--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the beginning, we huddled in cities…" description: "\"In the beginning, we huddled in cities for our own protection. We built walls around them with slits through which to fire arrows at scary, cross-eyed ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/giles-coren-11329_beginning_in-the-beginning-we-huddled-in-cities-fo_326654.jpg" --- # In the beginning, we huddled in cities for our own… ![“In the beginning, we huddled in cities for our own protection. We built walls around them with slits through which to fire arrows at scary, cross-eyed rural people, and brought our food and family inside because they were the safest places to be.” quote by Giles Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/giles-coren-11329_beginning_in-the-beginning-we-huddled-in-cities-fo_326654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/giles-coren-11329_beginning_in-the-beginning-we-huddled-in-cities-fo_326654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/517/giles-coren-11329_beginning_in-the-beginning-we-huddled-in-cities-fo_326654.jpg) > “In the beginning, we huddled in cities for our own protection. We built walls around them with slits through which to fire arrows at scary, cross-eyed rural people, and brought our food and family inside because they were the safest places to be.” [Giles Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-coren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes early defensive settlements and the fear-driven construction of walls. **In simple terms:** People built walls for safety against perceived threats. Key Takeaway Consider the cost of fear‑driven isolation. Themes defense fear community building Mood reflective analytical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - city planning - security measures - historical analysis Key Concepts urban planning human psychology Questions to Reflect On - Are walls always protective? - When does protection become oppression? A Different Perspective Walls can create both protection and division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to keep that message of food and family alive, and how it brings people together and builds relationships and communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/i-wanted-to-keep-that-message-of-food-and-family-alive-and-how-it/) [Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/) > [It is so nice to talk to someone that has a passion for food and family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-puck/it-is-so-nice-to-talk-to-someone-that-has-a-passion-for-food-and/) [Wolfgang Puck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-puck/) > [“Before I officially began the journey to dig deeper into my food and family roots, I was racking up an internal encyclopedia about other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-twitty/before-i-officially-began-the-journey-to-dig-deeper-into-my-food-and/) [Michael W. 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