--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A very civilized thing, glass—almost an…" description: "\"“A very civilized thing, glass—almost an index of civilization. When civilization retreats, it leaves behind broken glass.”\" — John Derbyshire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/john-derbyshire-20276_broken-glass_a-very-civilized-thing-glass-almost-an-i_1319379.png" --- # A very civilized thing, glass—almost an index of… ![“A very civilized thing, glass—almost an index of civilization. When civilization retreats, it leaves behind broken glass.” quote by John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/john-derbyshire-20276_broken-glass_a-very-civilized-thing-glass-almost-an-i_1319379.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/john-derbyshire-20276_broken-glass_a-very-civilized-thing-glass-almost-an-i_1319379.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88b/john-derbyshire-20276_broken-glass_a-very-civilized-thing-glass-almost-an-i_1319379.png) > ““A very civilized thing, glass—almost an index of civilization. When civilization retreats, it leaves behind broken glass.”” [John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Glass symbolizes cultural advancement; its breakage marks societal decline. **In simple terms:** Broken glass signals falling civilization. Key Takeaway Preserve cultural achievements. Themes civilization symbolism decline Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - urban planning - heritage preservation - education reform Key Concepts material culture historical cycles Questions to Reflect On - What modern symbols reflect our civilization? - How can we protect cultural heritage? A Different Perspective Not all societies value material symbols equally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) ## Related quotes > [The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/the-real-index-of-civilization-is-when-people-are-kinder-than-they/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wine-is-the-most-civilized-thing-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“People who make their living looking into crystal balls are destined to eat a lot of broken glass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-make-their-living-looking-into-crystal-balls-are-destined/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Wish I could be a fragile piece of glass to accept my brokenness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munia-khan/wish-i-could-be-a-fragile-piece-of-glass-to-accept-my-brokenness/) [Munia Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munia-khan/) > [“More than anything." Rob persisted. "You'd crawl on your belly over broken glass for her. Easy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/more-than-anything-rob-persisted-you-d-crawl-on-your-belly-over/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [“Her smile could've broken glass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/her-smile-could-ve-broken-glass/) [Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/) > [“Broken glass still made art. Sometimes the most beautiful kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roni-loren/broken-glass-still-made-art-sometimes-the-most-beautiful-kind/) [Roni Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roni-loren/) > [In my new IFC comedy game show, 'Bunk,' we actually use our intern Patrick as a human timer - giving contestants the time it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-braunohler/in-my-new-ifc-comedy-game-show-bunk-we-actually-use-our-intern/) [Kurt Braunohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-braunohler/) > [The basic problem is that our civilization, which is a civilization of machines, can teach man everything except how to be a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/the-basic-problem-is-that-our-civilization-which-is-a-civilization-of/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [“It wasn’t a city, it was a process, a weight on the world that distorted the land for hundreds of miles around. People who’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-wasn-t-a-city-it-was-a-process-a-weight-on-the-world-that/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [There has never yet been a human society worthy of the name of civilization. Civilization remains a remote ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-has-never-yet-been-a-human-society-worthy-of-the-name-of/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The home is the most important factor in civilization, and that civilization is to be measured at different stages largely by the development in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/the-home-is-the-most-important-factor-in-civilization-and-that/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [To us it seems that West-European civilization is civilization, but this is a narrow view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/to-us-it-seems-that-west-european-civilization-is-civilization-but/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“I have known Nature. I have known Civilization. Civilization is better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-boyd/i-have-known-nature-i-have-known-civilization-civilization-is-better/) Donna Boyd > [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/) ## More by John Derbyshire > [Wherever there is a jackboot stomping on a human face there will be a well-heeled Western liberal to explain that the face does, after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-derbyshire/wherever-there-is-a-jackboot-stomping-on-a-human-face-there-will-be-a/) [John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) > [Conservatism is pessimistic, with a negative tendency - which we mostly resist - towards despair. 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Not many of us would… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-derbyshire/he-mencken-was-an-autodidact-with-all-the-misplaced-confidence-and/) [John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) > [“Our political system is now run by the Big People for their own interests. If they ever deign to notice the Little People, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-derbyshire/our-political-system-is-now-run-by-the-big-people-for-their-own/) [John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) > [“Mathematicians call it “the arithmetic of congruences.” You can think of it as clock arithmetic. Temporarily replace the 12 on a clock face with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-derbyshire/mathematicians-call-it-the-arithmetic-of-congruences-you-can-think-of/) [John Derbyshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) [Explore all 31 John Derbyshire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-derbyshire/) ## More Broken glass quotes > [“What do I do now? I didn't think my heart could break any more than it already has. The pieces still inside of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-ward/what-do-i-do-now-i-didn-t-think-my-heart-could-break-any-more-than-it/) [H.M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-ward/) > [“Ready for the cheap escape On the brink of self destruction Widespread panic Broken glass inside my head Bleeding down these thoughts ~”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-gambhir/ready-for-the-cheap-escape-on-the-brink-of-self-destruction/) [Tanya Gambhir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-gambhir/) > [“The trouble with rules, though, is that you'll always be tempted to break one- for the right reasons, due to unavoidable circumstances, because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-kade/the-trouble-with-rules-though-is-that-you-ll-always-be-tempted-to/) [Stacey Kade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-kade/) > [The universe always moves from an ordered state to a disordered one; that a glass may fall to the ground and shatter yet you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-universe-always-moves-from-an-ordered-state-to-a-disordered-one/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Alcohol whipped me. Alcohol and I had many, many marvelous times together. We laughed, we talked, we danced at the party together; then one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-crews/alcohol-whipped-me-alcohol-and-i-had-many-many-marvelous-times/) [Harry Crews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-crews/) > [I wake up just like every other day with a fake smile on my face trying to brighten other peoples day but at night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wake-up-just-like-every-other-day-with-a-fake-smile-on-my-face/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on the broken glass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/don-t-tell-me-the-moon-is-shining-show-me-the-glint-of-light-on-the/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“We heard the Sermon on the Mount and I knew it was too complex, It didn't amount to anything more than what the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/we-heard-the-sermon-on-the-mount-and-i-knew-it-was-too-complex-it/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [As it enters the ear, does it come in like broken glass, or does it come in like honey?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-condon/as-it-enters-the-ear-does-it-come-in-like-broken-glass-or-does-it/) [Eddie Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-condon/) > [“Dear Mr. Weston, Hello again. We were beginning to wonder what had happened to you. I guess things have been pretty quiet since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-korman/dear-mr-weston-hello-again-we-were-beginning-to-wonder-what-had/) [Gordon Korman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-korman/) > [“Amory had loved himself in Eleanor, so now what he hated was only a mirror. Their poses were strewn about the pale dawn like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/amory-had-loved-himself-in-eleanor-so-now-what-he-hated-was-only-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. Jack London. My favorite quote. : ) Don't tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggi-allder/you-can-t-wait-for-inspiration-you-have-to-go-after-it-with-a-club/) Reggi Allder > [“Come on," he says. "And try to avoid the broken glass. Can't have you going to the nurse and meeting some other guy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hathaway/come-on-he-says-and-try-to-avoid-the-broken-glass-can-t-have-you/) [Jill Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hathaway/) > [“Afghan Girl Ice blue eyes that look to the morning sky as I knit the pieces and remnants of my life. I have No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-stewart/afghan-girl-ice-blue-eyes-that-look-to-the-morning-sky-as-i-knit-the/) [Edna Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-stewart/) > [“There was a low growling sound and the Munstermobile came gliding up out of the parking garage, dripping water from its gleaming surface like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/there-was-a-low-growling-sound-and-the-munstermobile-came-gliding-up/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) Browse all 217 Broken glass quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A very civilized thing, glass—almost an index of civilization. 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