---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Civilization is a disease produced by the…"
description: "\"Civilization is a disease produced by the practice of building societies with rotten material.\" — George Bernard Shaw"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png"
---

#  Civilization is a disease produced by the practice of…

![“Civilization is a disease produced by the practice of building societies with rotten material.” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png)

> “Civilization is a disease produced by the practice of building societies with rotten material.”

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

## 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 portrayed as a disease stemming from building societies on flawed foundations.

**In simple terms:** Societies can be harmful when built on bad material.

Key Takeaway

Question the foundations of progress.

Themes

philosophy societal critique systems theory

Mood

critical provocative

Type

sociological analytical

When to use this quote

- urban planning
- policy making
- social reform

Key Concepts

dysfunction materialism

Questions to Reflect On

- What “rotten material” exists today?
- How can we rebuild healthier societies?

A Different Perspective

Not all societal structures are detrimental; nuance needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-disease-2355895/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Disease Produced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease-produced-2355898/) [Man and superman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-and-superman/) [Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Rebellious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebellious/) [Rotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rotten/) [Rotten Material](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rotten-material-2355897/) [Societies Rotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/societies-rotten-2355896/)

## Related quotes

> [Civilization is a disease which is almost invariably fatal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ralph-inge/civilization-is-a-disease-which-is-almost-invariably-fatal/)

[William Ralph Inge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ralph-inge/)

> [The confusing of marriage with morality has done more to destroy the conscience of the human race than any other single error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-confusing-of-marriage-with-morality-has-done-more-to-destroy-the/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [This is the true joy of life-the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being thoroughly worn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/this-is-the-true-joy-of-life-the-being-used-for-a-purpose-recognized/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/this-is-the-true-joy-in-life-the-being-used-for-a-purpose-recognized-2/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Beware of the man whose God is in the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/beware-of-the-man-whose-god-is-in-the-skies/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [When a man teaches something he does not know to somebody else who has no aptitude for it, and gives him a certificate of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/when-a-man-teaches-something-he-does-not-know-to-somebody-else-who/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The unconscious self is the real genius. Your breathing goes wrong the moment your conscious self meddles with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-unconscious-self-is-the-real-genius-your-breathing-goes-wrong-the/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The more things a man is ashamed of, the more respectable he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-more-things-a-man-is-ashamed-of-the-more-respectable-he-is/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Self-denial is not a virtue; it is only the effect of prudence on rascality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/self-denial-is-not-a-virtue-it-is-only-the-effect-of-prudence-on/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-reasonable-man-adapts-himself-to-the-world-the-unreasonable-one-4/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Gambling promises the poor what property performs for the rich-something for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/gambling-promises-the-poor-what-property-performs-for-the-rich/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Murder and capital punishment are not opposites that cancel one another, but similars that breed their kind. It is the deed that teaches not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/murder-and-capital-punishment-are-not-opposites-that-cancel-one/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Reason enslaves all whose minds are not strong enough to master her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/reason-enslaves-all-whose-minds-are-not-strong-enough-to-master-her/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Activity is the only road to knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/activity-is-the-only-road-to-knowledge/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

## More by George Bernard Shaw

> [I love little children too but I don't cut off their heads and stick them in vases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-love-little-children-too-but-i-don-t-cut-off-their-heads-and-stick/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Blasphemy and sedition (meaning the truth about Church and State).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/blasphemy-and-sedition-meaning-the-truth-about-church-and-state/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [In the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-life-man-invents-nothing-but-in-the-arts-of-death-he/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Men have to do some awfully mean things to keep up their respectability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/men-have-to-do-some-awfully-mean-things-to-keep-up-their/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-long-as-i-have-a-want-i-have-a-reason-for-living-satisfaction-is/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The camera can represent flesh so superbly that, if I dared, I would never photograph a figure without asking that figure to take its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-camera-can-represent-flesh-so-superbly-that-if-i-dared-i-would/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [But to admire a strong person and to live under that strong person’s thumb are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/but-to-admire-a-strong-person-and-to-live-under-that-strong-person-s/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [Socialism is the same as Communism, only better English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/socialism-is-the-same-as-communism-only-better-english/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [The person who is ignorant enough to believe that his nourishment depends on meat is in a horrible dilemma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-person-who-is-ignorant-enough-to-believe-that-his-nourishment/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [In the arts of peace Man is a bungler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-the-arts-of-peace-man-is-a-bungler/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

[Explore all 1,640 George Bernard Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

## More Building quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/)

[Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

> [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/)

[Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/)

> [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/)

[Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/)

> [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/)

[Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/)

> [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/)

[Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/)

> [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/)

[Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/)

> [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

> [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/)

[Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/)

[Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Civilization is a disease produced by the practice of building societies with rotten material.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Bernard Shaw"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-the-practice-of-building/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Building"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-the-practice-of-building/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/george-bernard-shaw-68_building_civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-th_2651754.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Civilization is a disease produced by the practice of building societies with rotten material.” — George Bernard Shaw",
                "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": "George Bernard Shaw",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Civilization is a disease produced by...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-the-practice-of-building/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/civilization-is-a-disease-produced-by-the-practice-of-building/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
