Crime Quote by Steven Pinker
““Self-control has been credited with one of the greatest reductions of violence in history, the thirtyfold drop in homicide between medieval and modern Europe. Recall that according to Norbert Elias’s theory of the Civilizing Process, the consolidation of states and the growth of commerce did more than just tilt the incentive structure away from plunder. It also inculcated an ethic of self-control that made continence and propriety second nature. People refrained from stabbing each other at the dinner table and amputating each other’s noses at the same time as they refrained from urinating in closets, copulating in public, passing gas at the dinner table, and gnawing on bones and returning them to the serving dish. A culture of honor, in which men were respected for lashing out against insults, became a culture of dignity, in which men were respected for controlling their impulses.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Enlightenment Now, 2018
Self‑control, reinforced by state formation and commerce, dramatically reduced violence, shifting societies from honor‑based aggression to dignity‑based restraint.
In simple terms: Self‑control lowered violence.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate self‑control.
Themes
violence
civilization
self‑control
Mood
analytical
optimistic
Type
sociological
historical
When to use this quote
- public policy
- education
- community norms
Key Concepts
sociology
history
behavioral science
Questions to Reflect On
- How can modern societies promote self‑control?
- What institutions support dignified behavior?
A Different Perspective
Cultural change is slow; not all societies adopt these norms equally.
