--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every civilization depends upon the…" description: "\"Every civilization depends upon the quality of the individuals it produces.\" — Frank Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/frank-herbert-262_chain-of-command_every-civilization-depends-upon-the-qual_1698796.jpg" --- # Every civilization depends upon the quality of the… ![“Every civilization depends upon the quality of the individuals it produces.” quote by Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/frank-herbert-262_chain-of-command_every-civilization-depends-upon-the-qual_1698796.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/frank-herbert-262_chain-of-command_every-civilization-depends-upon-the-qual_1698796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bef/frank-herbert-262_chain-of-command_every-civilization-depends-upon-the-qual_1698796.jpg) > “Every civilization depends upon the quality of the individuals it produces.” [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A society’s fate rests on the quality of its people. **In simple terms:** Civilizations thrive on strong individuals. Key Takeaway Invest in personal development. Themes society quality individuals Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education reform - community building - leadership training Key Concepts human capital education leadership Questions to Reflect On - What policies nurture high‑quality citizens? - How do institutions shape individual potential? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on individuals ignores systemic factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chain of command](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chain-of-command/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) ## Related quotes > [What you of the CHOAM directorate seem unable to understand is that you seldom find real loyalties in commerce. ... Men must want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/what-you-of-the-choam-directorate-seem-unable-to-understand-is-that/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“People, not commercial organizations or chains of command, are what make great civilizations work. Every civilization depends upon the quality of the individuals it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/people-not-commercial-organizations-or-chains-of-command-are-what/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Every civilization depends on the quality of the individuals it produces. If you over-organize humans, over-legalize them, suppress their urge to greatness-they cannot work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/every-civilization-depends-on-the-quality-of-the-individuals-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Civilization depends upon the vigorous pursuit of the highest values by people who are intelligent enough to know that their values are qualified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/civilization-depends-upon-the-vigorous-pursuit-of-the-highest-values/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Civilization depends on, and civility often requires, the willingness to say, 'What you are doing is none of my business' and 'What I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/civilization-depends-on-and-civility-often-requires-the-willingness/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [Our civilization depends largely on paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/our-civilization-depends-largely-on-paper/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Upon the sacredness of property civilization itself depends-the right of the laborer to his hundred dollars in the savings bank, and equally the legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/upon-the-sacredness-of-property-civilization-itself-depends-the-right/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [We know next to nothing about virtually everything. It is not necessary to know the origin of the universe; it is necessary to want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/we-know-next-to-nothing-about-virtually-everything-it-is-not/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [“Many lessons can be learned from the history of Western civilization, but one of them is especially clear. Lack of involvement in the affairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-spielvogel/many-lessons-can-be-learned-from-the-history-of-western-civilization/) Jackson Spielvogel > [We're becoming a planet of a thousand new major cities. The economy of the 21st century is a city-building economy. It's within our power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/we-re-becoming-a-planet-of-a-thousand-new-major-cities-the-economy-of/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Advertising is a non-moral force, like electricity, which not only illuminates but electrocutes. 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They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/i-will-tell-you-this-only-once-homosexuals-have-been-among-the-best/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/between-depriving-a-man-of-one-hour-from-his-life-and-depriving-him/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [The surest way to keep a secret is to make someone think they already know the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-surest-way-to-keep-a-secret-is-to-make-someone-think-they-already/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“how inevitable it was that the aristocrat would refuse his final duty—which was to step aside and vanish into history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/how-inevitable-it-was-that-the-aristocrat-would-refuse-his-final-duty/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“What we should have done was test the gift first. 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This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-assumption-that-a-whole-system-can-be-made-to-work-better-through/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/the-power-to-destroy-a-thing-is-the-absolute-control-over-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Providence and Manifest Destiny are synonyms often invoked to support arguments based on wishful thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/providence-and-manifest-destiny-are-synonyms-often-invoked-to-support/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [If you ask "Should we be in space?" you ask a nonsense question. We are in space. We will be in space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/if-you-ask-should-we-be-in-space-you-ask-a-nonsense-question-we-are/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) [Explore all 776 Frank Herbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) ## More Chain of command quotes > [Once you have hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/once-you-have-hierarchy-you-need-rules-to-protect-and-administer-it/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [“Then it hits me… And it hits me with the force of a blow. I am maybe fifteen years old. I am a girl.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-meyer/then-it-hits-me-and-it-hits-me-with-the-force-of-a-blow-i-am-maybe/) [L.A. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-meyer/) > [“The chain of command, I wear it around my neck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-chain-of-command-i-wear-it-around-my-neck/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There's a certain way you stand to give yourself authority, which gives you the texture for the part. I chose that my character hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goddard/there-s-a-certain-way-you-stand-to-give-yourself-authority-which/) [Mark Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goddard/) > [“Justice can only be delivered by someone who doesn't care about how much he's paid, or where he is in the chain of command.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-victoria/justice-can-only-be-delivered-by-someone-who-doesn-t-care-about-how/) Eliza Victoria > [You know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat ya with until you realize who's in ruttin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-baldwin/you-know-what-the-chain-of-command-is-it-s-the-chain-i-go-get-and/) [Adam Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-baldwin/) > [Oh, propriety," says Mrs Benjamin. "We're always so concerned with propriety. 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The chain of command is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-coughlin/it-has-to-come-out-of-the-chain-of-command-because-the-chain-of/) Paula Coughlin > [“Type II trauma also often occurs within a closed context - such as a family, a religious group, a workplace, a chain of command,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-a-courtois/type-ii-trauma-also-often-occurs-within-a-closed-context-such-as-a/) [Christine A. Courtois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-a-courtois/) > [Military investigations are designed not to find anyone guilty. And you can't investigate up the chain of command, which is a huge impediment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/military-investigations-are-designed-not-to-find-anyone-guilty-and/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [When I was working in the Pentagon, I had to own the recommendations I made up the chain of command.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-slotkin/when-i-was-working-in-the-pentagon-i-had-to-own-the-recommendations-i/) [Elissa Slotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-slotkin/) > [“stairwell and started the climb to the seventh floor. He was knackered by the time they got to the third, but his agitation drove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-robson/stairwell-and-started-the-climb-to-the-seventh-floor-he-was-knackered/) Roy Robson > [What you of the CHOAM directorate seem unable to understand is that you seldom find real loyalties in commerce. ... 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