--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America became a great civilization…" description: "\"America became a great civilization thanks to a culture based on the value of having to earn almost everything an American got in life. As it abandons ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64c/dennis-prager-631_abandon_america-became-a-great-civilization-than_2304964.jpg" --- # America became a great civilization thanks to a culture… ![“America became a great civilization thanks to a culture based on the value of having to earn almost everything an American got in life. As it abandons this value, it will become a mediocre civilization. And eventually it will not be America. It will be a large Sweden, and just as influential as…” quote by Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64c/dennis-prager-631_abandon_america-became-a-great-civilization-than_2304964.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64c/dennis-prager-631_abandon_america-became-a-great-civilization-than_2304964.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64c/dennis-prager-631_abandon_america-became-a-great-civilization-than_2304964.jpg) > “America became a great civilization thanks to a culture based on the value of having to earn almost everything an American got in life. As it abandons this value, it will become a mediocre civilization. And eventually it will not be America. It will be a large Sweden, and just as influential as the smaller one.” [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America's greatness stems from a culture that values hard work and earning, and abandoning this ethic will lead to mediocrity and loss of identity. **In simple terms:** Hard work built America; losing it erodes greatness. Key Takeaway Cultivate a culture of effort and responsibility. Themes culture work ethic civilization identity Mood concerned analytical Type sociopolitical motivational When to use this quote - education reform - workplace policies - media narratives - community programs Key Concepts Meritocracy social cohesion national character Questions to Reflect On - How does work ethic influence national success? - What policies can sustain a culture of effort? A Different Perspective Critics say this view overlooks systemic barriers and diverse contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Sweden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweden/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [Foreigners will eventually own so much of America that there will be nothing left to trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/foreigners-will-eventually-own-so-much-of-america-that-there-will-be/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [“Super-eruption of mount Toba, 76,000 years ago had wiped out a previous great civilization on earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/super-eruption-of-mount-toba-76-000-years-ago-had-wiped-out-a/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I have no doubt that historians will conclude that we of the twentieth century had intelligence enough to create a great civilization but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-have-no-doubt-that-historians-will-conclude-that-we-of-the/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“We have been shirking too long, and that's unworthy of a great civilization. To see off the new Dark Ages will be tough and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/we-have-been-shirking-too-long-and-that-s-unworthy-of-a-great/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [I wanted to visit the Capitol of our country, the center of our great civilization that stands like the sun in the solar system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marietta-holley/i-wanted-to-visit-the-capitol-of-our-country-the-center-of-our-great/) [Marietta Holley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marietta-holley/) > [Our great civilization, here in America and across the civilized world has come upon a moment of reckoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/our-great-civilization-here-in-america-and-across-the-civilized-world/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I am among those who believe that our Western civilization is on its way to perishing. It has many commendable qualities, most of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-am-among-those-who-believe-that-our-western-civilization-is-on-its/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [My theories explain, but cannot slow the decline of a great civilization. I set out to be a reformer, but only became the historian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/my-theories-explain-but-cannot-slow-the-decline-of-a-great/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-durant/a-great-civilization-is-not-conquered-from-without-until-it-has-3/) [Ariel Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-durant/) > [The measure of any great civilization is its cities and a measure of a city's greatness is to be found in the quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-measure-of-any-great-civilization-is-its-cities-and-a-measure-of/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/a-great-civilization-is-not-conquered-from-without-until-it-has-2/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [A great civilization is not conquered from without, until it has destroyed itself from within. The essential causes of Rome's decline lay in her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/a-great-civilization-is-not-conquered-from-without-until-it-has/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [I believe that we are at or near the apex of a great civilization... 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In the liberal welfare state, one develops an entitlement mentality. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/nothing-more-guarantees-the-erosion-of-character-than-getting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [The biggest battle in life is with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-biggest-battle-in-life-is-with-yourself/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [The Left will destroy what is good to try to make what is perfect. 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Without victim groups, the Left cannot succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/from-marx-until-today-victim-groups-have-played-an-indispensable-role/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Good and happy people who believe in God are the greatest living arguments for God's existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/good-and-happy-people-who-believe-in-god-are-the-greatest-living/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Leftism and narcissism are almost synonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/leftism-and-narcissism-are-almost-synonymous/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Humility is a fantastic trait and is one of the most important things we can have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/humility-is-a-fantastic-trait-and-is-one-of-the-most-important-things/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [There is no limit to suffering human beings have been willing to inflict on others, no matter how innocent, no matter how young, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-no-limit-to-suffering-human-beings-have-been-willing-to/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) [Explore all 437 Dennis Prager quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) ## More Abandon quotes > [Humans are, as Sartre put it, 'condemned to be free'. 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