--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To destroy a people, you must first sever…" description: "\"To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.\" — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg" --- # To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots. ![“To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.” quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg) > “To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.” [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Oppression begins by destroying cultural identity and heritage. **In simple terms:** Destroy roots to destroy people. Key Takeaway Protect cultural roots to resist oppression. Themes oppression culture identity resistance Mood serious determined Type historical political When to use this quote - political movements - education - community building Key Concepts colonialism genocide social engineering Questions to Reflect On - What roots define your identity? - How can societies safeguard cultural heritage? A Different Perspective Oppression can also be subtle, not just root severing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) [Destroy People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy-people-451595/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Sever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-sever-2592993/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Sever Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sever-roots-2592994/) ## Related quotes > [When the cards are dealt, I just want to destroy people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stu-ungar/when-the-cards-are-dealt-i-just-want-to-destroy-people/) [Stu Ungar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stu-ungar/) > [“How can losing love make you want to destroy people?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-c-cast-and-kristin-cast/how-can-losing-love-make-you-want-to-destroy-people/) [P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-c-cast-and-kristin-cast/) > [I will never understand , why is it so important to people to destroy other people hapiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvija/i-will-never-understand-why-is-it-so-important-to-people-to-destroy/) [Silvija](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvija/) > [The only people who have the power to destroy you are the people you've given that power to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-only-people-who-have-the-power-to-destroy-you-are-the-people-you/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“If they burn your school, burn their children, if they destroy your buildings destroy their people if they tear down your homes tear down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-they-burn-your-school-burn-their-children-if-they-destroy-your/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Once the automobile appeared you could have predicted that it would destroy as many people as it did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/once-the-automobile-appeared-you-could-have-predicted-that-it-would/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [One of the ways of helping to destroy a people is to tell them they don't have a history that they have no roots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/one-of-the-ways-of-helping-to-destroy-a-people-is-to-tell-them-they/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I couldn't think of anything worse than being in an unhappy marriage. It worries me because I've seen it destroy people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/i-couldn-t-think-of-anything-worse-than-being-in-an-unhappy-marriage/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [Hate won't only destroy us. It will destroy these people that's hating as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/hate-won-t-only-destroy-us-it-will-destroy-these-people-that-s-hating/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [ I suppose being the kind of creatures we \[people\] are, we like to censor the past, and are selective, or want to be selective… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/i-suppose-being-the-kind-of-creatures-we-people-are-we-like-to-censor/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [The whole social media can destroy people overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/the-whole-social-media-can-destroy-people-overnight/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [There are people who just love to destroy other people. It saddens me to admit that, I think, at whatever state of human civilisation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-forge/there-are-people-who-just-love-to-destroy-other-people-it-saddens-me/) [Tobias Forge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-forge/) > [Someone that has the power to destroy people mentally, but chooses that they never will is a strong minded person themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dellah-campbell/someone-that-has-the-power-to-destroy-people-mentally-but-chooses/) [Dellah Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dellah-campbell/) > [I love this profession, but God, it can just destroy people, and I don't want that to happen and become some monster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/i-love-this-profession-but-god-it-can-just-destroy-people-and-i-don-t/) [Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/) > [Money can destroy people. It really can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/money-can-destroy-people-it-really-can/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) ## More by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“...you are strong only as long as you don't deprive people of everything . For a person you've taken everything from is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/you-are-strong-only-as-long-as-you-don-t-deprive-people-of-everything/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/woe-to-that-nation-whose-literature-is-cut-short-by-the-intrusion-of/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Literature becomes the living memory of a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/literature-becomes-the-living-memory-of-a-nation/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [If there were no executioners, there would be no executions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-there-were-no-executioners-there-would-be-no-executions/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Not everything has a name. Some things lead us into a realm beyond words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/not-everything-has-a-name-some-things-lead-us-into-a-realm-beyond/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [It is almost always impossible to evaluate at the time events which you have already experienced, and to understand their meaning with the guidance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-is-almost-always-impossible-to-evaluate-at-the-time-events-which/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Human nature is full of riddles; . . . one of those riddles is: how is it that people who have been crushed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/human-nature-is-full-of-riddles-one-of-those-riddles-is-how-is-it/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“It was astonishing that the pseudo wreckers, who knew perfectly well that they weren't wreckers, believed that military men and priests were being shaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-astonishing-that-the-pseudo-wreckers-who-knew-perfectly-well/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [When the whole discussion of "developing a national idea" hastily began in post-Soviet Russia, I tried to pour cold water on it with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/when-the-whole-discussion-of-developing-a-national-idea-hastily-began/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“It was granted me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-granted-me-to-carry-away-from-my-prison-years-on-my-bent-back/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Call no day happy 'til it is done; call no man happy til he is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/call-no-day-happy-til-it-is-done-call-no-man-happy-til-he-is-dead/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Whenever the tissue of life is woven of legalistic relationships, this creates an atmosphere of spiritual mediocrity that paralyzes a person's noblest impulses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/whenever-the-tissue-of-life-is-woven-of-legalistic-relationships-this/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [The same old caveman feeling-greed, envy, violence, and mutual hate, which along the way assumed respectable pseudonyms like class struggle, racial struggle, mass struggle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/the-same-old-caveman-feeling-greed-envy-violence-and-mutual-hate/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Surrender one hair, and you'll end up beardless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/surrender-one-hair-and-you-ll-end-up-beardless/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) [Explore all 412 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) ## More Destroy quotes > [“That would be just like me-ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/that-would-be-just-like-me-ruin-everything-destroy-the-world-in-a/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/we-shall-fight-against-them-throw-them-in-prisons-and-destroy-them/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-averell-harriman/how-could-you-justify-giving-holland-twice-the-amount-of-money-that/) [W. Averell Harriman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-averell-harriman/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Destroy gossip by ignoring it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/destroy-gossip-by-ignoring-it/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [“Put that thing down, girl. Don't you know it steals part of your soul, that little mechanical masterpiece you hold so frivolously? Don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/put-that-thing-down-girl-don-t-you-know-it-steals-part-of-your-soul/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/in-a-democracy-the-one-thing-that-cannot-be-done-is-to-destroy-its/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [We will not waste 30 years of our lives dealing with extremist ideas; we will destroy them today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-bin-salman/we-will-not-waste-30-years-of-our-lives-dealing-with-extremist-ideas/) [Mohammad bin Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-bin-salman/) > [We will defend ourselves, and we have full rights to do so. If the authorities try to destroy us, we have the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-udaltsov/we-will-defend-ourselves-and-we-have-full-rights-to-do-so-if-the/) [Sergei Udaltsov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-udaltsov/) > [You destroy my life then feed me inspirational philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/you-destroy-my-life-then-feed-me-inspirational-philosophy/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [There are seven things that will destroy us, Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Religion without sacrifice, Politics without principle, Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coldheart/there-are-seven-things-that-will-destroy-us-wealth-without-work/) [Coldheart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coldheart/) [Browse all 1,229 Destroy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever-their-roots/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destroy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever-their-roots/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b2/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-671_education_to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever_1872461.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To destroy a people, you must...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever-their-roots/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/to-destroy-a-people-you-must-first-sever-their-roots/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```