---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever someone casually refers to “the…"
description: "\"“Whenever someone casually refers to “the history of civilization” in a way that does not jibe with the history of civilization as I extensively, const..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg"
---

#  Whenever someone casually refers to “the history of…

![“Whenever someone casually refers to “the history of civilization” in a way that does not jibe with the history of civilization as I extensively, constantly, read about it, I like to research their favorite books to see where they are getting their information. In most of these cases all their…” quote by Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg)

> ““Whenever someone casually refers to “the history of civilization” in a way that does not jibe with the history of civilization as I extensively, constantly, read about it, I like to research their favorite books to see where they are getting their information. In most of these cases all their favorite books have titles like Christmas, Guns, and Integrity.””

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often cite books with sensational titles to justify biased views; checking sources reveals inaccuracies and promotes critical thinking.

**In simple terms:** Check sources, not titles.

Key Takeaway

Research before accepting claims.

Themes

history critical thinking media literacy bias

Mood

skeptical inquisitive

Type

educational analytical

When to use this quote

- academic study
- news analysis
- public debates
- education programs

Key Concepts

research methodology information verification

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you verify historical claims?
- What habits improve media literacy?

A Different Perspective

Some sources may be inaccessible or costly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Extensively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-extensively-4413951/) [Civilization Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-way-593284/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-civilization-362990/) [Refers History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refers-history-4413952/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [... one can judge a civilization by the way its treats its women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-foster-snow/one-can-judge-a-civilization-by-the-way-its-treats-its-women/)

[Helen Foster Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-foster-snow/)

> [“Magic begins in superstition, and ends in science. ... At every step the history of civilization teaches us how slight and superficial a structure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/magic-begins-in-superstition-and-ends-in-science-at-every-step-the/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [You can tell the state of civilization by the way people dress. If the people who fought two World Wars came back to 2010…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/you-can-tell-the-state-of-civilization-by-the-way-people-dress-if-the/)

[Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/)

> [I am among those who believe that our Western civilization is on its way to perishing. It has many commendable qualities, most of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-am-among-those-who-believe-that-our-western-civilization-is-on-its/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [The test of a civilization is in the way that it cares for its helpless members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-test-of-a-civilization-is-in-the-way-that-it-cares-for-its/)

[Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/)

> [“It ain't technology that enhances the civilization.. but the way mankind perceives nature from all standpoints.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/it-ain-t-technology-that-enhances-the-civilization-but-the-way/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [A civilization is only a way of life. A culture is the way of making that way of life beautiful. So culture is your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/a-civilization-is-only-a-way-of-life-a-culture-is-the-way-of-making/)

[Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/)

> [No civilization can exist part free and part slave. ..We have never had any other kind of civilization. It has always been that way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/no-civilization-can-exist-part-free-and-part-slave-we-have-never-had/)

[Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/)

> [Civilization is the way one's own people live. Savagery is the way foreigners live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/civilization-is-the-way-one-s-own-people-live-savagery-is-the-way/)

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

> [“For most of the history of civilization, the practice of slavery was the rule rather than the exception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/for-most-of-the-history-of-civilization-the-practice-of-slavery-was/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [The history of civilization could actually be written in terms of the level of its women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-history-of-civilization-could-actually-be-written-in-terms-of-the/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I think really, China, Chinese, I think they really have a long history of civilization, rich culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-think-really-china-chinese-i-think-they-really-have-a-long-history/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [“To a great extent the level of any civilization is the level of its womanhood. When a man loves a woman, he has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-acquaviva/to-a-great-extent-the-level-of-any-civilization-is-the-level-of-its/)

[John Acquaviva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-acquaviva/)

> [Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world, because it's the history of ideas, the history of our civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/science-fiction-is-the-most-important-literature-in-the-history-of/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [Our language, history, and civilization shine out across every continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-macron/our-language-history-and-civilization-shine-out-across-every-continent/)

[Emmanuel Macron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-macron/)

## More by Jennifer Wright

> [“To be clear, the Roman Empire didn’t end because everybody was having sex. No civilization was ever toppled by “too much sexy time”—except for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/to-be-clear-the-roman-empire-didn-t-end-because-everybody-was-having/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“At the time, though, vaccination was controversial. Many were opposed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/at-the-time-though-vaccination-was-controversial-many-were-opposed/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“This may be the most insane, ineffective cure in the world, but if you have the opportunity to travel back in time, please go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/this-may-be-the-most-insane-ineffective-cure-in-the-world-but-if-you/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Well, Zimbabwe now has a higher immunization rate for one-year-olds against measles (around 95 percent) than the United States does. So do 112 other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/well-zimbabwe-now-has-a-higher-immunization-rate-for-one-year-olds/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Persecuting religious minorities is always ill-advised, every single time it occurs in history. I have never in my research found an instance where a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/persecuting-religious-minorities-is-always-ill-advised-every-single/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Do you know my absolute favorite story about the author of The Age of Innocence ? It’s that she did all of her writing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/do-you-know-my-absolute-favorite-story-about-the-author-of-the-age-of/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“When we are electing government officials, it is not stupid to ask yourself, “If a plague broke out, do I think this person could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/when-we-are-electing-government-officials-it-is-not-stupid-to-ask/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Male writers, especially male writers during the 1960s, somehow tricked people into thinking that they were demigods because they had an understanding of language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/male-writers-especially-male-writers-during-the-1960s-somehow-tricked/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“It is telling that, historically, quarantines extended primarily to those who had less wealth, power, and social clout.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/it-is-telling-that-historically-quarantines-extended-primarily-to/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“If you were a peasant and someone said, “If you live in a sewer, the bubonic plague won’t kill you,” your reaction likely wouldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/if-you-were-a-peasant-and-someone-said-if-you-live-in-a-sewer-the/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Ask the Aztecs and the Incas whether or not they would have liked to have access to vaccines. Oh, wait, you can't. They're dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/ask-the-aztecs-and-the-incas-whether-or-not-they-would-have-liked-to/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“(Fun fact: you can’t kill someone by finely grinding up glass and mixing it in their food. Either they’d be able to detect it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/fun-fact-you-can-t-kill-someone-by-finely-grinding-up-glass-and/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Parents refusing to vaccinate their children are doing something akin to allowing their kids to run about in traffic because they are irrationally afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/parents-refusing-to-vaccinate-their-children-are-doing-something-akin/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“Feel free to start using Walter Jackson Freeman II as an insult directed toward people you hate. Almost no one will get the reference,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/feel-free-to-start-using-walter-jackson-freeman-ii-as-an-insult/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

> [“This might be a good time to mention that if you learn about an airborne virus that seems to be killing otherwise healthy young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/this-might-be-a-good-time-to-mention-that-if-you-learn-about-an/)

[Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

[Explore all 31 Jennifer Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/)

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

[Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

[Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/)

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Whenever someone casually refers to “the history of civilization” in a way that does not jibe with the history of civilization as I extensively, constantly, read about it, I like to research their favorite books to see where they are getting their information. In most of these cases all their favorite books have titles like Christmas, Guns, and Integrity.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jennifer Wright"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the-history-of-civilization-in-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the-history-of-civilization-in-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/jennifer-wright-20397_books_whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the_2945704.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whenever someone casually refers to “the history of civilization” in a way that does not jibe with the…” — Jennifer Wright",
                "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": "Jennifer Wright",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Whenever someone casually refers to “the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the-history-of-civilization-in-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/whenever-someone-casually-refers-to-the-history-of-civilization-in-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
