---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s no better sign that a…"
description: "\"“There’s no better sign that a civilization has reached its height than the awareness, in its members, of the futility of all effort, given that we’re ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/fernando-pessoa-177_futility_there-s-no-better-sign-that-a-civilizati_2681148.jpg"
---

#  There’s no better sign that a civilization has reached its…

![“There’s no better sign that a civilization has reached its height than the awareness, in its members, of the futility of all effort, given that we’re ruled by implacable laws, which nothing can repeal or obstruct.” quote by Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/fernando-pessoa-177_futility_there-s-no-better-sign-that-a-civilizati_2681148.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/fernando-pessoa-177_futility_there-s-no-better-sign-that-a-civilizati_2681148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0be/fernando-pessoa-177_futility_there-s-no-better-sign-that-a-civilizati_2681148.jpg)

> ““There’s no better sign that a civilization has reached its height than the awareness, in its members, of the futility of all effort, given that we’re ruled by implacable laws, which nothing can repeal or obstruct.””

[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.

He notes that a civilization’s peak is marked by members recognizing the futility of effort under immutable laws.

**In simple terms:** Civilization peaks when people see effort’s futility under unchangeable laws.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limits of control in society.

Themes

civilization philosophy futility law

Mood

reflective somber

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- political analysis
- philosophical debate
- cultural reflection

Key Concepts

existentialism determinism societal critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What laws feel immutable?
- How does recognizing futility affect motivation?

A Different Perspective

May overlook human agency and resilience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Civilization Reached](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-reached-2581940/) [Futility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/futility/) [Futility Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/futility-effort-1160155/) [Implacable Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implacable-laws-2581938/) [Members Futility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members-futility-2581939/)

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> [“I’m curious about everyone, hungry for everything, greedy for all ideas. My awareness that not everything can be seen, not everything read and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-m-curious-about-everyone-hungry-for-everything-greedy-for-all-ideas/)

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> [We’ve been devastated by the severest and deadliest drought in history – that of our profound awareness of the futility of all effort and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/we-ve-been-devastated-by-the-severest-and-deadliest-drought-in/)

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> [“There are the girls we love, the men we look up to, the tenderness, the friendships, the opportunities, the pleasures! But the fact remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/there-are-the-girls-we-love-the-men-we-look-up-to-the-tenderness-the/)

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> [“Uite, daca-mi strang sufletul, nu se prinde nimic in el. Oricum, am ajuns departe, foarte departe. O mai fi ceva? Arborii cresc, le dau…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marin-sorescu/uite-daca-mi-strang-sufletul-nu-se-prinde-nimic-in-el-oricum-am-ajuns/)

[Marin Sorescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marin-sorescu/)

> [“She strives, understanding the futility of it, for perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-coover/she-strives-understanding-the-futility-of-it-for-perfection/)

[Robert Coover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-coover/)

> [Suddenly the clouds seem high above us. They’re moving over us in an arch, circling the planet. They have seen abysmal oceans and charred,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/suddenly-the-clouds-seem-high-above-us-they-re-moving-over-us-in-an/)

[Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/)

> [A mature artist is at the same time aware of the futility of his achievement and the validity of the pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-helion/a-mature-artist-is-at-the-same-time-aware-of-the-futility-of-his/)

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> [It occurred to me that my speech or my silence, indeed any action of mine, would be a mere futility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/it-occurred-to-me-that-my-speech-or-my-silence-indeed-any-action-of/)

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> [Death is the only monastery; the tomb is the only cell, and the grave that adjoins the convent is the bitterest mock of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/death-is-the-only-monastery-the-tomb-is-the-only-cell-and-the-grave/)

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> [“Dabbling in the sandbox gives Rabbit a small headache. Over at the pavilion the rubber thump of Roofball and the click of checkers call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/dabbling-in-the-sandbox-gives-rabbit-a-small-headache-over-at-the/)

[John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/)

> [I am alive again, now that I can no longer stand to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-am-alive-again-now-that-i-can-no-longer-stand-to-live/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [Married life had taught him the futility of arguing with a female in a dark-brown mood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/married-life-had-taught-him-the-futility-of-arguing-with-a-female-in/)

[Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/)

## 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/)

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[Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/)

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[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/)

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> [Married life had taught him the futility of arguing with a female in a dark-brown mood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/married-life-had-taught-him-the-futility-of-arguing-with-a-female-in/)

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