---
title: "People sometimes tell me that they prefer barbarism to civilisation. … — Kenneth Clark Quote #21 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "People sometimes tell me that they prefer barbarism to civilisation. I doubt if they have given it a long enough trial. Like the people of Alexandria… — a quote by Kenneth Clark."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # People sometimes tell me that they prefer barbarism to civilisation. I doubt if they have given it a long enough trial. Like the people of Alexandria, they are bored by civilisation; but all the evidence suggests that the boredom of barbarism is infinitely greater.

[Kenneth Clark](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark)\#21[WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CPeople%20sometimes%20tell%20me%20that%20they%20prefer%20barbarism%20to%20civilisation.%20I%20doubt%20if%20they%20have%20given%20it%20a%20long%20enough%20trial.%20Like%20the%20people%20of%20Alexandria%2C%20they%20are%20bored%20by%20civilisation%3B%20but%20all%20the%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20the%20boredom%20of%20barbarism%20is%20infinitely%20greater.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Kenneth%20Clark%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FKenneth-Clark%2F21%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CPeople%20sometimes%20tell%20me%20that%20they%20prefer%20barbarism%20to%20civilisation.%20I%20doubt%20if%20they%20have%20given%20it%20a%20long%20enough%20trial.%20Like%20the%20people%20of%20Alexandria%2C%20they%20are%20bored%20by%20civilisation%3B%20but%20all%20the%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20the%20boredom%20of%20barbarism%20is%20infinitely%20greater.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Kenneth%20Clark&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FKenneth-Clark%2F21%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FKenneth-Clark%2F21%2F)

## More from Kenneth Clark

1. > Great works of art can be produced in barbarous societies - in fact the very narrowness of primitive society gives their ornamental art a peculiar concentratio…

[Permalink to quote \#20](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark/20/ "Permalink to quote 20")
2. > Seen by itself the David's body might be some unusually taut and vivid work of antiquity; it is only when we come to the head that we are aware of a spiritual …

[Permalink to quote \#22](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark/22/ "Permalink to quote 22")
3. > Changes in the structure of society are not brought about solely by massive engines of doctrine. The first flash of insight which persuades human beings to cha…

[Permalink to quote \#19](https://quotesby.net/Kenneth-Clark/19/ "Permalink to quote 19")

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