Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
A trait no other nation seems to possess in quite the same degree as we do namely, a feeling of almost childish injury and resentment unless the world as a whole recognizes how innocent we are of anything but the most generous and harmless intentions
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a sense of moral superiority and the feeling of being misunderstood as a nation.
Eleanor Roosevelt's quote captures the sentiment of a nation that perceives itself as fundamentally good and innocent, feeling wronged when that goodness is not acknowledged by the world. It highlights a psychological state where the collective identity of a people is tied to their self-image of generosity and innocence, coupled with a resentment towards perceived injustices or misunderstandings regarding their intentions.
Themes
InnocenceGenerosityResentmentNationalityIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about international relations, one could cite this quote to discuss perceptions of national identity.
More from Eleanor Roosevelt
All quotes →Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
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You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
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Our children should learn the general framework of their government and then they should know where they come in contact with the government, where it touches their daily lives and where their influence is exerted on the government. It must not be a distant thing, someone else's business, but they must see how every cog in the wheel of a democracy is important and bears its share of responsibility for the smooth running of the entire machine.
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It takes courage to love, but pain through love is the purifying fire which those who love generously know.
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I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do.
Eleanor RooseveltRead
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