--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That which we call civilization is merely…" description: "\"That which we call civilization is merely the accumulated debris of a chilling number of bad nights.\" — Fran Lebowitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png" --- # That which we call civilization is merely the accumulated… ![“That which we call civilization is merely the accumulated debris of a chilling number of bad nights.” quote by Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png) > “That which we call civilization is merely the accumulated debris of a chilling number of bad nights.” [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civilization is built upon the remnants of many difficult or chaotic times. **In simple terms:** Society is shaped by past hardships. Key Takeaway Learn from history’s challenges. Themes civilization history hardship reflection Mood critical reflective Type aphilosophical observational When to use this quote - urban life - social analysis - historical study Key Concepts cultural critique philosophical observation Questions to Reflect On - What lessons can we draw from past struggles? - How do we balance progress with acknowledging past pain? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex societal development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-night/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) ## Related quotes > [People say, 'Jay, you're a great guy, you just had a couple of bad nights.' People that have themselves under control don't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-williams/people-say-jay-you-re-a-great-guy-you-just-had-a-couple-of-bad-nights/) [Jayson Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-williams/) > [Bad nights lead to better days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/bad-nights-lead-to-better-days/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Yeah and it's over before you know it It all goes by so fast Yeah the bad nights take forever And the good nights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/yeah-and-it-s-over-before-you-know-it-it-all-goes-by-so-fast-yeah-the/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/it-is-pointless-to-say-that-this-or-that-night-was-the-worst-of-my/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“It is time we admitted, from kings and presidents on down, that there is no evidence that any of our books was authored by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/it-is-time-we-admitted-from-kings-and-presidents-on-down-that-there/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Civilization merely develops man's capacity for a greater variety of sensations, and ... absolutely nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/civilization-merely-develops-man-s-capacity-for-a-greater-variety-of-2/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Civilization is merely an advance in taste: accepting, all the time, nicer things, and rejecting nasty ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/civilization-is-merely-an-advance-in-taste-accepting-all-the-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Civilization merely develops man's capacity for a greater variety of sensations, and... absolutely nothing else. And through the development of this capacity, man may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/civilization-merely-develops-man-s-capacity-for-a-greater-variety-of/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“And here was the moment. The end of it all, for civilization was merely another name for friendship, and friendship was coming to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-pears/and-here-was-the-moment-the-end-of-it-all-for-civilization-was-merely/) [Iain Pears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-pears/) > [Bands have good nights, and they have bad nights. I'm not going to cover up anything or pretend. For me, personally, that's just my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corabi/bands-have-good-nights-and-they-have-bad-nights-i-m-not-going-to/) [John Corabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corabi/) > [There's nothing I've felt that compares to fighting. Even on the bad nights. Even on the nights when you're just not there or you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/there-s-nothing-i-ve-felt-that-compares-to-fighting-even-on-the-bad/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [I feel like I've had bad nights or destructive nights or nights where I don't remember anything or nights where I was seriously injured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-baker/i-feel-like-i-ve-had-bad-nights-or-destructive-nights-or-nights-where/) [Julien Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-baker/) > [“She had had insomnia badly when she was fresh from Home… She had had only occasional bad nights since then. Bad? she thought. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/she-had-had-insomnia-badly-when-she-was-fresh-from-home-she-had-had/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [“All bad nights come to an end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-schutz/all-bad-nights-come-to-an-end/) [Samantha Schutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-schutz/) > [I guess we all have a bad night now and then and really screw up. I listened to our earlier stuff and we screwed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-perry/i-guess-we-all-have-a-bad-night-now-and-then-and-really-screw-up-i/) [Joe Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-perry/) ## More by Fran Lebowitz > [Why not have your first baby at sixty, when your husband is already dead and your career is over? Then you can really devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/why-not-have-your-first-baby-at-sixty-when-your-husband-is-already/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I've never had the experience of being edited and never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-ve-never-had-the-experience-of-being-edited-and-never-will/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I think humor is warmer, and wit is colder. Wit is judgment, whereas humor invites some sort of response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-think-humor-is-warmer-and-wit-is-colder-wit-is-judgment-whereas/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Communists all seem to wear small caps, a look I consider better suited to tubes of toothpaste than to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communists-all-seem-to-wear-small-caps-a-look-i-consider-better/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“lack, or loutish and crass kollective is a program dedicated to the proposition that vulgarity and bad taste are an inalienable right. the lackies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/lack-or-loutish-and-crass-kollective-is-a-program-dedicated-to-the/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I figure you have the same chance of winning the lottery whether you play or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-figure-you-have-the-same-chance-of-winning-the-lottery-whether-you/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [ \[Friendships\] are easy to get out of compared to love affairs, but they are not easy to get out of compared to, say, jail. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/friendships-are-easy-to-get-out-of-compared-to-love-affairs-but-they/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Smoking is, as far as I'm concerned, the entire point of being an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-the-entire-point-of-being-an-adult/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [If you want to get ahead in this world get a lawyer -- not a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/if-you-want-to-get-ahead-in-this-world-get-a-lawyer-not-a-book/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When it comes to sports I am not particularly interested. Generally speaking, I look upon them as dangerous and tiring activities performed by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-it-comes-to-sports-i-am-not-particularly-interested-generally/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [The first time I ever saw platform shoes in the '70s, I knew they'd been revived from the '40s, and I felt sickened. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/the-first-time-i-ever-saw-platform-shoes-in-the-70s-i-knew-they-d/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-ask-better-questions-than-adults-may-i-have-a-cookie-why-is/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [ I do not think everyone is created equal. In fact, I know they're not. \[The Constitution\] means that everyone should have the same laws… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-do-not-think-everyone-is-created-equal-in-fact-i-know-they-re-not/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When I fly, I'm never afraid the plane is going to crash. But there have often been times when I was afraid it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-i-fly-i-m-never-afraid-the-plane-is-going-to-crash-but-there/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Smoking is, if not my life, then at least my hobby. I love to smoke. Smoking is fun. Smoking is cool. Smoking is, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-if-not-my-life-then-at-least-my-hobby-i-love-to-smoke/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) [Explore all 408 Fran Lebowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) ## More Bad night quotes > [I guess we all have a bad night now and then and really screw up. I listened to our earlier stuff and we screwed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-perry/i-guess-we-all-have-a-bad-night-now-and-then-and-really-screw-up-i/) [Joe Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-perry/) > [Thinking about suicide is a potent consolation: it helps us to get through many a bad night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/thinking-about-suicide-is-a-potent-consolation-it-helps-us-to-get/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I wish I had perfect pitch, but I don't, and thanks to the miracle of YouTube, a bad night lives forever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lukather/i-wish-i-had-perfect-pitch-but-i-don-t-and-thanks-to-the-miracle-of/) [Steve Lukather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lukather/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“Ford and Arthur talking: "This is very, very serious indeed. The Guide has been taken over. It's been bought out." Arthur leapt up. "Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/ford-and-arthur-talking-this-is-very-very-serious-indeed-the-guide/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Team sports, there's always some kind of sacrifice happening... A team, if we lose, if Michael Jordan has a bad night, you hang it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-blucas/team-sports-there-s-always-some-kind-of-sacrifice-happening-a-team-if/) [Marc Blucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-blucas/) > [“Perhaps it is difficult to see the value in having one's self back in that kind of mood, but I do see it; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/perhaps-it-is-difficult-to-see-the-value-in-having-one-s-self-back-in/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [In the ring, if someone hits you too hard, you can only take so many of those, and you have to send back a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/in-the-ring-if-someone-hits-you-too-hard-you-can-only-take-so-many-of/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [“Too bad one night couldn't turn into forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-moore/too-bad-one-night-couldn-t-turn-into-forever/) [Addison Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addison-moore/) > [Why is partying and having a good time bad?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-reid/why-is-partying-and-having-a-good-time-bad/) [Tara Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-reid/) > [I think we are well advised to keep on nodding terms with the people we used to be, whether we find them attractive company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-think-we-are-well-advised-to-keep-on-nodding-terms-with-the-people/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [In fact I have nightmares about having children. I want to carry a baby and feel the life within me and in my dream,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/in-fact-i-have-nightmares-about-having-children-i-want-to-carry-a/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [I don't care if its a day or a bad night, I just want to hold you close to me tight, coz for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-care-if-its-a-day-or-a-bad-night-i-just-want-to-hold-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot survive without that intangible quality we call heart. The mark of a top player is not how much he wins when he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-baldwin/you-cannot-survive-without-that-intangible-quality-we-call-heart-the/) Bobby Baldwin > [It's very easy for me to feel sympathy for people who are messed up. It's not that I'm a pseudo-saint or a great person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-ray-pollock/it-s-very-easy-for-me-to-feel-sympathy-for-people-who-are-messed-up/) [Donald Ray Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-ray-pollock/) [Browse all 74 Bad night quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-night/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That which we call civilization is merely the accumulated debris of a chilling number of bad nights.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fran Lebowitz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merely-the-accumulated-debris-of-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad night" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merely-the-accumulated-debris-of-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef9/fran-lebowitz-690_bad-night_that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merel_920777.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That which we call civilization is merely the accumulated debris of a chilling number of bad nights.” — Fran Lebowitz", "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": "Fran Lebowitz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That which we call civilization is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merely-the-accumulated-debris-of-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/that-which-we-call-civilization-is-merely-the-accumulated-debris-of-a/#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 } } ] } ```