Believe Quote by Seamus Heaney
“I believe we are put here to improve civilisation.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Skelligs”, 1975
Human purpose is to contribute positively to society, improving collective life through effort and insight.
In simple terms: We should aim to better civilization.
Key Takeaway
Act to uplift community.
Themes
purpose
civilization
service
Mood
inspirational
reflective
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- volunteering
- public policy
- education reform
- environmental activism
Key Concepts
social responsibility
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal actions can advance societal good?
- How do you measure impact on civilization?
A Different Perspective
Improving civilization can be hindered by systemic resistance.
![“One of the very first poems I wrote was Docker That fist would drop a hammer on a Catholic and one of the sturdiest was Requiem for the Croppies, written 50 years after 1916 [the year of the Easter Rising]. Being responsible and what it means, what it demands, have indeed preoccupied me maybe too…” quote by Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5fb/seamus-heaney-1711_being-responsible_one-of-the-very-first-poems-i-wrote-was_181491.jpg)
![“Anything Can Happen is also, incidentally, a poem that arose from teaching. I'd talked about the Horace Ode (I, 34) [on which the poem is based] in a lecture I gave at Harvard in the fall of 2000 entitled Bright Boltsand remembered it after the Twin Towers attack.” quote by Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2e6/seamus-heaney-1711_anything-can-happen_anything-can-happen-is-also-incidentally_181651.jpg)
