--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But there is a devil of a difference…" description: "\"But there is a devil of a difference between barbarians who are fit by nature to be used for anything, and civilized people who apply them selves to ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg" --- # But there is a devil of a difference between barbarians… ![“But there is a devil of a difference between barbarians who are fit by nature to be used for anything, and civilized people who apply them selves to everything.” quote by Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg) > “But there is a devil of a difference between barbarians who are fit by nature to be used for anything, and civilized people who apply them selves to everything.” [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Barbarians are naturally suited for brute tasks, while civilized people overextend themselves to all roles. **In simple terms:** People differ in natural abilities and societal expectations. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect innate strengths. Themes class labor civilization Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - workplace assignments - education systems - political movements Key Concepts social hierarchy division of labor Questions to Reflect On - Are societal roles limiting you? - How can we balance specialization and versatility? A Different Perspective Rigid roles can stifle individual growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) [Barbarians Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians-fit-5742911/) [Civilized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilized/) [Civilized People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilized-people-564740/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-difference-5742912/) [Difference Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference-barbarians-5742910/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [Civilized people are taught by logic, barbarians, by necessity, communities by tradition; and the lesson inculcated even in wild beasts by nature itself. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/civilized-people-are-taught-by-logic-barbarians-by-necessity/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [We are all civilized people, wich means that we are all savages at heart but observing a few amenities of civilized behaviour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/we-are-all-civilized-people-wich-means-that-we-are-all-savages-at/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > […their eager, childlike attention was refreshing to see as compared with the decent, deathlike apathy of weary civilized people, in whom natural curiosity has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/their-eager-childlike-attention-was-refreshing-to-see-as-compared/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Civilized people cannot fully satisfy their sexual instinct without love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/civilized-people-cannot-fully-satisfy-their-sexual-instinct-without/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Nothing and no one can destroy the Chinese people. They are relentless survivors. They are the oldest civilized people on earth. Their civilization passes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/nothing-and-no-one-can-destroy-the-chinese-people-they-are-relentless-2/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [We talk about civilization as though it's a static state. There are no civilized people yet, it's a process that's constantly going on... As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/we-talk-about-civilization-as-though-it-s-a-static-state-there-are-no/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [Civilized people can talk about anything. 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These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-could-tell-hugo-was-convinced-that-he-would-get-to-walk-back-up/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“If a good system of agriculture, unrivaled manufacturing skill, a capacity to produce whatever can contribute to either convenience or luxury, schools established in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-munro/if-a-good-system-of-agriculture-unrivaled-manufacturing-skill-a/) [Thomas Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-munro/) > [Indigenous people believe that Man belongs to the World; civilized people believe that the World belongs to Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-quinn/indigenous-people-believe-that-man-belongs-to-the-world-civilized/) [Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-quinn/) > [Language, the machine of the poet, is best fitted for his purpose in its rudest state. Nations, like individuals, first perceive, and then abstract.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/language-the-machine-of-the-poet-is-best-fitted-for-his-purpose-in/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The most civilized people are as near to barbarism as the most polished steel is to rust. Nations, like metals, have only a superficial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-rivarol/the-most-civilized-people-are-as-near-to-barbarism-as-the-most/) [Antoine Rivarol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-rivarol/) > [there is a danger, when thinking of the earliest civilized people, of putting too much emphasis on technology. One tends to assume that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquetta-hawkes/there-is-a-danger-when-thinking-of-the-earliest-civilized-people-of/) [Jacquetta Hawkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquetta-hawkes/) > [“Civilized people loose fire in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-poison-king/civilized-people-loose-fire-in-it/) [Dr. Poison King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-poison-king/) > [I trust the time is nigh when, with the universal assent of civilized people, all international differences shall be determined without resort to arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-a-arthur/i-trust-the-time-is-nigh-when-with-the-universal-assent-of-civilized/) [Chester A. Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-a-arthur/) ## More by Karl Marx > [“Economists have a singular method of procedure. There are only two kinds of institutions for them, artificial and natural. The institutions of feudalism are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/economists-have-a-singular-method-of-procedure-there-are-only-two/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [As the variable capital always stays in the hands of the capitalist in some form or other, it cannot be claimed in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-the-variable-capital-always-stays-in-the-hands-of-the-capitalist/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Money degrades all the gods of man and converts them into commodities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/money-degrades-all-the-gods-of-man-and-converts-them-into-commodities/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [As a beast of toil an ox is fixed capital. 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Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/go-on-get-out-last-words-are-for-fools-who-haven-t-said-enough/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“If you love without evoking love in return - if through the vital expression of yourself as a loving person you fail to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/if-you-love-without-evoking-love-in-return-if-through-the-vital/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Do not be deluded by the abstract word Freedom. Whose freedom? Not the freedom of one individual in relation to another, but freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/do-not-be-deluded-by-the-abstract-word-freedom-whose-freedom-not-the/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [The burgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all nations into civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/the-burgeoisie-by-the-rapid-improvement-of-all-instruments-of/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Ideas do not exist separately from language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/ideas-do-not-exist-separately-from-language/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [So in Jewry we recognise a contemporary universal anti-social phenomenon, which has reached its present pitch through a process of, historical development in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/so-in-jewry-we-recognise-a-contemporary-universal-anti-social/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [The class struggle necessarily leads to the dictatorship of the proletariat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/the-class-struggle-necessarily-leads-to-the-dictatorship-of-the/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [If this labourer were in possession of his own means of production, and was satisfied to live as a labourer, he need not work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/if-this-labourer-were-in-possession-of-his-own-means-of-production/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) [Explore all 571 Karl Marx quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) ## More Barbarians quotes > [School curricula that ignore the arts produce highly educated Barbarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/school-curricula-that-ignore-the-arts-produce-highly-educated/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [One simply cannot engage in barbarous action without becoming a barbarian, because one cannot defend human values by calculated and unprovoked violence without doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/one-simply-cannot-engage-in-barbarous-action-without-becoming-a/) [J. 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I'm sure for some of the practitioners, but it's been hijacked by people who have an ideology that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/is-islam-a-religion-of-peace-i-m-sure-for-some-of-the-practitioners/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [If you go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, I really liked that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/if-you-go-back-to-the-conan-the-barbarian-series-i-really-liked-that/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [America's critics can be heard everywhere. It is too much in love with money - worshipping the god of the marketplace, the golden calf.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-saatchi/america-s-critics-can-be-heard-everywhere-it-is-too-much-in-love-with/) [Maurice Saatchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-saatchi/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. Whether they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-that-every-single-human-being-is-entitled-to-the-protection/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Why is she afraid?" he asked. "She's not Anjin-san. Just a little nervous. Please excuse her. 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Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [“Politics is the moat, the walls, beyond which lie the barbarians. Fail to keep them at bay, and everything burns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/politics-is-the-moat-the-walls-beyond-which-lie-the-barbarians-fail/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) [Browse all 280 Barbarians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barbarians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But there is a devil of a difference between barbarians who are fit by nature to be used for anything, and civilized people who apply them selves to everything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl Marx" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-between-barbarians-who-are-fit/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barbarians" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-between-barbarians-who-are-fit/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9e/karl-marx-399_barbarians_but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-bet_1541566.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But there is a devil of a difference between barbarians who are fit by nature to be used for anything, and…” — Karl Marx", "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": "Karl Marx", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But there is a devil of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-between-barbarians-who-are-fit/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/but-there-is-a-devil-of-a-difference-between-barbarians-who-are-fit/#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 } } ] } ```