A great empire and little minds go ill together.
Edmund BurkeRead
My hold of the colonies is in the close affection which grows from common names, from kindred blood, from similar privileges, and equal protection. These are ties which, though light as air, are as strong as links of iron.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The bonds of affection and shared heritage among people create strong connections that can be as powerful as any physical force.
Edmund Burke expresses the idea that the deep emotional ties formed through shared experiences, heritage, and mutual rights among a community can create a sense of unity and strength that is formidable, even if those ties seem insubstantial at first. He likens these bonds to iron links, suggesting that their significance should not be underestimated, as they underpin the cohesion of societies and relationships.
Themes
AffectionKinshipUnityHeritageCommunity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing a community gathering, one might quote Burke to emphasize the importance of shared heritage.
More from Edmund Burke
All quotes →To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.
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Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.
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The hottest fires in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of moral crisis.
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Society can overlook murder, adultery or swindling; it never forgives preaching of a new gospel.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality.
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She stops, pauses, turns to the left to glance at some possible threat or irregularity, and then continues to the north. This motion, so intensely human, transcends time.
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Religion was fading into the background. He had shovelled away all the beliefs that would hamper him, had cleared the ground, and come more or less to the bedrock of belief that one should feel inside oneself for right or wrong, and should have the patience to gradually realise one's God. Now life interested him more.
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The first thing you must do is forget that I'm Black. Second, you must never forget that I'm Black.
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