But we should be mindful as we argue about our differences that so much more unites than divides us. We should also note that our differences, when compared with those in many, if not most, other countries, are smaller than we sometimes imagine them to be.
Interpretation
Despite our differences, we share more commonalities that unite us as people.
This quote by John McCain encourages individuals to recognize the shared humanity that connects us, even in times of disagreement. It suggests that while differences are often highlighted, they are often less significant when put in the context of a broader global perspective, fostering an attitude of empathy and openness towards others.
In practice
In a speech promoting community engagement, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of finding common ground.
Giap was a master of logistics, but his reputation rests on more than that. His victories were achieved by a patient strategy that he and Ho Chi Minh were convinced would succeed - an unwavering resolve to suffer immense casualties and the near total destruction of their country to defeat any adversary, no matter how powerful.
Whenever America sends its citizens into harm's way, it must do so with eyes wide open.
For decades we have been living lives of abundance, with little regard for our natural resources or global health. But we are now facing hard choices in our energy policy. Future generations - my children and grandchildren, along with yours - will have to live with the decisions we make today. And so it is time for us to make some tough and - hopefully - smart choices regarding our energy use and production before it is too late.
We need a free press. We must have it. It's vital.
I appreciate our government's determination to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the Bytyqi brothers, which Serbia's Interior Minister has rightly called 'an exceptionally serious crime,' and hope the Serbian government's pledge of full cooperation... is matched by a final accounting of their murder.
What is most troubling about Mr. Putin's aggression in Crimea is that it reflects a growing disregard for America's credibility in the world. That has emboldened other aggressive actors - from Chinese nationalists to Al Qaeda terrorists and Iranian theocrats.
What can any one person do?' he said. 'Each person does a little something,' I said, 'and there you are.
Did Buddha teach that the many was real and the ego unreal, while orthodox Hinduism regards the One as the real, and the many as unreal?" the Swami was asked. "Yes", answered the Swami. "And what Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and I have added to this is, that the Many and the One are the same Reality, perceived by the same mind at different times and in different attitudes.
Having a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing seems to me to be one of the most basic principles that you can adopt to contribute to individual and world peace.
All men alike stand condemned, not by alien codes of ethics, but by their own, and all men therefore are conscious of guilt.
Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life-gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life.
This was not guilt: guilt is what you feel when you have done something wrong. What I felt was shame: I was what was wrong.
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