--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: back home.. the tablecloth of…" description: "\"“back home.. the tablecloth of civilization makes us forget the already painted pine it covers! ([50], Zenith trans.)”\" — Fernando Pessoa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/fernando-pessoa-177_civilization_back-home-the-tablecloth-of-civilization_388379.jpg" --- # back home.. the tablecloth of civilization makes us forget… ![“back home.. the tablecloth of civilization makes us forget the already painted pine it covers! ([50], Zenith trans.)” quote by Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/fernando-pessoa-177_civilization_back-home-the-tablecloth-of-civilization_388379.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/fernando-pessoa-177_civilization_back-home-the-tablecloth-of-civilization_388379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00d/fernando-pessoa-177_civilization_back-home-the-tablecloth-of-civilization_388379.jpg) > ““back home.. the tablecloth of civilization makes us forget the already painted pine it covers! (\[50\], Zenith trans.)”” [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civilization’s veneer distracts us from the underlying natural reality it covers. **In simple terms:** Civilization hides the simple truth beneath. Key Takeaway See beyond superficial appearances. Themes civilization perception reality Mood melancholic contemplative Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - urban life - environmental awareness - personal introspection Key Concepts existentialism philosophical reflection Questions to Reflect On - How does modern life mask basic truths? - What “civilization” aspects do you overlook? A Different Perspective The metaphor may be too abstract for some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-makes-494881/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Forget Painted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget-painted-1064908/) [Tablecloth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tablecloth/) [Tablecloth Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tablecloth-civilization-3507896/) ## Related quotes > [I try to keep my sitters moving and talking, to make them forget they are being painted. This has nothing to do with extracting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oskar-kokoschka/i-try-to-keep-my-sitters-moving-and-talking-to-make-them-forget-they/) [Oskar Kokoschka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oskar-kokoschka/) > [Is it what you call civilization that makes England flourish? Is it the universal development of the faculties of man that has rendered an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/is-it-what-you-call-civilization-that-makes-england-flourish-is-it/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Every expansion of civilization makes for peace. In other words, every expansion of a great civilized power means a victory for law, order, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/every-expansion-of-civilization-makes-for-peace-in-other-words-every/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [A 'civilization' that makes such a ridiculous fuss about alleged 'war crimes' - acts of violence against the actual or potential enemies of one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savitri-devi/a-civilization-that-makes-such-a-ridiculous-fuss-about-alleged-war/) [Savitri Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savitri-devi/) > [It is very natural that every one who makes anything inside themselves that is makes it entirely out of what is in them does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/it-is-very-natural-that-every-one-who-makes-anything-inside/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Civilization is what makes you sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gauguin/civilization-is-what-makes-you-sick/) [Paul Gauguin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gauguin/) > [ “I think it's civilization \[that\] makes us violent.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mcconaghy/i-think-it-s-civilization-that-makes-us-violent/) [Charlotte McConaghy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mcconaghy/) > [“A blanket could be used as a tablecloth, and a brick left as a tip. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-as-a-tablecloth-and-a-brick-left-as-a-tip/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Too often we only identify the crucial points in our lives in retrospect. At the time we are too absorbed in the fetid detail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-rayner/too-often-we-only-identify-the-crucial-points-in-our-lives-in/) [Jay Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-rayner/) > [I like the table to be beautiful with flowers and a nice tablecloth. I'm the hostess with the mostess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-ballas/i-like-the-table-to-be-beautiful-with-flowers-and-a-nice-tablecloth-i/) [Shirley Ballas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-ballas/) > [You might think the word "homemade" is just a word we use as a marketing ploy. But what you don't realize is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/you-might-think-the-word-homemade-is-just-a-word-we-use-as-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [At restaurants, I always get a kids' menu and color or draw on the tablecloth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-chaikin/at-restaurants-i-always-get-a-kids-menu-and-color-or-draw-on-the/) [Carly Chaikin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-chaikin/) > [“Rose unearthed three crystal goblets that almost matched, and even found a tablecloth that hadn't been attacked by moths since its last public appearance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-c-bunce/rose-unearthed-three-crystal-goblets-that-almost-matched-and-even/) [Elizabeth C. Bunce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-c-bunce/) > [“A blanket could be used as a tablecloth, to cover up illicit brick deals done under the table. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-as-a-tablecloth-to-cover-up-illicit-brick/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I still have the shirt I wore my first time on Johnny Carson's show. Only now I use it as a tablecloth at dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-still-have-the-shirt-i-wore-my-first-time-on-johnny-carson-s-show/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) ## More by Fernando Pessoa > [Everything interests me, but nothing holds me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/everything-interests-me-but-nothing-holds-me/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“If only, I feel now, if only I could be someone able to see all this as if he had no other relation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/if-only-i-feel-now-if-only-i-could-be-someone-able-to-see-all-this-as/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [What's given, in fact, always depends on the person or thing it's given to. A minor incident in the street brings the cook to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/what-s-given-in-fact-always-depends-on-the-person-or-thing-it-s-given/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Smell is a strange sight. It evokes sentimental landscapes through a sudden sketching of the subconscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/smell-is-a-strange-sight-it-evokes-sentimental-landscapes-through-a/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Tudo vale a pena quando a alma não é pequena”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/tudo-vale-a-pena-quando-a-alma-n-o-pequena/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“no nostalgia hurts as much as nostalgia for things that never existed!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/no-nostalgia-hurts-as-much-as-nostalgia-for-things-that-never-existed/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [pg.9 "In my heart there's a peaceful anguish, and my calm is made of resignation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/pg-9-in-my-heart-there-s-a-peaceful-anguish-and-my-calm-is-made-of/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“The feelings that hurt most, the motions that sting most, are those that are absurd; the longing for impossible things, precisely because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/the-feelings-that-hurt-most-the-motions-that-sting-most-are-those/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“I try to say what I feel Without thinking about what I feel. I try to place words right next to my idea So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-try-to-say-what-i-feel-without-thinking-about-what-i-feel-i-try-to/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [Have you ever considered, beloved other, how invisible we are to each other? We look at each other without seeing. We listen to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/have-you-ever-considered-beloved-other-how-invisible-we-are-to-each/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“To associate is to die. Only my consciousness of myself is real for me; other people are hazy phenomena in this consciousness, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/to-associate-is-to-die-only-my-consciousness-of-myself-is-real-for-me/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“When it comes to dreams, I’m no different from the errand boy and the seamstress. The only thing that distinguishes me from them is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/when-it-comes-to-dreams-i-m-no-different-from-the-errand-boy-and-the/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“No intelligent idea can gain general acceptance unless some stupidity is mixed in with it. Collective thought is stupid because it’s collective. Nothing passes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/no-intelligent-idea-can-gain-general-acceptance-unless-some-stupidity/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [God gave the sea the danger and the abyss, but it was in it that He mirrored the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/god-gave-the-sea-the-danger-and-the-abyss-but-it-was-in-it-that-he/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Everything that surrounds us becomes part of us, it seeps into us with every experience of the flesh and of life and, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/everything-that-surrounds-us-becomes-part-of-us-it-seeps-into-us-with/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) [Explore all 781 Fernando Pessoa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) ## More Civilization quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [Violence is not necessary to destroy a civilization. Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/violence-is-not-necessary-to-destroy-a-civilization-each-civilization/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The voice in the head that never stops speaking becomes a civilization that is obsessed with form and therefore knows nothing of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-voice-in-the-head-that-never-stops-speaking-becomes-a/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [We released 400,000 classified documents, the most extraordinary history of a war to ever have been released in our civilization. Those documents cover 109,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-released-400-000-classified-documents-the-most-extraordinary/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. 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It is impossible that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-josiah-brewer/our-laws-and-our-institutions-must-necessarily-be-based-upon-and/) [David Josiah Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-josiah-brewer/) [Browse all 4,084 Civilization quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“back home.. the tablecloth of civilization makes us forget the already painted pine it covers! 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