---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was struck by the way Europeans see…"
description: "\"I was struck by the way Europeans see history as something neatly linear. For me, it's not that; it's not some kind of straight railway.\" — Richard Fla..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg"
---

#  I was struck by the way Europeans see history as something…

![“I was struck by the way Europeans see history as something neatly linear. For me, it's not that; it's not some kind of straight railway.” quote by Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg)

> “I was struck by the way Europeans see history as something neatly linear. For me, it's not that; it's not some kind of straight railway.”

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

## About This Quote

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

He critiques the European view of history as a straight line, emphasizing that history is complex, non-linear, and shaped by many intersecting forces.

**In simple terms:** History isn’t a straight line; it’s messy and intersecting.

Key Takeaway

Embrace complexity, avoid oversimplification.

Themes

history culture perception complexity

Mood

analytical reflective

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- education
- public discourse
- academic research

Key Concepts

nonlinear narratives cultural bias historical interpretation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does linear thinking limit understanding?
- What alternative models better capture history?

A Different Perspective

Linear narratives can obscure truth; risk of cultural arrogance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Europeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europeans/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Neatly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neatly/) [Railway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railway/)

## Related quotes

> [The history of the Indians begins with the arrival of the Europeans. The history of the People begins with the beginning of the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/the-history-of-the-indians-begins-with-the-arrival-of-the-europeans/)

[John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/)

> [“The great actors of history cannot be neatly tucked between the covers of a book and filed away like so many pressed botanical specimens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/the-great-actors-of-history-cannot-be-neatly-tucked-between-the/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

> [I hope this doesn't sound pretentious, but I very often like the way Europeans make movies. I think sometimes that don't they care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/i-hope-this-doesn-t-sound-pretentious-but-i-very-often-like-the-way/)

[Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/)

> [“They felt right together; they fitted neatly against each other’s edges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/they-felt-right-together-they-fitted-neatly-against-each-other-s-edges/)

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

> [I believe that not everything we humans encounter in our lives can be neatly and convincingly tucked away inside the orderly cabinetry of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/i-believe-that-not-everything-we-humans-encounter-in-our-lives-can-be/)

[Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/)

> [Why do we take pleasure in gruesome death, neatly packaged as a puzzle to which we may find a satisfactory solution through clues -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/why-do-we-take-pleasure-in-gruesome-death-neatly-packaged-as-a-puzzle/)

[A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/)

> [I'm not really interested in doing a traditional romantic comedy where everything ties up neatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-mann/i-m-not-really-interested-in-doing-a-traditional-romantic-comedy/)

[Leslie Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-mann/)

> [Candidates and their consultants keep making the same mistake. They assume that all independents are bundled neatly together ideologically between Republicans and Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/candidates-and-their-consultants-keep-making-the-same-mistake-they/)

[John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/)

> [Writing on a computer makes saving what's been written too easy. Pretentious lead sentences are kept, not tossed. Instead of sitting surrounded by crumpled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/writing-on-a-computer-makes-saving-what-s-been-written-too-easy/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Good journalism, I think, represents life and if you try to organize something too neatly it usually blows up in your face and doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pomfret/good-journalism-i-think-represents-life-and-if-you-try-to-organize/)

[John Pomfret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pomfret/)

> [It's what all actors try to do, really, to just preserve the child inside them because their imagination is quite available. I think partly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertie-carvel/it-s-what-all-actors-try-to-do-really-to-just-preserve-the-child/)

[Bertie Carvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertie-carvel/)

> [The past is full of examples of renegade writers who were overlooked in their time not only because their work didn't fit neatly into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/the-past-is-full-of-examples-of-renegade-writers-who-were-overlooked/)

[Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/)

> [Female authors were still using male names when I was young, or they were neatly shoehorned into womens books except for those few that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-smith/female-authors-were-still-using-male-names-when-i-was-young-or-they/)

[Sherwood Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-smith/)

> [Fine art and pizza delivery: what we do falls neatly in between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/fine-art-and-pizza-delivery-what-we-do-falls-neatly-in-between/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [“Men's truths rather too neatly fit their convenience, have you ever noticed that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-zimmerman/men-s-truths-rather-too-neatly-fit-their-convenience-have-you-ever/)

[Jean Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-zimmerman/)

## More by Richard Flanagan

> [I went to study at Oxford University in the 1980s on an imperial scholarship instituted by Cecil Rhodes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-went-to-study-at-oxford-university-in-the-1980s-on-an-imperial/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [Writing is not lying, nor is it theft. It is a journey and search for transparency between one’s words and one’s soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/writing-is-not-lying-nor-is-it-theft-it-is-a-journey-and-search-for/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [In reading, you sense the divine: the things that are larger and greater and more mysterious than yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-reading-you-sense-the-divine-the-things-that-are-larger-and/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [Within white Australia, there was a growing movement for what was known as reconciliation - a movement that peaked with millions marching in 2000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/within-white-australia-there-was-a-growing-movement-for-what-was/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [In 1995, the Paul Keating Labor government commissioned an inquiry into the forcible removal of Aboriginal children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-1995-the-paul-keating-labor-government-commissioned-an-inquiry/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [Murder and hate are as deeply buried in the human heart as love, perhaps more so, and in truth they're rather entwined, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/murder-and-hate-are-as-deeply-buried-in-the-human-heart-as-love/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [My father was the first to read in his family, and he said to me that words were the first beautiful thing he ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/my-father-was-the-first-to-read-in-his-family-and-he-said-to-me-that/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [I grew up in a world that was clannish - old Tasmanian-Irish families with big extended families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-grew-up-in-a-world-that-was-clannish-old-tasmanian-irish-families/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [If 30 Australians drowned in Sydney Harbour, it would be a national tragedy. But when 30 or more refugees drown off the Australian coast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/if-30-australians-drowned-in-sydney-harbour-it-would-be-a-national/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [The enslavement, humiliation, torture, and ultimate destruction of thousands upon thousands of human beings for a project for which there was ultimately no purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/the-enslavement-humiliation-torture-and-ultimate-destruction-of/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [In Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland whose primeval forests astonished 19th-century Europeans, an incomprehensible ecological tragedy is being played out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-tasmania-an-island-the-size-of-ireland-whose-primeval-forests/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [You have to attempt to find new forms that will force you to write freshly and better and hopefully more truthfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/you-have-to-attempt-to-find-new-forms-that-will-force-you-to-write/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [My mother hoped I'd be a plumber.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/my-mother-hoped-i-d-be-a-plumber/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [Family matters, friends matter, love matters. Those you love and who love you matter. That's what writing does - it allows you to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/family-matters-friends-matter-love-matters-those-you-love-and-who/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [A good book ... leaves you wanting to reread the book. A great book compels you to reread your own soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/a-good-book-leaves-you-wanting-to-reread-the-book-a-great-book/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

[Explore all 176 Richard Flanagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

## More Europeans quotes

> [Europeans are really dying out!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/europeans-are-really-dying-out/)

[Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/)

> [You can accuse Europeans of being many things - except fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/you-can-accuse-europeans-of-being-many-things-except-fast/)

[Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/)

> [Europeans should pay more attention. Iran has called for dialogue and is moving in the direction of reaching an agreement through peaceful means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-larijani/europeans-should-pay-more-attention-iran-has-called-for-dialogue-and/)

[Ali Larijani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-larijani/)

> [“Europeans would like to escape from their history, a "great" history written in letters of blood. But others, by the hundreds of millions, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-aron/europeans-would-like-to-escape-from-their-history-a-great-history/)

[Raymond Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-aron/)

> [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [We should never forget that Hollywood was built by Europeans, and the old Jewish boys from Eastern Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximilian-schell/we-should-never-forget-that-hollywood-was-built-by-europeans-and-the/)

[Maximilian Schell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximilian-schell/)

> [In general, Europeans need to get a wider perspective on the problem of Islamism. Even if the Israel-Palestine question were solved - and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-henri-levy/in-general-europeans-need-to-get-a-wider-perspective-on-the-problem/)

[Bernard-Henri Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-henri-levy/)

> [Europeans hate the way Americans talk. They think we're loud and uncouth and they don't like our jokes, except for Michael Moore. Plus, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-boyles/europeans-hate-the-way-americans-talk-they-think-we-re-loud-and/)

Denis Boyles

> [The deciphering of ancient scripts changed forever the way Europeans were able to imagine the story of humanity, destroying centuries of received authority about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/the-deciphering-of-ancient-scripts-changed-forever-the-way-europeans/)

[Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/)

> [The West didn't see our real situation, and we were blinded by the compliments coming from the Europeans and Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irakli-okruashvili/the-west-didn-t-see-our-real-situation-and-we-were-blinded-by-the/)

[Irakli Okruashvili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irakli-okruashvili/)

> [The next humans to walk on the moon may be Chinese. Only China seems to have the resources, the dirigiste government, and the willingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-next-humans-to-walk-on-the-moon-may-be-chinese-only-china-seems/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [In Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland whose primeval forests astonished 19th-century Europeans, an incomprehensible ecological tragedy is being played out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/in-tasmania-an-island-the-size-of-ireland-whose-primeval-forests/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [“It takes no more research than a trip to almost any public library or college to show the incredibly lopsided coverage of slavery in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/it-takes-no-more-research-than-a-trip-to-almost-any-public-library-or/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [“The Europeans hate us because we’ve retired to live inside our advertisements, like hermits going into caves to contemplate. We sleep in symbolic bedrooms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/the-europeans-hate-us-because-we-ve-retired-to-live-inside-our/)

[Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/)

> [According to current birthrate projections, France will be a majority Muslim country anyway in about 50 years. I get a lot of e-mails from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-condell/according-to-current-birthrate-projections-france-will-be-a-majority/)

[Pat Condell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-condell/)

[Browse all 213 Europeans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europeans/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was struck by the way Europeans see history as something neatly linear. For me, it's not that; it's not some kind of straight railway.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Flanagan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-history-as-something-neatly/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Europeans"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-history-as-something-neatly/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/richard-flanagan-2253_europeans_i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-hi_2516771.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was struck by the way Europeans see history as something neatly linear. For me, it's not that; it's not…” — Richard Flanagan",
                "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": "Richard Flanagan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was struck by the way...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-history-as-something-neatly/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-was-struck-by-the-way-europeans-see-history-as-something-neatly/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```