--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not a true civilization, and has…" description: "\"“It is not a true civilization, and has nothing in it to satisfy a mature and fully developed human mind. It is attuned to the mentality of the galley-..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_culture_it-is-not-a-true-civilization-and-has-no_1095544.jpg" --- # It is not a true civilization, and has nothing in it to… ![“It is not a true civilization, and has nothing in it to satisfy a mature and fully developed human mind. It is attuned to the mentality of the galley-slave and the moron, and crushes relentlessly with disapproval, ridicule, and economic annihilation any sign of actually independent thought and…” quote by H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_culture_it-is-not-a-true-civilization-and-has-no_1095544.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_culture_it-is-not-a-true-civilization-and-has-no_1095544.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/h-p-lovecraft-2-2159_culture_it-is-not-a-true-civilization-and-has-no_1095544.jpg) > ““It is not a true civilization, and has nothing in it to satisfy a mature and fully developed human mind. It is attuned to the mentality of the galley-slave and the moron, and crushes relentlessly with disapproval, ridicule, and economic annihilation any sign of actually independent thought and civilised feeling whith chances to rise above its sodden level. It is a treadmill, squirrel-trap culture – drugged and frenzied with the hashish of industrial servitude and material luxury. It is wholly a material body-culture, and its symbol is the tiled bathroom and steam radiator rather than the Doric portico and the temple of philosophy. Its denizens do not live or know how to live.”” [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) ## 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 obsessed with materialism and conformity suppresses independent thought and true cultural depth. **In simple terms:** Materialism crushes true thought. Key Takeaway Question conformity, seek depth. Themes materialism conformity culture intellectual freedom Mood critical somber reflective Type philosophical critical social commentary When to use this quote - workplace politics - education systems - media consumption - urban living Key Concepts industrial servitude philosophical stagnation social critique Questions to Reflect On - How does material comfort limit intellectual growth? - What can individuals do to foster genuine culture? A Different Perspective It may overlook the benefits of shared norms and collective security. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Human mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mind/) [Independent thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent-thought/) ## Related quotes > [The luxuries of civilization satisfy only those wants which they themselves create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apsley-cherry-garrard/the-luxuries-of-civilization-satisfy-only-those-wants-which-they/) [Apsley Cherry-Garrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apsley-cherry-garrard/) > [We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-will-never-have-true-civilization-until-we-have-learned-to/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Theory of the true civilization. It is not to be found in gas or steam or table turning. It consists in the diminution of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/theory-of-the-true-civilization-it-is-not-to-be-found-in-gas-or-steam/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [Justice has nothing to do with victor nations and vanquished nations, but must be a moral standard that all the world's peoples can agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/justice-has-nothing-to-do-with-victor-nations-and-vanquished-nations/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [No university in the world has ever risen to greatness without a correspondingly great library... When this is no longer true, then will our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-clark-powell/no-university-in-the-world-has-ever-risen-to-greatness-without-a/) [Lawrence Clark Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-clark-powell/) > [What's true for us as individual humans is true for the civilization we create: a sprint culture, seeking ever greater speed and power in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-ayres/what-s-true-for-us-as-individual-humans-is-true-for-the-civilization/) [Ed Ayres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-ayres/) > [True Civilization does not lie in gas, nor in steam, nor in turn-tables. It lies in the reduction of the traces of original sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/true-civilization-does-not-lie-in-gas-nor-in-steam-nor-in-turn-tables/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [“Why should we hate them? Because ours is the only true civilization! Even in science -- consider that we invented the sternpost rudder twelve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/why-should-we-hate-them-because-ours-is-the-only-true-civilization/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Love is the spirit of life unto the adorned body of mankind, the establisher of true civilization in this mortal world, and the shedder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/love-is-the-spirit-of-life-unto-the-adorned-body-of-mankind-the/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [What is true for book publishing is true for civilization: the books that survive the test of time are humanity's backlist, our collective memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-epstein/what-is-true-for-book-publishing-is-true-for-civilization-the-books/) [Jason Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-epstein/) > [No true civilization can be expected permanently to continue which is not based on the great principles of Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tryon-edwards/no-true-civilization-can-be-expected-permanently-to-continue-which-is/) [Tryon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tryon-edwards/) > [Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/hold-fast-to-the-bible-to-the-influence-of-this-book-we-are-indebted/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/the-true-civilization-is-where-every-man-gives-to-every-other-every/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [You must strive to become much less susceptible to influences outside of yourself and much more inclined to trust the instincts and feelings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/you-must-strive-to-become-much-less-susceptible-to-influences-outside/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“Everybody goes where everybody goes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-vato/everybody-goes-where-everybody-goes/) [Thomas Vato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-vato/) ## More by H.P. Lovecraft > [“Damn it, it wasn’t quite fresh enough!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/damn-it-it-wasn-t-quite-fresh-enough/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“Fear best lends itself to the creation of Nature-defying illusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/fear-best-lends-itself-to-the-creation-of-nature-defying-illusions/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“a new chill from afar out whither the condor had flown, as if my flesh had caught a horror before my eyes had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/a-new-chill-from-afar-out-whither-the-condor-had-flown-as-if-my-flesh/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“One can trace the relics of this former happiness in the trim shapes of the buildings, the occasional graceful churches, and the evidences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/one-can-trace-the-relics-of-this-former-happiness-in-the-trim-shapes/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“many pairs of legs and with two great bat-like wings in the middle of the back. They sometimes walked on all their legs, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/many-pairs-of-legs-and-with-two-great-bat-like-wings-in-the-middle-of/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“the trees would die before the poison was out of the soil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/the-trees-would-die-before-the-poison-was-out-of-the-soil/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“Calm, lasting beauty comes only in dream, and this solace the world had thrown away when in its worship of the real it threw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/calm-lasting-beauty-comes-only-in-dream-and-this-solace-the-world-had/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“It’s hard to have done all one’s growing up since 33 — but that’s a damn sight better than not growing up at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/it-s-hard-to-have-done-all-one-s-growing-up-since-33-but-that-s-a/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“By noon Carter reached the jasper terraces of Kiran which slope down to the river's edge and bear that temple of loveliness wherein the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/by-noon-carter-reached-the-jasper-terraces-of-kiran-which-slope-down/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“The vast marble dome of the State House stood out in massive silhouette, its crowning statue haloed fantastically by a break in one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/the-vast-marble-dome-of-the-state-house-stood-out-in-massive/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“On many occasions the curious atmospheric effects enchanted me vastly; these including a strikingly vivid mirage - the first I had ever seen -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/on-many-occasions-the-curious-atmospheric-effects-enchanted-me-vastly/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“Heaven knows where I'll end up - it's a safe bet I'll never be at the top of anything! Nor do I particularly care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/heaven-knows-where-i-ll-end-up-it-s-a-safe-bet-i-ll-never-be-at-the/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“Our apprehensions were over what we might find, or fail to find, at the end of our journey; for silence continued to answer all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/our-apprehensions-were-over-what-we-might-find-or-fail-to-find-at-the/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“What we heard was not the fabulous note of any buried blasphemy of elder earth from whose supernal toughness an age-denied polar sun had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/what-we-heard-was-not-the-fabulous-note-of-any-buried-blasphemy-of/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“The Lurking Fear: Shrieking, slithering, torrential shadows of red viscous madness chasing one another through endless, ensanguined condors of purple fulgurous sky... formless phantasms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/the-lurking-fear-shrieking-slithering-torrential-shadows-of-red/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) [Explore all 148 H.P. Lovecraft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) ## More Civilization quotes > [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/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [Violence is not necessary to destroy a civilization. Each civilization dies from indifference toward the unique values which created it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/violence-is-not-necessary-to-destroy-a-civilization-each-civilization/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“The voice in the head that never stops speaking becomes a civilization that is obsessed with form and therefore knows nothing of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-voice-in-the-head-that-never-stops-speaking-becomes-a/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [We released 400,000 classified documents, the most extraordinary history of a war to ever have been released in our civilization. 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