---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever is fine and permanent in human…"
description: "\"Whatever is fine and permanent in human achievement has been realised through individuals courageously facing the circumstances of their being; and a s..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png"
---

#  Whatever is fine and permanent in human achievement has…

![“Whatever is fine and permanent in human achievement has been realised through individuals courageously facing the circumstances of their being; and a society is civilised to the extent to which it makes this possible. Terrorism, which aims at putting out thespiritual light, is the antithesis of…” quote by Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png)

> “Whatever is fine and permanent in human achievement has been realised through individuals courageously facing the circumstances of their being; and a society is civilised to the extent to which it makes this possible. Terrorism, which aims at putting out thespiritual light, is the antithesis of civilisation.”

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

## About This Quote

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

Human achievement thrives on courageous individuals; terrorism opposes civilisation by extinguishing spiritual light.

**In simple terms:** Courage fuels progress; terrorism opposes it.

Key Takeaway

Support courageous individuals, resist terror.

Themes

civilisation terrorism human achievement

Mood

serious determined

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- community projects
- activism
- educational programs

Key Concepts

ethics spirituality social responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- What fuels your courage?
- How can societies foster collective resilience?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on individual heroism can ignore collective effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Antithesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antithesis/) [Civilisation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilisation/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/)

## Related quotes

> [The population becomes the internal enemy. Any sign of life, of protest, or even mere doubt, is a dangerous challenge from the standpoint of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/the-population-becomes-the-internal-enemy-any-sign-of-life-of-protest/)

[Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/)

> [On this waterlogged landscape…are scattered palaces and hovels…It is here that the human spirit becomes perfect, and at the same time brutalised, that civilisation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/on-this-waterlogged-landscape-are-scattered-palaces-and-hovels-it-is/)

[Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/)

> [ \[T\]he direction of society has been taken over by a type of man who is not interested in the principles of civilisation. Not of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/t-he-direction-of-society-has-been-taken-over-by-a-type-of-man-who-is/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

> [The worth of men consists in their liability to persuasion. They can persuade and can be persuaded by the disclosure of alternatives, the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-worth-of-men-consists-in-their-liability-to-persuasion-they-can/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [“There are other, civilised ways of dealing with the matter," Dllenahkh insisted. Darithiven looked at him with pity. "Then, by your definition, this cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-lord/there-are-other-civilised-ways-of-dealing-with-the-matter-dllenahkh/)

[Karen Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-lord/)

> [The direction of society has been taken over by a type of man who is not interested in the principles of civilisation. Not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/the-direction-of-society-has-been-taken-over-by-a-type-of-man-who-is/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

> [We are free, we are civilised, to little purpose, if we grudge to any portion of the human race an equal measure of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/we-are-free-we-are-civilised-to-little-purpose-if-we-grudge-to-any/)

[Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/)

> [“I Born as Human its blessing of GOD .But if you die as Human it will be My achievement”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/i-born-as-human-its-blessing-of-god-but-if-you-die-as-human-it-will/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/let-freedom-reign-the-sun-never-set-on-so-glorious-a-human-achievement/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Periods of cooperation between political parties shouldn't be taken for granted; they are a stunning human achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/periods-of-cooperation-between-political-parties-shouldn-t-be-taken/)

[Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/)

> [Imagination is the source of all human achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-robinson/imagination-is-the-source-of-all-human-achievement/)

[Ken Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-robinson/)

> [“The greatest human achievement is love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-greatest-human-achievement-is-love/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-what-then-matters-is-to-bear-witness-to-the-uniquely-human/)

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

> [“The will is the keystone in the arch of human achievement. It is the culmination of our complex mental faculties. It is the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-parker-boyd/the-will-is-the-keystone-in-the-arch-of-human-achievement-it-is-the/)

Thomas Parker Boyd

> [Every great human achievement is proceeded by extended periods of dedicated, concentrated effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/every-great-human-achievement-is-proceeded-by-extended-periods-of/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

## More by Malcolm Muggeridge

> [It is only possible to succeed at second-rate pursuitslikebecoming a millionaire or a prime minister, winning a war, seducing beautiful women, flying thought the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/it-is-only-possible-to-succeed-at-second-rate-pursuitslikebecoming-a/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [He was not only a bore; he bored for England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/he-was-not-only-a-bore-he-bored-for-england/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [The orgasm has replaced the Cross as the focus of longing and the image of fulfillment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/the-orgasm-has-replaced-the-cross-as-the-focus-of-longing-and-the/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [Posterity will surely be amazed, and I hope vastly amused, that such slipshod and unconvincing theorizing should have so easily captivated twentieth-century minds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/posterity-will-surely-be-amazed-and-i-hope-vastly-amused-that-such/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [In politics, as in womanizing, failure is decisive. It sheds its retrospective gloom on earlier endeavor which at the time seemed full of promise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/in-politics-as-in-womanizing-failure-is-decisive-it-sheds-its/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [Marx and Freud are the two great destroyers of Christian civilization, the first replacing the gospel of love by the gospel of hate, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/marx-and-freud-are-the-two-great-destroyers-of-christian-civilization/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [I wouldn't have said that Anthony Eden was equipped by nature to deal with the situation in the world today. I would have said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/i-wouldn-t-have-said-that-anthony-eden-was-equipped-by-nature-to-deal/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [God, stay with me, let no word cross my lips that is not your word, no thoughts enter my mind that are not your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/god-stay-with-me-let-no-word-cross-my-lips-that-is-not-your-word-no/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [The monarchical institution in England is immensely valuable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/the-monarchical-institution-in-england-is-immensely-valuable/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [Education, the great mumbo jumbo and fraud of the age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/education-the-great-mumbo-jumbo-and-fraud-of-the-age/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [This life in us; however low it flickers or fiercely burns, is still a divine flame which no man dare presume to put out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/this-life-in-us-however-low-it-flickers-or-fiercely-burns-is-still-a/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [As Man alone, Jesus could not have saved us; As God alone, He would not; Made flesh, He could and did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/as-man-alone-jesus-could-not-have-saved-us-as-god-alone-he-would-not/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [ I think it \[presidency of Dwight Eisenhower\] came too late and I think that he is not on the wavelength of this dreadful time… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/i-think-it-presidency-of-dwight-eisenhower-came-too-late-and-i-think/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [Future historians will surely see us as having created in the media a Frankenstein monster whom no one knows how to control ordirect, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/future-historians-will-surely-see-us-as-having-created-in-the-media-a/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

> [ I think that President \[Dwight\] Eisenhower was... did the most marvelous job in the war, not really a military job: a public relations job,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/i-think-that-president-dwight-eisenhower-was-did-the-most-marvelous/)

[Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

[Explore all 168 Malcolm Muggeridge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/)

## More Achievement quotes

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [Needs cause motivation. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/)

[Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/)

[Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/)

> [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/)

Chaz Brenchley

> [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/)

[David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/)

> [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/)

[Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/)

> [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/)

[Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/)

> [“If you find a way where there seems to be no way, that’s what we call miracle, not personal achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/if-you-find-a-way-where-there-seems-to-be-no-way-that-s-what-we-call/)

[Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/)

> [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/)

Nicholas Roerich

> [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/)

[Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/)

[Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Whatever is fine and permanent in human achievement has been realised through individuals courageously facing the circumstances of their being; and a society is civilised to the extent to which it makes this possible. Terrorism, which aims at putting out thespiritual light, is the antithesis of civilisation.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Malcolm Muggeridge"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human-achievement-has-been-realised/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achievement"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human-achievement-has-been-realised/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/malcolm-muggeridge-2370_achievement_whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human_2622290.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Whatever is fine and permanent in human achievement has been realised through individuals courageously…” — Malcolm Muggeridge",
                "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": "Malcolm Muggeridge",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Whatever is fine and permanent in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human-achievement-has-been-realised/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/whatever-is-fine-and-permanent-in-human-achievement-has-been-realised/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
