I always thought I was Jeanne d'Arc and Bonaparte. How little one knows oneself.
Charles De GaulleRead
A great country worthy of the name does not have any friends.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A true great nation prioritizes its values over alliances.
This quote by Charles De Gaulle highlights the idea that a truly great country stands firm in its identity and principles, often placing its sovereignty and self-sufficiency above the pursuit of friendships or alliances that could compromise its integrity. It suggests that the essence of greatness is to maintain independence and not rely on others for validation or support.
Themes
CountryGreatnessIndependenceSovereigntyIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on national sovereignty, you might use this quote to emphasize the importance of self-reliance.
More from Charles De Gaulle
All quotes →Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.
Charles De GaulleRead
Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in which even greater mechanized forces will bring us victory. Therein lies the destiny of the world.
Charles De GaulleRead
The perfection preached in the gospels never yet built an empire. Every man of action has a strong dose of egotism, pride, hardness, and cunning.
Charles De GaulleRead
One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day was; one cannot judge life until death.
Charles De GaulleRead
Soyons fermes, purs et fidèles ; au bout de nos peines, il y a la plus grande gloire du monde, celle des hommes qui n'ont pas cédé. [Let us be firm, pure and faithful; at the end of our sorrow, there is the greatest glory of the world, that of the men who did not give in.]
Charles De GaulleRead
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Waiting time is not wasting time. Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.
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In conversation the game is, to say something new with old words. And you shall observe a man of the people picking his way along, step by step, using every time an old boulder, yet never setting his foot on an old place.
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