“the veneer of civilization is exceedingly thin”
“The veneer of civilization is like that on the kitchen counter - very thin.”
“Civilization is but a thin veneer stretched across the passions of the human heart. And civilization doesn't just happen; we have to make it happen.”
“Of course there is no veneer, the process is one of growth, and primitiveness and civilization are degrees of the same thing. If civilization has an opposite, it is war.”
“The veneer of civilization fell away to reveal desperate animals, humanity at their worst.”
“Thin veneers can cover a mountain of problems around here when nobody's looking at the details.”