--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Society is only a thin veneer that masks…" description: "\"“Society is only a thin veneer that masks the animal that man really is’, or”\" — Dirk Patton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg" --- # Society is only a thin veneer that masks the animal that… ![“Society is only a thin veneer that masks the animal that man really is’, or” quote by Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg) > ““Society is only a thin veneer that masks the animal that man really is’, or”” [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement suggests society hides humanity’s primal, animalistic nature behind a thin civil veneer. **In simple terms:** Civilization masks our animal instincts. Key Takeaway Recognize and manage our base impulses. Themes society human nature civilization psychology masking Mood critical provocative Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - social critique - psychological insight Key Concepts thin veneer animal instinct human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of humanity are truly masked? - How does awareness of our animal side affect behavior? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex social dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ## Related quotes > [“What if virtue, work, all our striving and sweat was simply not enough to make the animal man a happy creature?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrin-m-mcmahon/what-if-virtue-work-all-our-striving-and-sweat-was-simply-not-enough/) Darrin M. McMahon > [MAN IS FUNDAMENTALLY AN ANIMAL. Animals, as distinct from man, are not machine-like, not sadistic; their societies, within the same species, are incomparably more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/man-is-fundamentally-an-animal-animals-as-distinct-from-man-are-not/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [The glutton is much more than an animal and much less than a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/the-glutton-is-much-more-than-an-animal-and-much-less-than-a-man/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Historically the biggest killer of Man has not been animal but Man him self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/historically-the-biggest-killer-of-man-has-not-been-animal-but-man/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“An animal A man A boy…I have had the distinct experience to love them all..,. Quite frankly, the difference between them is not how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-saidah-brown/an-animal-a-man-a-boy-i-have-had-the-distinct-experience-to-love-them/) [Author Saidah Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-saidah-brown/) > [“Man is a political animal. A man who lives alone is either a Beast or a God”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/man-is-a-political-animal-a-man-who-lives-alone-is-either-a-beast-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“Nah. Hero, for sure. Think about it. In his first adventure, he took the form of a snake to free two prisoners being held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/nah-hero-for-sure-think-about-it-in-his-first-adventure-he-took-the/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [We talk of wild animals, but the wildest animal is man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/we-talk-of-wild-animals-but-the-wildest-animal-is-man/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“No animal but man throws themselves willingly into the flames, Copper. Relish the sight. You'll not see it again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/no-animal-but-man-throws-themselves-willingly-into-the-flames-copper/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [Women love a sick child or a healthy animal; A man who is both itches them like an incubus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/women-love-a-sick-child-or-a-healthy-animal-a-man-who-is-both-itches/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [A man who has been an animal has infinitely more knowledge of that animal than a man who has merely dissected one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-sharkey/a-man-who-has-been-an-animal-has-infinitely-more-knowledge-of-that/) Jack Sharkey > [A man, and a cat, and a dog, are all animals. These particular examples, as man, or dog, or cat, are parts of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/a-man-and-a-cat-and-a-dog-are-all-animals-these-particular-examples/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“It has been argued that man is not an animal, but I tell you, the animal in man is what makes man an animal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-okafor/it-has-been-argued-that-man-is-not-an-animal-but-i-tell-you-the/) Lawrence Okafor > [The animal man lives in the senses. If he does not get enough to eat, he is miserable; or if something happens to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-animal-man-lives-in-the-senses-if-he-does-not-get-enough-to-eat/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Man cannot really improve himself without improving others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/man-cannot-really-improve-himself-without-improving-others/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More by Dirk Patton > [“A friend of mine had called it ‘the Finger of God’ because whatever it reached out and touched just ceased to exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/a-friend-of-mine-had-called-it-the-finger-of-god-because-whatever-it/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“unlike in the movies, propellers don’t dice up the bad guy to end the fight then keep on spinning like nothing happened. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/unlike-in-the-movies-propellers-don-t-dice-up-the-bad-guy-to-end-the/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“but at heart, he was still a coward which he masked by being a bully. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/but-at-heart-he-was-still-a-coward-which-he-masked-by-being-a-bully/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“We had been hiding and fighting for days and were still within a two hour drive of Atlanta. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/we-had-been-hiding-and-fighting-for-days-and-were-still-within-a-two/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“It was just like a scene out of The Walking Dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/it-was-just-like-a-scene-out-of-the-walking-dead/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“We blasted through Laramie, Wyoming, seeing nothing other than the empty pavement brightly illuminated by the Charger’s lights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/we-blasted-through-laramie-wyoming-seeing-nothing-other-than-the/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“The concern was an infected getting sucked into an engine. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/the-concern-was-an-infected-getting-sucked-into-an-engine/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“They’d found both, and brought back a variety of non-lethal weapons.  He snorted at the oxymoron.  How could a weapon be non-lethal?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/they-d-found-both-and-brought-back-a-variety-of-non-lethal-weapons-he/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“leaned into the void and placed his”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/leaned-into-the-void-and-placed-his/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“A deep strike to the kidneys will send the human body into immediate shock, rendering it unable to fight or flee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/a-deep-strike-to-the-kidneys-will-send-the-human-body-into-immediate/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“Outfitted with a 25 mm GAU-12 Equalizer, one Bofors 40 mm autocannon, and one 105 mm M102 cannon, it can and does unleash hell on earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/outfitted-with-a-25-mm-gau-12-equalizer-one-bofors-40-mm-autocannon/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“The truck was two-wheel drive,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/the-truck-was-two-wheel-drive/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“Screeching to a stop, he jumped out and quickly unhooked the chain from the back bumper, hopped back in and roared away, female infected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/screeching-to-a-stop-he-jumped-out-and-quickly-unhooked-the-chain/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“you fight with what you have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/you-fight-with-what-you-have/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) > [“There was no tickle of breath as she held her face in front of the pilot’s.  He was dead.  Rachel sat back with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/there-was-no-tickle-of-breath-as-she-held-her-face-in-front-of-the/) [Dirk Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) [Explore all 45 Dirk Patton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/) ## More Society quotes > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I am an aware citizen, so I want my characters to be aware, too. They should be aware of what's happening in the society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-tripathi/i-am-an-aware-citizen-so-i-want-my-characters-to-be-aware-too-they/) [Pankaj Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-tripathi/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. Selfish, vain, stupid, trivial in everything—that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-only-knew-what-those-society-women-are-and-women-in-general-my/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Society is a made-up formula of what we are supposed to be, kept alive by those who believe in it... I laugh in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-gerogiannis/society-is-a-made-up-formula-of-what-we-are-supposed-to-be-kept-alive/) Christina Gerogiannis > [If you're white and you're wrong, then you're wrong; if you're black and you're wrong, you're wrong. People are people. Black, blue, pink, green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/if-you-re-white-and-you-re-wrong-then-you-re-wrong-if-you-re-black/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [I want a society free of human trafficking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuradha-koirala/i-want-a-society-free-of-human-trafficking/) Anuradha Koirala > [I am not a nationalist in any way, and I hate flag waving, and I don't think much good has come out of nationalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/i-am-not-a-nationalist-in-any-way-and-i-hate-flag-waving-and-i-don-t/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-guangbiao/if-my-wisdom-could-get-support-from-officials-i-think-society-would/) [Chen Guangbiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-guangbiao/) > [“I swear that I will never cause trouble for anybody, as long as I live!! So please! Nobody cause any trouble for me, either!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-furuya/i-swear-that-i-will-never-cause-trouble-for-anybody-as-long-as-i-live/) Minoru Furuya [Browse all 8,047 Society quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Society is only a thin veneer that masks the animal that man really is’, or”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dirk Patton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks-the-animal-that-man-really/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Society" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks-the-animal-that-man-really/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e0/dirk-patton-14812_society_society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks_2488496.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Society is only a thin veneer that masks the animal that man really is’, or” — Dirk Patton", "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": "Dirk Patton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirk-patton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Society is only a thin veneer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks-the-animal-that-man-really/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirk-patton/society-is-only-a-thin-veneer-that-masks-the-animal-that-man-really/#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 } } ] } ```