclusion-about-someone-and/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Far and away the most futile admonition Christ ever offered was when he said, 'Have no care for tomorrow. Don't worry about whether you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/far-and-away-the-most-futile-admonition-christ-ever-offered-was-when/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [During your lifetime, the people of our culture are going to figure out how to live sustainably on this planet--or they're not. Either way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/during-your-lifetime-the-people-of-our-culture-are-going-to-figure/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Everyone in your culture knows this. Man was born to turn the world into a paradise, but tragically he was born flawed. And so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/everyone-in-your-culture-knows-this-man-was-born-to-turn-the-world/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Most beginning writers - and I was the same - are like chefs trying to cook great dishes that they've never tasted themselves. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/most-beginning-writers-and-i-was-the-same-are-like-chefs-trying-to/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Westereners often think that the East is one vast Buddhist temple, which is rather like thinking the West is one vast Carthusian monastery. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/westereners-often-think-that-the-east-is-one-vast-buddhist-temple/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [“Man's destiny was to conquer and rule the world, and this is what he's done--almost. He hasn't quite made it, and it looks as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/man-s-destiny-was-to-conquer-and-rule-the-world-and-this-is-what-he-s-2/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) [Explore all 208 Daniel Quinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) ## More Captives quotes > [The creative writer is usually captive to his next book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-hurst/the-creative-writer-is-usually-captive-to-his-next-book/) [Fannie Hurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-hurst/) > [People without an internalized symbolic system can all too easily become captives of the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/people-without-an-internalized-symbolic-system-can-all-too-easily/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) > [My favorite job is being a father. I have four girls now. They're a captive audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-willis/my-favorite-job-is-being-a-father-i-have-four-girls-now-they-re-a/) [Bruce Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-willis/) > [We live in all we seek. The hidden shows up in too-plain sight. It lives captive on the face of the obvious - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/we-live-in-all-we-seek-the-hidden-shows-up-in-too-plain-sight-it/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [Of all the jaw-droppingly beautiful women who've become genuine movie stars, none has had a longer film career (62 years), has been filmed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-osborne/of-all-the-jaw-droppingly-beautiful-women-who-ve-become-genuine-movie/) [Robert Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-osborne/) > [Make me a captive Lord, then I shall be truly free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/make-me-a-captive-lord-then-i-shall-be-truly-free/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [As long as we're dependent on those fossil fuels, we're dependent on the Middle East. If we are not victims, we're certainly captives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-mchugh/as-long-as-we-re-dependent-on-those-fossil-fuels-we-re-dependent-on/) [John M. McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-mchugh/) > [Jah come to break downpression, rule equality, wipe away transgression, set the captives free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/jah-come-to-break-downpression-rule-equality-wipe-away-transgression/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [“Though the captives' resistance was dangerous, through such acts, dignity was preserved, and through dignity, life itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-hillenbrand/though-the-captives-resistance-was-dangerous-through-such-acts/) [Laura Hillenbrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-hillenbrand/) > [The state is captive to vested interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanusi-lamido-sanusi/the-state-is-captive-to-vested-interests/) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi > [“...you go back to liberate the captives and sadly realize, some want to remain tied down in the cave...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/you-go-back-to-liberate-the-captives-and-sadly-realize-some-want-to/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [“So, very soon our captives will meet their small countrywoman again. How grateful they must be to have a pleasant ride, with us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-rodda/so-very-soon-our-captives-will-meet-their-small-countrywoman-again/) [Emily Rodda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-rodda/) > [The cry for freedom is a sign of suppression. It will not cease to ring as long as man feels himself captive. As diverse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/the-cry-for-freedom-is-a-sign-of-suppression-it-will-not-cease-to/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [Words have to murder reality before they can hold it captive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/words-have-to-murder-reality-before-they-can-hold-it-captive/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [It would drive the photographers crazy because I would giggle and tell jokes. I was gregarious, and looking back, I realize I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/it-would-drive-the-photographers-crazy-because-i-would-giggle-and/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 176 Captives quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Quinn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-system-that-more-or-less-compels/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Captives" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-system-that-more-or-less-compels/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/daniel-quinn-1786_captives_you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-syst_889143.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in…” — Daniel Quinn", "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": "Daniel Quinn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You’re captives of a civilizational system...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-system-that-more-or-less-compels/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/you-re-captives-of-a-civilizational-system-that-more-or-less-compels/#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 } } ] } ```