“The veneer of civilization is like that on the kitchen counter - very thin.”
“the veneer of civilization is exceedingly 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.”
“I want you to take a sleeve of Thin Mints and line them up on the edge of the kitchen counter and when I'm hungry I can just bend over and sweep a cookie into my mouth like I'm scoring a goal in hockey.”
“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.”