"Civilization is what makes you sick"

Paul Gauguin's quote "Civilization is what makes you ill" is a commentary on the results of modern-day society on people. He thought that the pressures of modern-day life, such as the requirement to comply with social standards, can cause feelings of alienation and misery. He argued that the pursuit of material wealth and status can result in an absence of spiritual fulfillment, which the pursuit of pleasure can result in a lack of ethical integrity. He thought that the artificiality of contemporary life can lead to a sense of disconnection from nature and the natural world, which this can lead to sensations of sickness and anguish. He argued that the only way to genuinely be healthy and delighted is to break away from the features of contemporary life and reconnect with nature.