--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Indeed it is the protean ability of…" description: "\"Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization to be self-critical and self-correcting - not only in producing wealth but over the whole rang..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png" --- # Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization… ![“Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization to be self-critical and self-correcting - not only in producing wealth but over the whole range of human activities - that constitutes its most decisive superiority over any of its rivals.” quote by Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png) > “Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization to be self-critical and self-correcting - not only in producing wealth but over the whole range of human activities - that constitutes its most decisive superiority over any of its rivals.” [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. Western civilization’s strength lies in its capacity for self‑criticism and continual improvement across all domains. **In simple terms:** Self‑criticism drives progress. Key Takeaway Embrace critical self‑assessment. Themes civilization self‑criticism progress competition Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical historical analytical When to use this quote - education reform - business innovation - public policy - personal development Key Concepts philosophy history political theory Questions to Reflect On - How can societies foster honest self‑evaluation? - What mechanisms ensure self‑correction? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism can be hindered by entrenched interests or denial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Decisive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisive/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Rivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivals/) [Self-critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-critical/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-civilization/) ## Related quotes > [That contagion idea is so relevant and shows how quickly civilization could self-destruct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alycia-debnam-carey/that-contagion-idea-is-so-relevant-and-shows-how-quickly-civilization/) [Alycia Debnam-Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alycia-debnam-carey/) > [Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/those-who-buy-in-to-global-warming-wish-to-drastically-curb-human/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-idea-that-human-beings-have-changed-and-are-changing-the-basic/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [I am so self-critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-malhotra/i-am-so-self-critical/) [Sanya Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-malhotra/) > [I'm very self-critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manolo-blahnik/i-m-very-self-critical/) [Manolo Blahnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manolo-blahnik/) > [I'm hugely self-critical in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-m-hugely-self-critical-in-the-morning/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [It is always good to self-analyse and be self-critical. That is how I've got through so far and improved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stones/it-is-always-good-to-self-analyse-and-be-self-critical-that-is-how-i/) [John Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stones/) > [I am very self-critical about what I do. Always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-pellegrini/i-am-very-self-critical-about-what-i-do-always/) [Manuel Pellegrini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-pellegrini/) > [It's easy to become very self-critical when you're an actor. Then you get critiqued by the critics. 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Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## 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 Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization to be self-critical and self-correcting - not only in producing wealth but over the whole range of human activities - that constitutes its most decisive superiority over any of its rivals.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-western-civilization-to-be-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-western-civilization-to-be-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/paul-johnson-4585_ability_indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-west_1970655.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Indeed it is the protean ability of Western civilization to be self-critical and self-correcting - not only…” — 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": "Indeed it is the protean ability...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-western-civilization-to-be-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/indeed-it-is-the-protean-ability-of-western-civilization-to-be-self/#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 } } ] } ```