Of the twenty-two civilizations that have appeared in history, nineteen of them collapsed when they reached the moral state the United States is in now. Arnold J. Toynbee More Quotes by Arnold J. Toynbee More Quotes From Arnold J. Toynbee Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder. Arnold J. Toynbee murder suicide civilization Religion holds the solution to all problems of human relationship, whether they are between parents and children or nation and nation. Sooner or later, man has always had to decide whether he worships his own power or the power of God. Arnold J. Toynbee parent men children Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor. Arnold J. Toynbee change wisdom art The only real struggle in the history of the world ... is between the vested interest and social justice. Arnold J. Toynbee real struggle justice Civilizations, I believe, come to birth and proceed to grow by successfully responding to successive challenges. They break down and go to pieces if and when a challenge confronts them that they fail to meet. Arnold J. Toynbee ifs-and civilization believe The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue. Arnold J. Toynbee islamic freedom race On this showing, the nature of the breakdowns of civilizations can be summed up in three points: a failure of creative power in the minority, an answering withdrawal of mimesis on the part of the majority, and a consequent loss of social unity in the society as a whole. Arnold J. Toynbee creative loss civilization It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it. Arnold J. Toynbee motivational inspirational believe The aim of all education is, or should be, to teach people to educate themselves. Arnold J. Toynbee learning teaching success The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. Arnold J. Toynbee determination work inspirational Immaturity means self-centeredness, inability to compromise, to rise above hurt feelings, to postpone immediate pleasures in favor of future benefits, or to do unpleasant chores when they need to be done. Arnold J. Toynbee hurt self mean Of the twenty or so civilizations known to modern Western historians, all except our own appear to be dead or moribund, and, when we diagnose each case... we invariably find that the cause of death has been either War or Class or some combination of the two. Arnold J. Toynbee class war civilization Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal, with takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice. Arnold J. Toynbee success motivational inspirational As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility. Arnold J. Toynbee freedom choices responsibility The absolute value of love makes life worth while, and so makes Man's strange and difficult situation acceptable. Love cannot save life from death; but it can fulfill life's purpose. Arnold J. Toynbee difficult-situations purpose men The human race's prospects of survival were considerably better when we were defenceless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenceless against ourselves. Arnold J. Toynbee anger motivational inspirational Material power that is not counterbalanced by adequate spiritual power, that is, by love and wisdom, is a curse Arnold J. Toynbee curse adequate spiritual The world's greatest need . . . is mutual confidence. No human being ever knows all the secrets of another's heart. Yet there is enough confidence between mother and child, husband and wife, buyer and seller . . . to make social life a practical possibility. Confidence may be risky, but it is nothing like so risky as mistrust. Arnold J. Toynbee husband mother children Sooner or later, man has always had to decide whether he worships his own power or the power of God. Arnold J. Toynbee power worship men Man's true end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever. Arnold J. Toynbee glorifying-god ends men
