--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We’ve spent centuries moving them away…" description: "\"“We’ve spent centuries moving them away from that word virtue and especially The Virtues and that’s precisely how we did it —by making it lower case.”\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/geoffrey-wood-4200_character_we-ve-spent-centuries-moving-them-away-f_2059709.jpg" --- # We’ve spent centuries moving them away from that word… ![“We’ve spent centuries moving them away from that word virtue and especially The Virtues and that’s precisely how we did it —by making it lower case.” quote by Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/geoffrey-wood-4200_character_we-ve-spent-centuries-moving-them-away-f_2059709.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/geoffrey-wood-4200_character_we-ve-spent-centuries-moving-them-away-f_2059709.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/050/geoffrey-wood-4200_character_we-ve-spent-centuries-moving-them-away-f_2059709.jpg) > ““We’ve spent centuries moving them away from that word virtue and especially The Virtues and that’s precisely how we did it —by making it lower case.”” [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that modern usage has demoted the concept of virtue by treating it as a common noun rather than a capitalized ideal. **In simple terms:** Virtue is now seen as ordinary, not lofty. Key Takeaway Recognize and restore the dignity of core values. Themes language values culture ethics Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - education curricula - public discourse - media framing - personal development Key Concepts semantic shift social perception historical linguistics Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape our respect for moral concepts? - Can re‑capitalizing words influence behavior? A Different Perspective The shift may reflect broader societal changes, not just linguistic choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Christian-fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-fiction/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Especially Virtues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/especially-virtues-3922981/) [Grimrack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grimrack/) [Lower Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lower-case-1306860/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Especially](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-especially-3922980/) [Virtues Precisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtues-precisely-3922982/) [Word Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-virtue-3196220/) ## Related quotes > [I dislike the frequent use of the word virtue, instead of righteousness, in the pulpit; in prayer or preaching before a Christian community, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/i-dislike-the-frequent-use-of-the-word-virtue-instead-of/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“The word "virtue" was once found in so many ancient quotes, yet now seems lost in our modern lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-colton/the-word-virtue-was-once-found-in-so-many-ancient-quotes-yet-now/) [Robert Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-colton/) > [The word virtue is as useful to self-interest as the vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-word-virtue-is-as-useful-to-self-interest-as-the-vices/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“The Bible is the one book we’ve most succeeded in having them never read as a book. 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I have seen it —His ever-reaching outward for any hand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/though-i-despise-it-i-do-not-doubt-his-love-for-the-creatures-i-have/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [Through the history of my records, from when I started controlling the visual, I always used lower case letters for everything, I can't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalah-hathaway/through-the-history-of-my-records-from-when-i-started-controlling-the/) [Lalah Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalah-hathaway/) ## More by Geoffrey Wood > [“Make good and sure your clients all call themselves Americans —proudly so, defiantly, loudly— but without any more thought about it than wearing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/make-good-and-sure-your-clients-all-call-themselves-americans-proudly/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [“The Bible is the one book we’ve most succeeded in having them never read as a book. 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To aspire to goodness in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/you-see-my-point-the-average-person-has-a-very-average-notion-of/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [“Teach them the shame that tells the lie, “I am unforgivable,” when the truth is, “I feel unforgivable, but it was out of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/teach-them-the-shame-that-tells-the-lie-i-am-unforgivable-when-the/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [“Grace runs downhill and now all his time is being redeemed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-wood/grace-runs-downhill-and-now-all-his-time-is-being-redeemed/) [Geoffrey Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-wood/) > [“The Americans want a surplus stocked up to supply their every whim. And their appeals are much less requests, more demands. 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