--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The high point of civilization is that…" description: "\"The high point of civilization is that you can hate me and I can hate you but we develop an etiquette that allows us to deal with each other because if..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/stanley-crouch-16415_civilization_the-high-point-of-civilization-is-that-y_820148.jpg" --- # The high point of civilization is that you can hate me and… ![“The high point of civilization is that you can hate me and I can hate you but we develop an etiquette that allows us to deal with each other because if we acted solely upon our impulse we'd probably go to war.” quote by Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/stanley-crouch-16415_civilization_the-high-point-of-civilization-is-that-y_820148.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/stanley-crouch-16415_civilization_the-high-point-of-civilization-is-that-y_820148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/stanley-crouch-16415_civilization_the-high-point-of-civilization-is-that-y_820148.jpg) > “The high point of civilization is that you can hate me and I can hate you but we develop an etiquette that allows us to deal with each other because if we acted solely upon our impulse we'd probably go to war.” [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Civilization’s strength lies in creating rules that restrain raw impulses, preventing conflict despite mutual hatred. **In simple terms:** Rules keep hatred from turning into war. Key Takeaway Respect and follow social etiquette. Themes civilization conflict resolution social norms Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - political negotiations - interpersonal disputes - online debates - international diplomacy Key Concepts reciprocity self‑control collective safety Questions to Reflect On - How do we enforce etiquette when power imbalances exist? - What happens when mutual hatred is institutionalized? A Different Perspective Rules can be ignored, leading to escalation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-hate-466943/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Etiquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/etiquette/) [Etiquette Allows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/etiquette-allows-466946/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Hate Develop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-develop-466944/) [Hate me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-me/) [Hate you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate-you/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse/) [Point Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-civilization-466945/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [In Buddhism we have a great deal of etiquette. 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Etiquette allows people to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-buddhism-we-have-a-great-deal-of-etiquette-etiquette-is-simply/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“when you hate daylight, when you hate anything, you will develop a certain ambiguity about life and you get reckless in your habits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-jones/when-you-hate-daylight-when-you-hate-anything-you-will-develop-a/) [Thom Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-jones/) > [If there is one beast in all the loathsome fauna of civilization I hate and despise it is a man of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-arthur-jones/if-there-is-one-beast-in-all-the-loathsome-fauna-of-civilization-i/) [Henry Arthur Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-arthur-jones/) > [“No offense, but it seems like the whole point of civilization is to get someone else to do your killing for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-russell/no-offense-but-it-seems-like-the-whole-point-of-civilization-is-to/) [Mark Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-russell/) > [The point of civilization is to be civilized; the purpose of action is to perpetuate society, for only in society can philosophy truly take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-pears/the-point-of-civilization-is-to-be-civilized-the-purpose-of-action-is/) [Iain Pears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-pears/) > [Something I say a lot when it comes to anti-feminist stereotypes is that they exist for a reason. 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I guess I'll just flip 'em the bird!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-francis/everyone-thinks-i-m-a-wimp-and-even-my-own-band-hates-me-oh-well-i/) [Black Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-francis/) > [You hate me and I hate you, so at least we understand each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-davies/you-hate-me-and-i-hate-you-so-at-least-we-understand-each-other/) [Ray Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-davies/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [Music journalists love Elvis Costello and hate me because they look like Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee-roth/music-journalists-love-elvis-costello-and-hate-me-because-they-look/) [David Lee Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee-roth/) ## More by Stanley Crouch > [I also wanted to do something that I hadn't really seen in almost any black novels, which was a complex love story in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/i-also-wanted-to-do-something-that-i-hadn-t-really-seen-in-almost-any/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Getting to the pint where the other is not the enemy is a big leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/getting-to-the-pint-where-the-other-is-not-the-enemy-is-a-big-leap/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [The discussion of ideas as opposed to the American narcissistic obsession with what's going on with the self, that's the general thing people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/the-discussion-of-ideas-as-opposed-to-the-american-narcissistic/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [When people conclude that all is futile, then the absurd becomes the norm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/when-people-conclude-that-all-is-futile-then-the-absurd-becomes-the/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [“It may sound cruel...but...what makes a criminal is a disposition toward cruelty, a laziness and impatience that lead to taking from others, and cynicism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/it-may-sound-cruel-but-what-makes-a-criminal-is-a-disposition-toward/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [I wanted to get to that aesthetic proposition that comes out of learning the human elements of a world, so that those notes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/i-wanted-to-get-to-that-aesthetic-proposition-that-comes-out-of/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [ Above all else, \[Benny Goodman\] was a great player, one of the greatest American music has produced. He brought his absolute talent and his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/above-all-else-benny-goodman-was-a-great-player-one-of-the-greatest/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Our democratic richness arrives when we're able to comprehend our collective humanity accurately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/our-democratic-richness-arrives-when-we-re-able-to-comprehend-our/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Our job as writers and thinkers in the time is how to bring about the occasions that let people have that first-person experience -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/our-job-as-writers-and-thinkers-in-the-time-is-how-to-bring-about-the/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [You'd never know that listening to people in the UN but tribalism is the father of racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/you-d-never-know-that-listening-to-people-in-the-un-but-tribalism-is/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [I don't know any women who don't think about what they look like, and I don't know any men who don't think about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/i-don-t-know-any-women-who-don-t-think-about-what-they-look-like-and/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [Our society has gotten to the point where we might soon become less and less shocked by any kind of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/our-society-has-gotten-to-the-point-where-we-might-soon-become-less/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [When a violent minority that crosses color lines comes to believe that killing those you know or do not know is a reasonable solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/when-a-violent-minority-that-crosses-color-lines-comes-to-believe/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [But the myth of violent solutions as the ultimate solutions maintains itself in much of popular media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/but-the-myth-of-violent-solutions-as-the-ultimate-solutions-maintains/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) > [The grand irony, however, is that Southern segregation was not brought to an end, nor redneck violence dramatically reduced, by violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-crouch/the-grand-irony-however-is-that-southern-segregation-was-not-brought/) [Stanley Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) [Explore all 40 Stanley Crouch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-crouch/) ## More Civilization quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. 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