--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: States are far less violent than…" description: "\"“States are far less violent than traditional bands and tribes. Modern Western countries, even in their most war-torn centuries, suffered no more than ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg" --- # States are far less violent than traditional bands and… ![“States are far less violent than traditional bands and tribes. Modern Western countries, even in their most war-torn centuries, suffered no more than around a quarter of the average death rate of nonstate societies, and less than a tenth of that for the most violent one.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg) > ““States are far less violent than traditional bands and tribes. Modern Western countries, even in their most war-torn centuries, suffered no more than around a quarter of the average death rate of nonstate societies, and less than a tenth of that for the most violent one.”” [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern states kill fewer people per capita than historical tribal societies, indicating a decline in violence with civilization. **In simple terms:** States are less violent than tribes. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of institutions in reducing violence. Themes violence civilization history statistics policy Mood optimistic analytical Type historical analytical educational When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - conflict resolution - historical analysis Key Concepts social contract theory political stability human nature demographic transition Questions to Reflect On - How do modern institutions maintain low violence? - What factors could reverse this trend? A Different Perspective Violence can still spike despite overall trends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-rate-646149/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Nonstate Societies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonstate-societies-2031369/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [Violent Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent-traditional-2031370/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-countries-621269/) ## Related quotes > [In western countries, there are roles written for older actors. Films are made on them, including love stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-puri/in-western-countries-there-are-roles-written-for-older-actors-films/) [Om Puri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-puri/) > [I should have been a country-western singer. After all, I'm older than most western countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-should-have-been-a-country-western-singer-after-all-i-m-older-than/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [It's very simple ; once the Western countries stop supporting those terrorists and making pressure on their puppet countries and client states like Saudi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/it-s-very-simple-once-the-western-countries-stop-supporting-those/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [As the photographer, it's challenging to make images that read quickly and are powerful, but have enough humanity and compassion. I've worked on these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-sinclair/as-the-photographer-it-s-challenging-to-make-images-that-read-quickly/) [Stephanie Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-sinclair/) > [As an observer, you can clearly see that Western countries are war-weary and don't want to be pulled into new conflicts. They always proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-lauder/as-an-observer-you-can-clearly-see-that-western-countries-are-war/) [Ronald Lauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-lauder/) > [Western countries are thoroughly accustomed to being the centre of global attention, which they have come to regard as their natural birthright. Not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/western-countries-are-thoroughly-accustomed-to-being-the-centre-of/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Islamophobia emerged from the Western countries, and this is a challenge that we all together need to surmount.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/islamophobia-emerged-from-the-western-countries-and-this-is-a/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [Both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/both-sides-are-divided-and-western-countries-collaborate-with-muslim/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [There are many ways to make the death rate increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/there-are-many-ways-to-make-the-death-rate-increase/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [The death rate is the same for us as for anybody ... one person, one death, sooner or later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/the-death-rate-is-the-same-for-us-as-for-anybody-one-person-one-death/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The commitment of government to deal with the population issue is of course essential…There are many ways to make the death rate increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/the-commitment-of-government-to-deal-with-the-population-issue-is-of/) [Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/) > [“Men have a higher death rate than women for nine out of ten leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, injuries, cerebrovascular disease, chronic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/men-have-a-higher-death-rate-than-women-for-nine-out-of-ten-leading/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [The death rate among Marines in Iraq has been more than double that of the other services.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/the-death-rate-among-marines-in-iraq-has-been-more-than-double-that/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [“From 2002 to 2008, the United States was fighting bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; among active military personnel, there were an average 1,643…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/from-2002-to-2008-the-united-states-was-fighting-bloody-wars-in/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [The death rate is a fact; anything beyond this is an inference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-farr/the-death-rate-is-a-fact-anything-beyond-this-is-an-inference/) [William Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-farr/) ## More by Steven Pinker > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [As many political writers have pointed out, commitment to political equality is not an empirical claim that people are clones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/as-many-political-writers-have-pointed-out-commitment-to-political/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Since violence is largely a male pastime, cultures that empower women tend to move away from the glorification of violence and are less likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/since-violence-is-largely-a-male-pastime-cultures-that-empower-women/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. Moral goodness is what gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/morality-is-not-just-any-old-topic-in-psychology-but-close-to-our/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Part of the bargain of being alive is that one takes a chance at dying a premature or painful death, be it from violence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/part-of-the-bargain-of-being-alive-is-that-one-takes-a-chance-at/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [In fact, without a specification of a creature's goals, the very idea of intelligence is meaningless. A toadstool could be given a genius award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-without-a-specification-of-a-creature-s-goals-the-very-idea/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The obvious cure for the tragic shortcomings of human intuition in a high-tech world is education. And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-paragon-of-a-decent-person-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) [Explore all 495 Steven Pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“States are far less violent than traditional bands and tribes. Modern Western countries, even in their most war-torn centuries, suffered no more than around a quarter of the average death rate of nonstate societies, and less than a tenth of that for the most violent one.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Pinker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditional-bands-and-tribes-modern/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditional-bands-and-tribes-modern/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/357/steven-pinker-526_death_states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditi_1801134.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“States are far less violent than traditional bands and tribes. Modern Western countries, even in their most…” — Steven Pinker", "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": "Steven Pinker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“States are far less violent than...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditional-bands-and-tribes-modern/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/states-are-far-less-violent-than-traditional-bands-and-tribes-modern/#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 } } ] } ```