--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The white man's cruelest trick was not to…" description: "\"“The white man's cruelest trick was not to conquer or even enslave, but simply to soften, weaken and corrupt every culture or people he encountered unt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/tom-cain-111997_africa_the-white-man-s-cruelest-trick-was-not-t_3153099.jpg" --- # The white man's cruelest trick was not to conquer or even… ![“The white man's cruelest trick was not to conquer or even enslave, but simply to soften, weaken and corrupt every culture or people he encountered until the lost the will to be themselves anymore.” quote by Tom Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/tom-cain-111997_africa_the-white-man-s-cruelest-trick-was-not-t_3153099.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/tom-cain-111997_africa_the-white-man-s-cruelest-trick-was-not-t_3153099.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/tom-cain-111997_africa_the-white-man-s-cruelest-trick-was-not-t_3153099.jpg) > ““The white man's cruelest trick was not to conquer or even enslave, but simply to soften, weaken and corrupt every culture or people he encountered until the lost the will to be themselves anymore.”” Tom Cain ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Colonial powers corrupt cultures subtly, eroding self-identity more than overt conquest. **In simple terms:** Colonialism weakens cultures. Key Takeaway Preserve cultural integrity. Themes colonialism culture identity history power corruption Mood critical historical analytical Type Africa:1 Colonialism:1 Enslave:0 History:1 Literature:0 Slavery:0 White man:1 Man Cruelest:0 Cruelest Trick:0 Enslave Simply:0 When to use this quote - education - policy making - community activism Key Concepts cultural imperialism psychological domination historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What are modern forms of cultural erosion? - How can societies reclaim agency? A Different Perspective Change can be resisted but also internalized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africa/) [Colonialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonialism/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [White man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-man/) ## Related quotes > [Man is the cruelest animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/man-is-the-cruelest-animal/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Man is the cruelest animal. At tragedies, bullfights, and crucifixions he has so far felt best on earth; and when he invented hell for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/man-is-the-cruelest-animal-at-tragedies-bullfights-and-crucifixions/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The white man in the tropics degenerates every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/the-white-man-in-the-tropics-degenerates-every-day/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [The Grecians and Romans were strongly possessed of the spirit of liberty but not the principle, for at the time they were determined not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-grecians-and-romans-were-strongly-possessed-of-the-spirit-of/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/they-enslave-their-children-s-children-who-make-compromise-with-sin/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Give. Giving affirms Christ's lordship. It dethrones me and exalts Him. It breaks the chains of mammon that would enslave me and transfers my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/give-giving-affirms-christ-s-lordship-it-dethrones-me-and-exalts-him/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“To disarm the people--that was the best and most effective way to enslave them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/to-disarm-the-people-that-was-the-best-and-most-effective-way-to/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [They wanna hang us, see us dead, or enslave us, keep us trapped in the same place we raised in. Then they wonder why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-dre/they-wanna-hang-us-see-us-dead-or-enslave-us-keep-us-trapped-in-the/) [Dr. Dre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-dre/) > [The Hebrew scriptures say it's okay to enslave anybody except your fellow Jews. It says you should enslave only your neighbors. I say to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-hebrew-scriptures-say-it-s-okay-to-enslave-anybody-except-your/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Some people steal from others, or defraud them, or enslave them, seizing their product and preventing them from living as they choose, or forcibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-people-steal-from-others-or-defraud-them-or-enslave-them-seizing/) [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) > [“To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." -George Mason - Father of the Bill of Rights”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goodwin/to-disarm-the-people-is-the-best-and-most-effectual-way-to-enslave/) [Mark Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goodwin/) > [“Society always tries to enslave, imprison, and execute its greatest men, those who dare to stand apart and rise above.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-torode/society-always-tries-to-enslave-imprison-and-execute-its-greatest-men/) [Sam Torode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-torode/) > [Why not exploit, enslave, or exterminate a class that everybody is taught to regard as inferior?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-g-woodson/why-not-exploit-enslave-or-exterminate-a-class-that-everybody-is/) [Carter G. Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-g-woodson/) > [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## More by Tom Cain > [“Men who truly love money always value it more highly than any mere human affection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cain/men-who-truly-love-money-always-value-it-more-highly-than-any-mere/) Tom Cain Explore all 2 Tom Cain quotes ## More Africa quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' 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