--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The things white men failed to notice…" description: "\"“The things white men failed to notice would fill the world they had ruined ten thousand times over.”\" — David Burr Gerrard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg" --- # The things white men failed to notice would fill the world… ![“The things white men failed to notice would fill the world they had ruined ten thousand times over.” quote by David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg) > ““The things white men failed to notice would fill the world they had ruined ten thousand times over.”” [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Neglecting small injustices allows massive damage to accumulate over time. **In simple terms:** Ignoring minor wrongs leads to huge ruin. Key Takeaway Pay attention to small injustices. Themes justice environmentalism historical awareness Mood concerned critical Type analytical activist When to use this quote - urban planning - policy making - community activism - education curricula Key Concepts systems thinking ethical responsibility colonial critique Questions to Reflect On - What small issues are you overlooking? - How can you balance micro and macro concerns? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on minor issues may distract from larger systemic problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Literary fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-fiction/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-failed-2505418/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Ruined Thousand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruined-thousand-4190928/) [Sand Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sand-time/) [Things White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-white-2816401/) [White Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-men/) [World Ruined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-ruined-1283635/) ## Related quotes > [I think there is a period of esthetic discovery that happens to a man and he can do all sorts of things at white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-evans/i-think-there-is-a-period-of-esthetic-discovery-that-happens-to-a-man/) [Walker Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-evans/) > [Here's a helpful life tip. Stand by things that are white cuz it makes you look less white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-marbles/here-s-a-helpful-life-tip-stand-by-things-that-are-white-cuz-it-makes/) [Jenna Marbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-marbles/) > [Sugar crystallizes something in our American Soul. It is emblematic of all Industrial Processes. And of the idea of becoming white. White Being equated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-walker/sugar-crystallizes-something-in-our-american-soul-it-is-emblematic-of/) [Kara Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-walker/) > [“And then, after five minutes of silence, almost inaudibly, the old man sighed and said, more to himself than to Artyom: ‘Lord, what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitry-glukhovsky/and-then-after-five-minutes-of-silence-almost-inaudibly-the-old-man/) [Dmitry Glukhovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitry-glukhovsky/) > [There are plenty of ruined buildings in the world but no ruined stones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-macdiarmid/there-are-plenty-of-ruined-buildings-in-the-world-but-no-ruined-stones/) [Hugh MacDiarmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-macdiarmid/) > [If you dont want to like what they tell you to do, dont do it, if you dont want to be who they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mkto/if-you-dont-want-to-like-what-they-tell-you-to-do-dont-do-it-if-you/) [MKTO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mkto/) > [“Margrethe: And when all our eyes are closed, when even the ghosts have gone, what will be left of our beloved world? Our ruined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frayn/margrethe-and-when-all-our-eyes-are-closed-when-even-the-ghosts-have/) [Michael Frayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frayn/) > [The two oldest professions in the world — ruined by amateurs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-woollcott/the-two-oldest-professions-in-the-world-ruined-by-amateurs/) [Alexander Woollcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-woollcott/) > [Ten men have failed from defect in morals, where one has failed from defect in intellect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/ten-men-have-failed-from-defect-in-morals-where-one-has-failed-from/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [You know who the critics are? The men who have failed in literature and art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/you-know-who-the-critics-are-the-men-who-have-failed-in-literature/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [My generation has failed to stop the arms race. But it's really the men who have failed. Now it's up to the women, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-la-rocque/my-generation-has-failed-to-stop-the-arms-race-but-it-s-really-the/) [Gene La Rocque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-la-rocque/) > [It's as if every conversation with a woman was a test, and men always failed it, because they always lacked the key to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-s-as-if-every-conversation-with-a-woman-was-a-test-and-men-always/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“That was the great misconception about men: because they dealt with money, because they could hire someone on and later fire him, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdowell/that-was-the-great-misconception-about-men-because-they-dealt-with/) [Michael McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdowell/) > [My men have sometimes failed to take a position, but to defend one, never!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stonewall-jackson/my-men-have-sometimes-failed-to-take-a-position-but-to-defend-one/) [Stonewall Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stonewall-jackson/) > [“Thinking, like other drugs, can be a useful distraction from pain, as long as it's managed and doesn't become an addiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/thinking-like-other-drugs-can-be-a-useful-distraction-from-pain-as/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) ## More by David Burr Gerrard > [“Thinking, like other drugs, can be a useful distraction from pain, as long as it's managed and doesn't become an addiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/thinking-like-other-drugs-can-be-a-useful-distraction-from-pain-as/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“You could fling open every closet of regret and desire in yourself and the people you loved, and still there would be one closet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/you-could-fling-open-every-closet-of-regret-and-desire-in-yourself/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“There was too much protection in a drone, protection that was also a denial of one’s own humanity, very much like the protection offered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/there-was-too-much-protection-in-a-drone-protection-that-was-also-a/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“To talk about something is the first step toward invading it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/to-talk-about-something-is-the-first-step-toward-invading-it/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“That was what maturity was: accepting things. The more things you accepted, the more mature you were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/that-was-what-maturity-was-accepting-things-the-more-things-you/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“I had always thought that vaginas, with their flaps and folds, looked somehow unfinished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/i-had-always-thought-that-vaginas-with-their-flaps-and-folds-looked/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Genocide, as many have noted, is a form of community-building.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/genocide-as-many-have-noted-is-a-form-of-community-building/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“All across the region the sexual revolution would arrive by tank.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/all-across-the-region-the-sexual-revolution-would-arrive-by-tank/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Subtle! Subtlety is bourgeois. Brecht us that when he popped drama’s cherry. He fucked drama until it stopped being subtle, like a lady, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/subtle-subtlety-is-bourgeois-brecht-us-that-when-he-popped-drama-s/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“The epiphany machine will not discover anything about you that you do not, in some way, already know. But think for a moment about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/the-epiphany-machine-will-not-discover-anything-about-you-that-you-do/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Don’t go to the protest. Go out and get laid. Unless you’re going to the protest to get laid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/don-t-go-to-the-protest-go-out-and-get-laid-unless-you-re-going-to/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Arthur, do you think the fall of the Wall means anything? Do you think that this means that even one fewer body will burn?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/arthur-do-you-think-the-fall-of-the-wall-means-anything-do-you-think/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“The months after the fall of the Wall constituted one of the few points in history when the past seemed to lead to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/the-months-after-the-fall-of-the-wall-constituted-one-of-the-few/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Men do everything that men do, from waging war to reading books, for one purpose only: to get laid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/men-do-everything-that-men-do-from-waging-war-to-reading-books-for/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“Human beings are terrible things, Arthur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/human-beings-are-terrible-things-arthur/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) [Explore all 36 David Burr Gerrard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) ## More Literary fiction quotes > [“A Quote from Monty's journal in GOD MUST BE WEEPING. "I felt as anonymous as a grain of sand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-winston/a-quote-from-monty-s-journal-in-god-must-be-weeping-i-felt-as/) [J.D. Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-winston/) > [“Ava glanced over at Napoleon, who was walking back toward them. She smirked at Juliet and said, "Sweetie, you are \*not\* the one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-fingers/ava-glanced-over-at-napoleon-who-was-walking-back-toward-them-she/) [Jay Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-fingers/) > [“But this bus was a bit too full. The driver only appeared to control the glass and metal around him. In reality, he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-spaid/but-this-bus-was-a-bit-too-full-the-driver-only-appeared-to-control/) [Graham Spaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-spaid/) > [“Thinking, like other drugs, can be a useful distraction from pain, as long as it's managed and doesn't become an addiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/thinking-like-other-drugs-can-be-a-useful-distraction-from-pain-as/) [David Burr Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/) > [“…he’d assumed their relationship would go on forever. It was going on now, but in another way, like the rearrangement of the stars, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-spaid/he-d-assumed-their-relationship-would-go-on-forever-it-was-going-on/) [Graham Spaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-spaid/) > [“I know he says it’s a mind upload problem,” said Aideen. “But we won’t know that for sure until we get there. And maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-decker/i-know-he-says-it-s-a-mind-upload-problem-said-aideen-but-we-won-t/) [Steven Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-decker/) > [I'm well-read as far as literary fiction, but I wanted to make better decisions about my writing, to use words or phrases more confidently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-shires/i-m-well-read-as-far-as-literary-fiction-but-i-wanted-to-make-better/) [Amanda Shires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-shires/) > [“There could be no better time to read THE END OF BLISS, Rhonda Cutler's beautifully researched and heartfelt novel about another of our great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-ringler-cutler/there-could-be-no-better-time-to-read-the-end-of-bliss-rhonda-cutler/) [Rhonda Ringler Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-ringler-cutler/) > [“There, arrows are thrown slowly — but they hurt. The first arrow comes from a one-sided decision — as though only one voice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wibowo/there-arrows-are-thrown-slowly-but-they-hurt-the-first-arrow-comes/) [Tommy Wibowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-wibowo/) > [“Maybe that’s why I was so afraid of Sasha’s love. With him comes the remembering part that I was so good at forgetting. ~Piper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexia-purdy/maybe-that-s-why-i-was-so-afraid-of-sasha-s-love-with-him-comes-the/) [Alexia Purdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexia-purdy/) > [“He nodded, looking across the room at the sea of photographers and journalists. The microphones spread around him like birds waiting to be fed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-c-malby/he-nodded-looking-across-the-room-at-the-sea-of-photographers-and/) [F.C. Malby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-c-malby/) > [“And there was nothing quite like the surprise attack of a snarling black bear, even one missing all forty-two teeth, to urge someone back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-alpaugh/and-there-was-nothing-quite-like-the-surprise-attack-of-a-snarling/) [Cole Alpaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-alpaugh/) > [I'm now much more excited about genre distinctions. What I still see breaking down are more the hierarchical arrangements of genres. That is, "There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-m-now-much-more-excited-about-genre-distinctions-what-i-still-see/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“The wise have the mental agility to anticipate and adjust to dire circumstances faster than most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isham-cook/the-wise-have-the-mental-agility-to-anticipate-and-adjust-to-dire/) [Isham Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isham-cook/) [Browse all 255 Literary fiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-fiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The things white men failed to notice would fill the world they had ruined ten thousand times over.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Burr Gerrard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-would-fill-the-world-they-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Literary fiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-would-fill-the-world-they-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3cc/david-burr-gerrard-17852_literary-fiction_the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-wo_1288691.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The things white men failed to notice would fill the world they had ruined ten thousand times over.” — David Burr Gerrard", "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": "David Burr Gerrard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-burr-gerrard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The things white men failed to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-would-fill-the-world-they-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-burr-gerrard/the-things-white-men-failed-to-notice-would-fill-the-world-they-had/#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 } } ] } ```