--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Probably all cultures, certainly Western…" description: "\"Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture, always have been violent.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg" --- # Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture, always… ![“Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture, always have been violent.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg) > “Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture, always have been violent.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that violence is a constant across cultures, especially in the West. **In simple terms:** Violence has been common in all societies. Key Takeaway Recognize the pervasive nature of violence. Themes history culture violence Mood critical reflective Type philosophical social When to use this quote - historical study - conflict resolution - cultural critique - policy making - education Key Concepts human nature conflict civilization Western tradition Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports this claim? - How can societies reduce violence? A Different Perspective May generalize and ignore peaceful aspects of cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Culture Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-violent-2682255/) [Cultures Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultures-certainly-2020647/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Probably Cultures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-cultures-4086319/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-culture/) ## Related quotes > [I think culture's always been violent, and it is something we find very entertaining. Not only does it reflect our social reality, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-think-culture-s-always-been-violent-and-it-is-something-we-find/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My whole access into culture was violent. Violence is something I understand. Don't like it, don't condone it, but I sure understand where it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/my-whole-access-into-culture-was-violent-violence-is-something-i/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [These atheist cultures were certainly diligent in preserving the relics of their saints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-kostova/these-atheist-cultures-were-certainly-diligent-in-preserving-the/) [Elizabeth Kostova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-kostova/) > [The coarsening of our culture towards violent death has more consequences than war. Tragically, this same culture has led to the death of 50…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/the-coarsening-of-our-culture-towards-violent-death-has-more/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Would we be so enamored with dystopian fiction if we lived in a culture where violent death was a major concern? It wouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/would-we-be-so-enamored-with-dystopian-fiction-if-we-lived-in-a/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [When a female character sets herself on fire in an effort to interrupt her culture's violent abuse of disenfranchised people, or physically tortures and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/when-a-female-character-sets-herself-on-fire-in-an-effort-to/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) > [Where it is the majority religion, Islam does not recognize religious freedom, at least not as we understand it. Islam is a different culture.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kasper/where-it-is-the-majority-religion-islam-does-not-recognize-religious/) [Walter Kasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kasper/) > [There are basically only two subject matters in all Western culture: sex and death. We do have some ability to manipulate sex nowadays. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/there-are-basically-only-two-subject-matters-in-all-western-culture/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [Sharing knowledge is not part of Western culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fons-trompenaars/sharing-knowledge-is-not-part-of-western-culture/) [Fons Trompenaars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fons-trompenaars/) > [When it comes to silencing women, Western culture has had thousands of years of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/when-it-comes-to-silencing-women-western-culture-has-had-thousands-of/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [We, including many Christians, read the Bible through "eyes" conditioned by, and even accommodated to, modern Western culture plus the influences of messages and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/we-including-many-christians-read-the-bible-through-eyes-conditioned/) [Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/) > [A lot happened in Vancouver. It was my first Western experience. I learned English, which is my second language. I became very acquainted with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-wu/a-lot-happened-in-vancouver-it-was-my-first-western-experience-i/) [Jason Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-wu/) > [In a lot of Western science fiction, you need some form of conflict, whether it's aliens or robots. I think in Western culture, being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-breazeal/in-a-lot-of-western-science-fiction-you-need-some-form-of-conflict/) [Cynthia Breazeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-breazeal/) > [ So he \[Shoko Asahara\] was insane but managed to convince a couple thousand people that he was enlightened. Western culture, which Japan is now… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/so-he-shoko-asahara-was-insane-but-managed-to-convince-a-couple/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Western culture is what keeps women and gays safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/western-culture-is-what-keeps-women-and-gays-safe/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Culture quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. 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It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. 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Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. 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Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) [Browse all 15,940 Culture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture, always have been violent.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/probably-all-cultures-certainly-western-culture-always-have-been/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Culture" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/probably-all-cultures-certainly-western-culture-always-have-been/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/leonard-cohen-448_culture_probably-all-cultures-certainly-western_2084097.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture, always have been violent.” — Leonard Cohen", "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": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Probably all cultures, certainly Western culture,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/probably-all-cultures-certainly-western-culture-always-have-been/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/probably-all-cultures-certainly-western-culture-always-have-been/#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 } } ] } ```