---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everything is cyclical. Historical eras…"
description: "\"Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go through times of intense cynicism, broken by periods of intense idealism.\" — Lauren Groff"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png"
---

#  Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go through times…

![“Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go through times of intense cynicism, broken by periods of intense idealism.” quote by Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png)

> “Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go through times of intense cynicism, broken by periods of intense idealism.”

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

## About This Quote

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

History repeats cycles of cynicism and idealism, each period influencing the next.

**In simple terms:** History swings between doubt and hope.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and balance cynicism with idealism.

Themes

history philosophy culture

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- political movements
- artistic trends
- social change

Key Concepts

cyclical patterns collective mindset

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we break negative cycles?
- When is idealism most effective?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on cycles can ignore unique events.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cynicism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynicism/) [Eras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eras/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Rough times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rough-times/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I see history as really cyclical in terms of the intense idealism, and the desire to create a better life outside of societal norms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-see-history-as-really-cyclical-in-terms-of-the-intense-idealism-and/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [There's a cyclical nature to what people like in the world. Through time, things come around again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/there-s-a-cyclical-nature-to-what-people-like-in-the-world-through/)

[James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/)

> [Every dimension of knowledge is an exponentially cyclical paradox of maturation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/every-dimension-of-knowledge-is-an-exponentially-cyclical-paradox-of/)

[Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/)

> [I think history is just so cyclical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/i-think-history-is-just-so-cyclical/)

[Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/)

> [“Cyclical time already dominates the experience of nomadic populations because they find the same conditions repeated at every moment of their journey: Hegel notes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debord/cyclical-time-already-dominates-the-experience-of-nomadic-populations/)

Debord

> [Music is like fashion, it's transient and cyclical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kaushik/music-is-like-fashion-it-s-transient-and-cyclical/)

[Satish Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kaushik/)

> [Wrestling is cyclical. And if you look at the '80s, it had an unbelievable run, and then it just fell down. '90s had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/wrestling-is-cyclical-and-if-you-look-at-the-80s-it-had-an/)

[Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/)

> [I think that music is cyclical, and that trends happen and happen again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fab-moretti/i-think-that-music-is-cyclical-and-that-trends-happen-and-happen-again/)

[Fab Moretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fab-moretti/)

> [I only know from my own personal experience, and I personally feel that there's a cyclical nature to things, so you don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-jones/i-only-know-from-my-own-personal-experience-and-i-personally-feel/)

[Jeffrey Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-jones/)

> [I think it's cyclical. Zombies have been around for ages, and vampires have run their course; we've had so many vampire movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/i-think-it-s-cyclical-zombies-have-been-around-for-ages-and-vampires/)

[Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/)

> [I've been reading about the idea of cyclical lives - it matches up to the idea of string theory and a multiverse. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sturgill-simpson/i-ve-been-reading-about-the-idea-of-cyclical-lives-it-matches-up-to/)

[Sturgill Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sturgill-simpson/)

> [We see China as a large market opportunity with similar cyclical economic cycles that occur throughout every economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-see-china-as-a-large-market-opportunity-with-similar-cyclical/)

[Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/)

> [There are always, of course, job losses of a cyclical nature in a recession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-bishop/there-are-always-of-course-job-losses-of-a-cyclical-nature-in-a/)

[Tim Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-bishop/)

> [Most filmmakers' entire body of knowledge is of other movies. When they describe things, they describe them in relation to other movies. That's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/most-filmmakers-entire-body-of-knowledge-is-of-other-movies-when-they/)

[John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/)

> [I laugh, that there's a certain kind of cyclical nature to life and that I don't have to worry because whatever isn't there right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/i-laugh-that-there-s-a-certain-kind-of-cyclical-nature-to-life-and/)

[Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/)

## More by Lauren Groff

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [You had to pick up a landline to make sure your best friend wore a matching outfit to school. I do remember people talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/you-had-to-pick-up-a-landline-to-make-sure-your-best-friend-wore-a/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“Then, when we had done so, we put our hands upon the freezing cold monster, our monster. And this is what we felt: vertigo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/then-when-we-had-done-so-we-put-our-hands-upon-the-freezing-cold/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [I see history as really cyclical in terms of the intense idealism, and the desire to create a better life outside of societal norms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-see-history-as-really-cyclical-in-terms-of-the-intense-idealism-and/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“He thinks of the rotten parachute they played with as kids in Arcadia: they hurtle through life aging unimaginably fast, but each grasps a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/he-thinks-of-the-rotten-parachute-they-played-with-as-kids-in-arcadia/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [I love writing from enclosed spaces: you really learn about your characters when they have tight walls to push against.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-love-writing-from-enclosed-spaces-you-really-learn-about-your/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [ “\[Still apparent in him, the tiny boy, mewling in cold and hunger. It’s less delicious, this badness bred from survival.\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/still-apparent-in-him-the-tiny-boy-mewling-in-cold-and-hunger-it-s/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [Even still, we run. We have not reached our average of 57.92 years without knowing that you run through it, and it hurts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/even-still-we-run-we-have-not-reached-our-average-of-57-92-years/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [I had a series of terrible jobs, whatever would allow me to write for four hours during the day. During that time I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-had-a-series-of-terrible-jobs-whatever-would-allow-me-to-write-for/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“The stories themselves aren't what moves him now...What moves him are the shadowy people behind the stories, the workers weary from their days, gathering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/the-stories-themselves-aren-t-what-moves-him-now-what-moves-him-are/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“Even still, we run. We have not reached our average of 57.92 years without knowing that you run through it, and it hurts worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/even-still-we-run-we-have-not-reached-our-average-of-57-92-years-2/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“Lugubrious and pretentious at the same time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/lugubrious-and-pretentious-at-the-same-time/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [But I've married a deeply sensible person who is extremely good at talking me down from my various ledges, and who takes care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-i-ve-married-a-deeply-sensible-person-who-is-extremely-good-at/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [Writing is the lonely sport of sad sacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/writing-is-the-lonely-sport-of-sad-sacks/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“They sit here in the darkness, trusting. That the coffee will be hot and unpoisoned. That no raging madman will come in with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/they-sit-here-in-the-darkness-trusting-that-the-coffee-will-be-hot/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

[Explore all 149 Lauren Groff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

## More Broken quotes

> [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/)

[Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/)

> [You don't want to fix things that aren't broken, so that kind of stops you from make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/you-don-t-want-to-fix-things-that-aren-t-broken-so-that-kind-of-stops/)

[Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/)

[John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/)

> [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/)

[Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/)

> [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/)

[Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/)

> [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/)

[Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/)

> [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/)

[Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/)

> [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/)

[Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/)

> [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/)

[Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/)

> [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/)

[Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/)

> [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/)

[Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/)

> [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/)

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

> [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/)

[Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/)

Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go through times of intense cynicism, broken by periods of intense idealism.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lauren Groff"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-go-through-times-of-intense/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Broken"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-go-through-times-of-intense/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/lauren-groff-2802_broken_everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-g_2666917.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go through times of intense cynicism, broken by periods of intense…” — Lauren Groff",
                "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": "Lauren Groff",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Everything is cyclical. Historical eras go...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-go-through-times-of-intense/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/everything-is-cyclical-historical-eras-go-through-times-of-intense/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
