--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems to me that the civilized human…" description: "\"It seems to me that the civilized human being is a skeptic someone who believes nothing at face value.\" — Robert McKee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg" --- # It seems to me that the civilized human being is a skeptic… ![“It seems to me that the civilized human being is a skeptic someone who believes nothing at face value.” quote by Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg) > “It seems to me that the civilized human being is a skeptic someone who believes nothing at face value.” [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A civilized person questions everything, not accepting appearances at face value. **In simple terms:** Skepticism is a sign of civilization. Key Takeaway Cultivate critical thinking. Themes skepticism civilization critical thinking Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily news - political discourse - media consumption Key Concepts philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - When should you trust intuition? - How do you balance doubt and openness? A Different Perspective Over‑skepticism may lead to cynicism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believes/) [Civilized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilized/) [Civilized Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilized-human-1372448/) [Face value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-value/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Human Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-skeptic-5624325/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Skeptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic/) [Skeptic Believes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skeptic-believes-3365238/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [I appear as a skeptic, who believes that doubt is the great engine, the great fuel of all inquiry, all discovery and all innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-appear-as-a-skeptic-who-believes-that-doubt-is-the-great-engine-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me. They do not feel any enmity against me as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/as-i-write-highly-civilized-human-beings-are-flying-overhead-trying-3/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Poverty does not belong in civilized human society. Its proper place is in a museum. That's where it will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/poverty-does-not-belong-in-civilized-human-society-its-proper-place/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Every civilized human being, whatever his conscious development, is still an archaic man at the deeper levels of his psyche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/every-civilized-human-being-whatever-his-conscious-development-is-2/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [We are civilized human beings, but we're all animals deep down, and that creates a certain friction in all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-skarsgard/we-are-civilized-human-beings-but-we-re-all-animals-deep-down-and/) [Alexander Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-skarsgard/) > [“We all can't be Rich, but we can be civilized human beings to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saleem-durrani/we-all-can-t-be-rich-but-we-can-be-civilized-human-beings-to-each/) [Saleem Durrani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saleem-durrani/) > [As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/as-i-write-highly-civilized-human-beings-are-flying-overhead-trying-2/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“All social orders command their members to imbibe in pipe dreams of posterity, the mirage of immortality, to keep them ahead of the extinction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/all-social-orders-command-their-members-to-imbibe-in-pipe-dreams-of/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [“As civilized human beings, we are the inheritors, neither of an inquiry about ourselves and the world, nor of an accumulating body of information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/as-civilized-human-beings-we-are-the-inheritors-neither-of-an-inquiry/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [Too much of the animal disfigures the civilized human being, too much culture makes a sick animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-much-of-the-animal-disfigures-the-civilized-human-being-too-much/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This, I believe, is the appropriate image of human intercourse -- appropriate because it recognizes the qualities, the diversities, and the proper relationships of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/this-i-believe-is-the-appropriate-image-of-human-intercourse/) [Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/) > [“If one does not have the basic conscientious capacity to refute the primitive textual verses of the scriptures that demand one to kill or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-one-does-not-have-the-basic-conscientious-capacity-to-refute-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“one should give up the conditional life of this material world and the association of so-called civilized human beings who are simply following, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-should-give-up-the-conditional-life-of-this-material-world-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me. They do not feel any enmity against me as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/as-i-write-highly-civilized-human-beings-are-flying-overhead-trying/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Robert McKee > [Story isn't a flight from reality but a vehicle that carries us on our search for reality,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/story-isn-t-a-flight-from-reality-but-a-vehicle-that-carries-us-on/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Don't be didactic - don't write about poverty. Write about poor people. When you dramatize their lives and let life and characters be your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/don-t-be-didactic-don-t-write-about-poverty-write-about-poor-people/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [To connect to people at the deepest level, you need stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/to-connect-to-people-at-the-deepest-level-you-need-stories/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Talent without craft is like fuel without an engine, it burns wildly but accomplishes nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/talent-without-craft-is-like-fuel-without-an-engine-it-burns-wildly/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [“If the story you're telling, is the story you're telling, you're in deep shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/if-the-story-you-re-telling-is-the-story-you-re-telling-you-re-in/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Classical design is a mirror of the human mind. 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Truth is what we think about what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/what-happens-is-fact-not-truth-truth-is-what-we-think-about-what/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [The universal erosion of values has lead to the universal erosion of story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/the-universal-erosion-of-values-has-lead-to-the-universal-erosion-of/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [In a world of lies and liars, an honest work of art is always an act of social responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/in-a-world-of-lies-and-liars-an-honest-work-of-art-is-always-an-act/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Influence is just persuasion in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/influence-is-just-persuasion-in-slow-motion/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Good story' means something worth telling that the world wants to hear. Finding this is your lonely task...But the love of a good story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/good-story-means-something-worth-telling-that-the-world-wants-to-hear/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Most of life's actions are within our reach, but decisions take willpower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/most-of-life-s-actions-are-within-our-reach-but-decisions-take/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [We realize we can't go around saying and doing what we're actually thinking and feeling. If we all did that, life would be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/we-realize-we-can-t-go-around-saying-and-doing-what-we-re-actually/) [Robert McKee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/) > [Oh, by the way, I tend to use a lot of profanities. 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I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. 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It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems to me that the civilized human being is a skeptic someone who believes nothing at face value.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert McKee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human-being-is-a-skeptic-someone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human-being-is-a-skeptic-someone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89c/robert-mckee-8479_believe_it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human_3145605.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It seems to me that the civilized human being is a skeptic someone who believes nothing at face value.” — Robert McKee", "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": "Robert McKee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mckee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It seems to me that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human-being-is-a-skeptic-someone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mckee/it-seems-to-me-that-the-civilized-human-being-is-a-skeptic-someone/#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 } } ] } ```