--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Civilization, that great fraud of our…" description: "\"Civilization, that great fraud of our times, has promised man that by complicating his existence it would multiply his pleasures. ... Civilization has ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/isabelle-eberhardt-21732_civilization_civilization-that-great-fraud-of-our-tim_1003087.jpg" --- # Civilization, that great fraud of our times, has promised… ![“Civilization, that great fraud of our times, has promised man that by complicating his existence it would multiply his pleasures. ... Civilization has promised man freedom, at the cost of giving up everything dear to him, which it arrogantly treated as lies and fantasies. ... Hour by hour needs…” quote by Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/isabelle-eberhardt-21732_civilization_civilization-that-great-fraud-of-our-tim_1003087.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/isabelle-eberhardt-21732_civilization_civilization-that-great-fraud-of-our-tim_1003087.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/isabelle-eberhardt-21732_civilization_civilization-that-great-fraud-of-our-tim_1003087.jpg) > “Civilization, that great fraud of our times, has promised man that by complicating his existence it would multiply his pleasures. ... Civilization has promised man freedom, at the cost of giving up everything dear to him, which it arrogantly treated as lies and fantasies. ... Hour by hour needs increase and are nearly always unsatisfied, peopling the earth with discontented rebels. The superfluous has become a necessity and luxuries indispensable.” [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civilization promises freedom through complexity, yet creates endless desire and discontent. **In simple terms:** Complex life promises pleasure but breeds endless wants. Key Takeaway Question the true cost of modern comforts. Themes civilization consumerism discontent freedom illusion Mood critical contemplative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - urban living - career advancement - technology adoption Key Concepts philosophy social critique economics Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel your desires are truly yours? - What freedoms have you traded for convenience? A Different Perspective The promised freedoms often come with hidden sacrifices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraud/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-up/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Luxury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luxury/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Rebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebel/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If the Egyptian people can create a democracy in the heart of the Arab world, it will be a more significant contribution to civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/if-the-egyptian-people-can-create-a-democracy-in-the-heart-of-the/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) > [Technical civilization has made a great error in not suppressing death, the only human reality still intact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/technical-civilization-has-made-a-great-error-in-not-suppressing/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [A civilization is as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamt by artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/a-civilization-is-as-great-as-its-dreams-and-its-dreams-are-dreamt-by/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [“If one is searching for the cause of brutality in mankind, it would do well to remember that civilization is a great and vast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dutton/if-one-is-searching-for-the-cause-of-brutality-in-mankind-it-would-do/) [Christopher Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dutton/) > [The great lie is that it is civilization. It's not civilized. It has been literally the most blood thirsty brutalizing system ever imposed upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/the-great-lie-is-that-it-is-civilization-it-s-not-civilized-it-has/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [Social intercourse -- a very limited thing in a half civilized country, becomes in our centers of civilization a great power. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-blackwell/social-intercourse-a-very-limited-thing-in-a-half-civilized-country/) Emily Blackwell > [It must be admitted that there is a degree of instability which is inconsistent with civilization. But, on the whole, the great ages have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/it-must-be-admitted-that-there-is-a-degree-of-instability-which-is/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [No man can take your freedom from you. They can limit your mobility, but that's about all they can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/no-man-can-take-your-freedom-from-you-they-can-limit-your-mobility/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [“I have never believed that man’s freedom consists in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-doing-what-he/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I have never believed that man's freedom consisted in doing what he wants, but rather in never doing what he does not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-believed-that-man-s-freedom-consisted-in-doing-what-he/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I have never thought, for my part, that man's freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-have-never-thought-for-my-part-that-man-s-freedom-consists-in-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Does one's integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do? I think that usually it does, for free will does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/does-one-s-integrity-ever-lie-in-what-he-is-not-able-to-do-i-think/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [If there is work there is warmth, that when a man has freedom of movement it is enough, for then his blood is hot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fante/if-there-is-work-there-is-warmth-that-when-a-man-has-freedom-of/) [John Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fante/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [Man's last freedom is his freedom to choose how he will react in any given situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/man-s-last-freedom-is-his-freedom-to-choose-how-he-will-react-in-any/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) ## More by Isabelle Eberhardt > [The way I see it, there is no greater spiritual beauty than fanaticism, of a sort so sincere it can only end in martyrdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/the-way-i-see-it-there-is-no-greater-spiritual-beauty-than-fanaticism/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [For those who know the value of and exquisite taste of solitary freedom (for one is only free when alone), the act of leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/for-those-who-know-the-value-of-and-exquisite-taste-of-solitary/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [Oh if at every moment of our lives we could know the consequences of some of the utterings, thoughts and deeds that seem so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/oh-if-at-every-moment-of-our-lives-we-could-know-the-consequences-of/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [From every ruin, life springs up again and everything that dies is born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/from-every-ruin-life-springs-up-again-and-everything-that-dies-is/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/now-more-than-ever-do-i-realize-that-i-will-never-be-content-with-a/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [We are, all of us, poor wretches, and those who prefer not to understand this are even worse off than the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/we-are-all-of-us-poor-wretches-and-those-who-prefer-not-to-understand/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [One must use the weapons one finds in one's path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/one-must-use-the-weapons-one-finds-in-one-s-path/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [But the vagrant owns the whole vast earth that ends only at the nonexistent horizon, and his empire is an intangible one, for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/but-the-vagrant-owns-the-whole-vast-earth-that-ends-only-at-the/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [Life on the open road is liberty... to be alone, to have few needs, to be unknown, everywhere a foreigner and at home, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/life-on-the-open-road-is-liberty-to-be-alone-to-have-few-needs-to-be/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/a-nomad-i-will-remain-for-life-in-love-with-distant-and-uncharted/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/i-will-always-be-haunted-by-thoughts-of-a-sun-drenched-elsewhere/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [I think it is impossible for human minds to think of Death as a final, irrevocable end to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/i-think-it-is-impossible-for-human-minds-to-think-of-death-as-a-final/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [I will only ever be drawn to people who suffer from that special and fertile anguish called self-doubt, or the thirst for the ideal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/i-will-only-ever-be-drawn-to-people-who-suffer-from-that-special-and/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [I am full of the sorrow that goes with changes in surroundings, those successive stages of annihilation that slowly lead to the great and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/i-am-full-of-the-sorrow-that-goes-with-changes-in-surroundings-those/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) > [I feel alone, free, and detached from everything in the world, and I'm happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-eberhardt/i-feel-alone-free-and-detached-from-everything-in-the-world-and-i-m/) [Isabelle Eberhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) [Explore all 27 Isabelle Eberhardt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-eberhardt/) ## 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. Those documents cover 109,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/we-released-400-000-classified-documents-the-most-extraordinary/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/whenever-we-touch-nature-we-get-clean-people-who-have-got-dirty/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Once we allow ourselves to be disobedient to the test of an accountant's profit, we have begun to change our civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/once-we-allow-ourselves-to-be-disobedient-to-the-test-of-an/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-josiah-brewer/our-laws-and-our-institutions-must-necessarily-be-based-upon-and/) [David Josiah Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-josiah-brewer/) [Browse all 4,084 Civilization quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Civilization, that great fraud of our times, has promised man that by complicating his existence it would multiply his pleasures. ... Civilization has promised man freedom, at the cost of giving up everything dear to him, which it arrogantly treated as lies and fantasies. ... Hour by hour needs increase and are nearly always unsatisfied, peopling the earth with discontented rebels. 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