--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What civilization is, is 6 billion people…" description: "\"What civilization is, is 6 billion people trying to make themselves happy by standing on each other's shoulders and kicking each other's teeth in. It's..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png" --- # What civilization is, is 6 billion people trying to make… ![“What civilization is, is 6 billion people trying to make themselves happy by standing on each other's shoulders and kicking each other's teeth in. It's not a pleasant situation.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png) > “What civilization is, is 6 billion people trying to make themselves happy by standing on each other's shoulders and kicking each other's teeth in. It's not a pleasant situation.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote portrays humanity as a crowded, competitive struggle where people seek happiness at others’ expense. **In simple terms:** Humanity is a chaotic, selfish competition. Key Takeaway Recognize collective impact. Themes philosophy society conflict Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical social When to use this quote - urban planning - policy debates - personal relationships - media commentary Key Concepts population pressure social dynamics existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to compete versus cooperate? - How can societies foster mutual happiness? A Different Perspective Overgeneralization may ignore cooperative aspects of humanity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billion/) [Billion People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billion-people/) [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Billion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-billion-682024/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Kicking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicking/) [Kicking Teeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicking-teeth-2313608/) [Mind blowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-blowing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-trying/) [Pleasant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasant/) [Shoulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoulders/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing/) [Teeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teeth/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [Even a billion people is too much. There's no way back to the simplicity we once knew, but there may be a way forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/even-a-billion-people-is-too-much-there-s-no-way-back-to-the/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Artificial intelligence will reach human levels by around 2029. Follow that out further to, say, 2045, we will have multiplied the intelligence, the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/artificial-intelligence-will-reach-human-levels-by-around-2029-follow/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [“Five seconds, ten seconds, more change than ten thousand years of a human civilization. A billion trillion constructions, mold curling out from every wall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/five-seconds-ten-seconds-more-change-than-ten-thousand-years-of-a/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [When life is kicking others in the teeth, Become a dentist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-myers/when-life-is-kicking-others-in-the-teeth-become-a-dentist/) [Kevin Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-myers/) > [I have been guilty. Of kicking myself in the teeth. I will speak no more. Of my feelings beneath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-in-chains/i-have-been-guilty-of-kicking-myself-in-the-teeth-i-will-speak-no/) [Alice In Chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-in-chains/) > [“There will be a billion people out there, who will say you can't do it, Just make sure that you are not in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiten-bhatt/there-will-be-a-billion-people-out-there-who-will-say-you-can-t-do-it/) [Jiten Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiten-bhatt/) > [7 Billion people on this earth and my mind and heart is stuck on you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/7-billion-people-on-this-earth-and-my-mind-and-heart-is-stuck-on-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Another way to think of this is there are now 6.8 billion people on this planet, and half of them weren't even born when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/another-way-to-think-of-this-is-there-are-now-6-8-billion-people-on/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [1 universe, 8 planets, 204 countries, 804 islands, 7 seas, 7 billion people and my heart still tells me it's you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/1-universe-8-planets-204-countries-804-islands-7-seas-7-billion/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [There are 6 billion people in the world. It's hard to find the one person who's right for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-caan/there-are-6-billion-people-in-the-world-it-s-hard-to-find-the-one/) [Scott Caan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-caan/) > [At this moment there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-this-moment-there-are-6-470-818-671-people-in-the-world-some-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By the year 2040, the world's population is likely to increase by about 2 billion people, with also projected economic output will be up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-tillerson/by-the-year-2040-the-world-s-population-is-likely-to-increase-by/) [Rex Tillerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-tillerson/) > [1 Universe, 9 Planets, 204 Countries, 809 Islands, 7 Seas and 7 Billion people, But My Heart Wants Only You.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/1-universe-9-planets-204-countries-809-islands-7-seas-and-7-billion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We are fornicating in the sight of six billion people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-fornicating-in-the-sight-of-six-billion-people/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Seven billion people in the world... But!! My heart choose you. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udigwe-vinsnt/seven-billion-people-in-the-world-but-my-heart-choose-you/) [Udigwe Vinsnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udigwe-vinsnt/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Billion quotes > [Seven billion people in the world... But!! My heart choose you. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udigwe-vinsnt/seven-billion-people-in-the-world-but-my-heart-choose-you/) [Udigwe Vinsnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udigwe-vinsnt/) > [“We are fornicating in the sight of six billion people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/we-are-fornicating-in-the-sight-of-six-billion-people/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [The world isn't fast-paced, it's frenetic. People have to be managers of themselves. Time has been managing itself for 15 billion years; we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-buzan/the-world-isn-t-fast-paced-it-s-frenetic-people-have-to-be-managers/) [Tony Buzan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-buzan/) > [Again, a franchise to me doesn't have to be a billion dollar title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fincher/again-a-franchise-to-me-doesn-t-have-to-be-a-billion-dollar-title/) [David Fincher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fincher/) > [I’m neither ‘pro-women’ nor ‘anti-men’. I’m just ‘Thumbs up for the six billion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/i-m-neither-pro-women-nor-anti-men-i-m-just-thumbs-up-for-the-six/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [Malaria is a disease that kills one to three million people a year. 300 to 500 million cases are reported. It's estimated that Africa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/malaria-is-a-disease-that-kills-one-to-three-million-people-a-year/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [1 Universe, 9 Planets, 204 Countries, 809 Islands, 7 Seas and 7 Billion people, But My Heart Wants Only You.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/1-universe-9-planets-204-countries-809-islands-7-seas-and-7-billion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know why, but I'm continually amazed to think that two and a half billion of us around the world are connected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kovacs/i-don-t-know-why-but-i-m-continually-amazed-to-think-that-two-and-a/) [Gary Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kovacs/) > [Give consideration to the fact that alien astronomers could have scrutinized Earth for more than 4 billion years without detecting any radio signals, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/give-consideration-to-the-fact-that-alien-astronomers-could-have/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [I am proud of the fact that I have co-produced the film 'A Billion Colour Story.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kaushik/i-am-proud-of-the-fact-that-i-have-co-produced-the-film-a-billion/) [Satish Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kaushik/) > [I think TARP was the most defining vote since I've been in Congress. It was wrong. You don't nationalize private - it was wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/i-think-tarp-was-the-most-defining-vote-since-i-ve-been-in-congress/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) > [You tell me I'm one in a million, well you're one in a billion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-tell-me-i-m-one-in-a-million-well-you-re-one-in-a-billion/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/if-you-can-count-your-money-you-don-t-have-a-billion-dollars/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [By the year 2040, the world's population is likely to increase by about 2 billion people, with also projected economic output will be up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-tillerson/by-the-year-2040-the-world-s-population-is-likely-to-increase-by/) [Rex Tillerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-tillerson/) > [At this moment there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-this-moment-there-are-6-470-818-671-people-in-the-world-some-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 423 Billion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What civilization is, is 6 billion people trying to make themselves happy by standing on each other's shoulders and kicking each other's teeth in. It's not a pleasant situation.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terence McKenna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people-trying-to-make-themselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Billion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people-trying-to-make-themselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/terence-mckenna-287_billion_what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people_1836259.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What civilization is, is 6 billion people trying to make themselves happy by standing on each other's…” — Terence McKenna", "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": "Terence McKenna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What civilization is, is 6 billion...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people-trying-to-make-themselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-civilization-is-is-6-billion-people-trying-to-make-themselves/#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 } } ] } ```