Action Quote by Edith Hamilton
“In every civilization, life grows easier. Men grow lazier in consequence. We have a picture of what happened to the individual Greek. (I cannot look at history, or at any human action, except as I look at the individual.) The Greeks had good food, good witty talk, pleasant dinner parties; and they were content. When the individual man had reached that condition in Athens, when the thought not of giving to the state but of what the state could give to him, Athens' freedom was doomed.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Greek World, by Edith Hamilton, 1930
Civilization's comforts lead to complacency, weakening civic responsibility and freedom.
In simple terms: Ease breeds laziness, eroding civic duty.
Key Takeaway
Guard against complacency in prosperous societies.
Themes
civic responsibility
freedom
comfort
complacency
societal decay
Mood
reflective
concerned
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- modern welfare states
- urban planning
- education policy
- community engagement
Key Concepts
political philosophy
social contract
historical analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How does comfort affect civic engagement?
- What safeguards preserve freedom in affluent societies?
A Different Perspective
Comfort can mask underlying civic decline.
