I take six or seven years to write really small books. There is a kind of aesthetic of leanness, of brevity.
Mohsin HamidRead
Part of the reason people abroad resent the United States is something Americans can do very little about: envy. The richest, most powerful country in the world attracts the jealousy of others in much the same way that the richest, most powerful man in a small town attracts the jealousy of others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses how envy towards the powerful is an inherent social response.
The quote highlights the notion that envy is a natural human emotion that arises towards those who possess significant wealth and power. It compares the United States, as a global superpower, to a wealthy individual in a small community, suggesting that both elicit resentment from others due to their status and success, regardless of their actions or intentions.
Themes
EnvyPowerWealthResentmentSociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about international relations, this quote can illustrate how perceptions of power can create envy.
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I think that when we take the long view, the notion that some people are deemed less worthy of being able to move - to not have the right to cross borders - over time, that's going to seem as outmoded and as unfair, really, as racial discrimination or other kinds of discrimination.
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