--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At some time in their careers, most good…" description: "\"At some time in their careers, most good historians itch to write a history of the world, endeavor to discover what makes humanity the most destructive..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png" --- # At some time in their careers, most good historians itch… ![“At some time in their careers, most good historians itch to write a history of the world, endeavor to discover what makes humanity the most destructive and creative of species.” quote by Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png) > “At some time in their careers, most good historians itch to write a history of the world, endeavor to discover what makes humanity the most destructive and creative of species.” [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Historians feel compelled to explore humanity’s dual capacity for destruction and creation. **In simple terms:** Historians study both good and bad human actions. Key Takeaway Examine humanity’s contradictions. Themes history human nature creativity Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic research - public policy - education curricula - media narratives Key Concepts dualism ethical inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What drives the desire to understand humanity’s extremes? - How can we balance studying destruction with celebrating creation? A Different Perspective Focusing on extremes may overlook everyday experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Destructive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destructive/) [Discover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discover/) [Endeavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endeavor/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-historians-1634237/) [Historian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historian/) [Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians/) [Historians Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians-itch-6044626/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-world/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Itch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/itch/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-history/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-history/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Good historians...have the future in their bones”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallett-carr/good-historians-have-the-future-in-their-bones/) [Edward Hallett Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallett-carr/) > [“It is a commonplace that good historians don’t judge statements from past times by the standards of their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-is-a-commonplace-that-good-historians-don-t-judge-statements-from/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The reason I put so much energy into it at the beginning was that while there were plenty of people looking after the talkies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/the-reason-i-put-so-much-energy-into-it-at-the-beginning-was-that/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I was taught that if you're going to study something, you must understand it deeply and be familiar with primary sources. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-was-taught-that-if-you-re-going-to-study-something-you-must/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [To write history is so difficult that most historians are forced to make concessions to the technique of legende.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-auerbach/to-write-history-is-so-difficult-that-most-historians-are-forced-to/) [Erich Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-auerbach/) > [“In the history of the world, we have left our footprints by our unique stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/in-the-history-of-the-world-we-have-left-our-footprints-by-our-unique/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [If we do not, as historians, write the history of great events as well as the small stories that make up the past, others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/if-we-do-not-as-historians-write-the-history-of-great-events-as-well/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [I believe there's no such thing as history; there's only historians, and in English, we've got this word 'his'tory, but what about her story?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/i-believe-there-s-no-such-thing-as-history-there-s-only-historians/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [Good historians, I suspect, whether they think about it or not, have the future in their bones. Besides the question: Why? the historian also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hallett-carr/good-historians-i-suspect-whether-they-think-about-it-or-not-have-the/) [Edward Hallett Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hallett-carr/) > [Is there any possibility of giving international air travel, which we all need and use and hate, a touch of glamour, or even of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/is-there-any-possibility-of-giving-international-air-travel-which-we/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Great steps in human progress are made by things that don't work the way philosophy thought they should. If things always worked the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/great-steps-in-human-progress-are-made-by-things-that-don-t-work-the/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Those in power write the history while those who suffer write the songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-harte/those-in-power-write-the-history-while-those-who-suffer-write-the/) [Frank Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-harte/) > [I have not always been wrong. History will bear me out, particularly as I shall write that history myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-have-not-always-been-wrong-history-will-bear-me-out-particularly-as/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [ Intellectuals (in the standard sense of the term, not \[ Edward\] Said's prescriptive sense) are the people who write history. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/intellectuals-in-the-standard-sense-of-the-term-not-edward-said-s/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I cannot understand why some people try to write a history of photography that is separated from the history of modern art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-chevrier/i-cannot-understand-why-some-people-try-to-write-a-history-of/) [Jean-Francois Chevrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-chevrier/) ## More by Paul Johnson > [“Partly by accident, partly by instinct, partly by deliberate contrivance, he was the first intellectual systematically to exploit the guilt of the privileged. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/partly-by-accident-partly-by-instinct-partly-by-deliberate/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [ “The Salem \[witch\] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed by spasms of self-righteous rage… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an-example-of-the-propensity-of/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“Much of Sartre’s time in the 1960s was spent travelling in China and the Third World, a term invented by the geographer Alfred Sauvy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/much-of-sartre-s-time-in-the-1960s-was-spent-travelling-in-china-and/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [ “He \[Augustine\] admitted: 'I am the sort of man who writes because he has made progress, and who makes progress by writing.' ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/he-augustine-admitted-i-am-the-sort-of-man-who-writes-because-he-has/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [The most intimidating world leader was Lyndon Johnson, who became U.S. President when John Kennedy was assassinated. He exulted in this power and liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-most-intimidating-world-leader-was-lyndon-johnson-who-became-u-s/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/democracy-has-many-enemies-and-the-terrorist-is-only-one-of-them/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“Marx wrote about finance and industry all his life but he only knew two people connected with financial and industrial processes. One was his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/marx-wrote-about-finance-and-industry-all-his-life-but-he-only-knew/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“When we are dealing with concepts like freedom and equality, it is essential to use words accurately and in good faith. So the eighth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/when-we-are-dealing-with-concepts-like-freedom-and-equality-it-is/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Margaret Thatcher had more impact on the world than any woman ruler since Catherine the Great of Russia. Not only did she turn around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/margaret-thatcher-had-more-impact-on-the-world-than-any-woman-ruler/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Wisdom lies not in possessing knowledge - which quickly becomes outdated - but in perpetually seeking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/wisdom-lies-not-in-possessing-knowledge-which-quickly-becomes/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [The planet Earth, though not threatened with destruction by man-made global warming, is by no means indestructible. There are many unpredictable events within our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-planet-earth-though-not-threatened-with-destruction-by-man-made/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“As Khrushchev put it, “He prodded the capitalist world with the tip of his bayonet.” He himself put it, “If I see a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/as-khrushchev-put-it-he-prodded-the-capitalist-world-with-the-tip-of/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“We must never forget that the settlement of what is now the United States was only part of a larger enterprise. And this was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/we-must-never-forget-that-the-settlement-of-what-is-now-the-united/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Where the quest for knowledge is relatively, and now almost absolutely, unrestrained, the public benefit will be great, especially where the certainty of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/where-the-quest-for-knowledge-is-relatively-and-now-almost-absolutely/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [If anti-Semitism is a variety of racism, it is a most peculiar variety, with many unique characteristics. In my view as a historian, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/if-anti-semitism-is-a-variety-of-racism-it-is-a-most-peculiar-variety/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) [Explore all 109 Paul Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) ## More Careers quotes > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) [Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/) > [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [Everything I've been through, everything I'm about to go through in my career and my life, if my family wasn't with me and didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-malone/everything-i-ve-been-through-everything-i-m-about-to-go-through-in-my/) [Karl Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-malone/) > [An image has stuck for most of my career and it isn't flattering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-fowler/an-image-has-stuck-for-most-of-my-career-and-it-isn-t-flattering/) [Robbie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-fowler/) [Browse all 6,154 Careers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At some time in their careers, most good historians itch to write a history of the world, endeavor to discover what makes humanity the most destructive and creative of species.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good-historians-itch-to-write-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Careers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good-historians-itch-to-write-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/814/paul-johnson-4585_careers_at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good_785704.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At some time in their careers, most good historians itch to write a history of the world, endeavor to…” — Paul Johnson", "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": "Paul Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At some time in their careers,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good-historians-itch-to-write-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/at-some-time-in-their-careers-most-good-historians-itch-to-write-a/#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 } } ] } ```