--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A ruin is not just something that…" description: "\"A ruin is not just something that happened long ago to someone else; its history is that of us all, the transience of power, of ideas, of all human end..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png" --- # A ruin is not just something that happened long ago to… ![“A ruin is not just something that happened long ago to someone else; its history is that of us all, the transience of power, of ideas, of all human endeavors.” quote by George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png) > “A ruin is not just something that happened long ago to someone else; its history is that of us all, the transience of power, of ideas, of all human endeavors.” [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History of ruins reflects shared human fragility and the fleeting nature of power, ideas, and endeavors. **In simple terms:** Ruins remind us of our shared impermanence. Key Takeaway Respect and preserve cultural heritage. Themes history impermanence shared humanity Mood thoughtful somber Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - urban planning - heritage tourism - education curricula - policy making Key Concepts anthropology environmental ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do ruins shape your view of progress? - What lessons can we learn from past failures? A Different Perspective Focusing on past ruins may distract from present challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened/) [Happened Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-long-515692/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History Transience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-transience-515690/) [Human Endeavors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-endeavors-515691/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Impermanence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Power of ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-of-ideas/) [Ruin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruin/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Transience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transience/) ## Related quotes > [Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don't struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/impermanence-is-a-principle-of-harmony-when-we-don-t-struggle-against/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“And so castles made of sand slips into the sea, eventually.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/and-so-castles-made-of-sand-slips-into-the-sea-eventually/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [“To know yourself you must know the transience of your self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilyas-kassam/to-know-yourself-you-must-know-the-transience-of-your-self/) [Ilyas Kassam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilyas-kassam/) > [Businesses and other human endeavors are also systems. They, too, are bound by invisible fabrics of interrelated actions, which often take years to fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/businesses-and-other-human-endeavors-are-also-systems-they-too-are/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Baseball, of all sports, and maybe of all human endeavors, has no room for cynicism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-frank-mosher/baseball-of-all-sports-and-maybe-of-all-human-endeavors-has-no-room/) [Howard Frank Mosher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-frank-mosher/) > [The interesting thing about advertising is that the things that annoy us sometimes about it are really human. It's us looking at ourselves -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/the-interesting-thing-about-advertising-is-that-the-things-that-annoy/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [The English invented cricket to make other human endeavors look interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-english-invented-cricket-to-make-other-human-endeavors-look/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [To try to understand another human being, to grapple for his ultimate depths, that is the most dangerous of human endeavors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/to-try-to-understand-another-human-being-to-grapple-for-his-ultimate/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [“The trick of enjoying New York is not to be so busy grinding your way to the center of the earth that you fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carr/the-trick-of-enjoying-new-york-is-not-to-be-so-busy-grinding-your-way/) [David Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carr/) > [Business and human endeavors are systems...we tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of the system. And wonder why our deepest problems never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/business-and-human-endeavors-are-systems-we-tend-to-focus-on/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Benghazi happened a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/benghazi-happened-a-long-time-ago/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [“Sometimes there are still days when I wake up and wonder if this has actually happened, or if it’s been one long dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-madow/sometimes-there-are-still-days-when-i-wake-up-and-wonder-if-this-has/) [Michelle Madow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-madow/) > [“You say a name, but its not known to anyone. Either because that man died or because He was a celebrity on the banks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/you-say-a-name-but-its-not-known-to-anyone-either-because-that-man/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [I'm tired of being treated this way. Just be a man. One day you'll open your eyes and see that the best thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-m-tired-of-being-treated-this-way-just-be-a-man-one-day-you-ll-open/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“And to hear David talk about it, it's it all happened because a long, long time ago people tried to mess with human nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-to-hear-david-talk-about-it-it-s-it-all-happened-because-a-long/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More by George Schaller > [You can do the best science in the world but unless emotion is involved it's not really very relevant. Conservation is based on emotion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/you-can-do-the-best-science-in-the-world-but-unless-emotion-is/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [A large animal needs a large area. If you protect that area, you're also protecting thousands of other plants and animals. You're saving all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/a-large-animal-needs-a-large-area-if-you-protect-that-area-you-re/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [Humans are the one species the world could do very well without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/humans-are-the-one-species-the-world-could-do-very-well-without/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [There are never victories in conservation. If you want to save a species or a habitat, it's a fight forevermore. You can never turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/there-are-never-victories-in-conservation-if-you-want-to-save-a/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [“I find it very worrying that we don’t talk about nature anymore. We talk about natural resources as if everything had a price tag.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/i-find-it-very-worrying-that-we-don-t-talk-about-nature-anymore-we/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [For what are the whales being killed? For a few hundred jobs and products that are not needed, since there are cheap substitutes. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/for-what-are-the-whales-being-killed-for-a-few-hundred-jobs-and/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [Mountains and deserts, with their sparse life at the limit of existence, make one restless and disconsolate; one becomes an explorer in an intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/mountains-and-deserts-with-their-sparse-life-at-the-limit-of/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [To witness that calm rhythm of life revives our worn souls and recaptures a feeling of belonging to the natural world. No one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/to-witness-that-calm-rhythm-of-life-revives-our-worn-souls-and/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [My interest in wildlife began early and I don't know how early because it's the only thing I've ever been interested in. I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/my-interest-in-wildlife-began-early-and-i-don-t-know-how-early/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) > [“I learned long ago that conservation has no victories, that one must retain connections and remain involved with animals and places that have captured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/i-learned-long-ago-that-conservation-has-no-victories-that-one-must/) [George Schaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) [Explore all 11 George Schaller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A ruin is not just something that happened long ago to someone else; its history is that of us all, the transience of power, of ideas, of all human endeavors.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Schaller" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happened-long-ago-to-someone-else/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happened-long-ago-to-someone-else/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/george-schaller-40538_death_a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happen_826136.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A ruin is not just something that happened long ago to someone else; its history is that of us all, the…” — George Schaller", "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 Schaller", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-schaller/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A ruin is not just something...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happened-long-ago-to-someone-else/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-schaller/a-ruin-is-not-just-something-that-happened-long-ago-to-someone-else/#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 } } ] } ```