--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were the Bechuanaland Protectorate…" description: "\"“We were the Bechuanaland Protectorate then, and the British ran our country, to protect us from the Boers (or that is what they said). There was a Com..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_left-alone_we-were-the-bechuanaland-protectorate-th_436631.png" --- # We were the Bechuanaland Protectorate then, and the… ![“We were the Bechuanaland Protectorate then, and the British ran our country, to protect us from the Boers (or that is what they said). There was a Commissioner down in Mafikeng, over the border into South Africa, and he would come up the road and speak to the chiefs. He would say: "You do this…” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_left-alone_we-were-the-bechuanaland-protectorate-th_436631.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_left-alone_we-were-the-bechuanaland-protectorate-th_436631.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/alexander-mccall-smith-372_left-alone_we-were-the-bechuanaland-protectorate-th_436631.png) > ““We were the Bechuanaland Protectorate then, and the British ran our country, to protect us from the Boers (or that is what they said). There was a Commissioner down in Mafikeng, over the border into South Africa, and he would come up the road and speak to the chiefs. He would say: "You do this thing; you do that thing." And the chiefs all obeyed him because they knew that if they did not he would have them deposed. But some of them were clever, and while the British said "You do this," they would say "Yes, yes, sir, I will do that" and all the time, behind their backs, they did the other thing or they just pretended to do something. So for many years, nothing at all happened. It was a good system of government, because most people want nothing to happen. That is the problem with governments these days. They want to do things all the time; they are always very busy thinking of what things they can do next. That is not what people want. People want to be left alone to look after their cattle.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders often impose policies that people superficially accept while secretly subverting them, leading to stagnation and ineffective governance. **In simple terms:** People may obey outwardly but act differently in private. Key Takeaway Recognize and address hidden resistance to true change. Themes governance obedience subversion stagnation Mood skeptical reflective Type political social commentary When to use this quote - colonial administration - community leadership - policy implementation - public compliance Key Concepts political theory social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders detect hidden resistance? - What mechanisms encourage genuine participation? A Different Perspective Superficial compliance can mask deeper dissent, limiting progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Most people want nothing to happen. That is the problem with governments these days. 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They make a deal with the devil herself and then expect me to bail them out of every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-know-i-ve-never-understood-it-they-make-a-deal-with-the-devil/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“She just wanted to be left alone to lick her wounds, like a puppy that had been kicked repeatedly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/she-just-wanted-to-be-left-alone-to-lick-her-wounds-like-a-puppy-that/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [“I write to make peace with the things I cannot control. I write to create red in a world that often appears black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-write-to-make-peace-with-the-things-i-cannot-control-i-write-to/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [I've always been more afraid of being left alone or left out than of things that go bump in the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-gidding/i-ve-always-been-more-afraid-of-being-left-alone-or-left-out-than-of/) Nelson Gidding > [Some womans had cause the addition of a new element to the PERIODIC TABLE: Name: Women Symbol: Wmn ATOMIC WEIGHT: Don't even dare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-womans-had-cause-the-addition-of-a-new-element-to-the-periodic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I didn't want to be left alone with Timothy, not because I was afraid of him but because I was afraid that somebody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/i-didn-t-want-to-be-left-alone-with-timothy-not-because-i-was-afraid/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [I thought she was the 1 but actually she was 2 be left alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/i-thought-she-was-the-1-but-actually-she-was-2-be-left-alone/) [Kevin Mccarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [When I'm away from basketball, I'm the biggest kid. I do a good job of keeping myself sane. But on the other hand, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-duncan/when-i-m-away-from-basketball-i-m-the-biggest-kid-i-do-a-good-job-of/) [Tim Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-duncan/) > [Personally, I think that children should be left alone, they should be given an opportunity to grow up, to become aware of themselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/personally-i-think-that-children-should-be-left-alone-they-should-be/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the same standard as an office secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/in-nine-months-a-group-of-children-left-alone-with-a-computer-in-any/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [To the newcomer to the south, hearing that a coworker plans a weekend visit to 'mama and them's' (the correct plural possessive, don'tchaknow), might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-rivenbark/to-the-newcomer-to-the-south-hearing-that-a-coworker-plans-a-weekend/) [Celia Rivenbark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-rivenbark/) > [“When left alone, corporate cultures and values will erode over time. It can happen when companies or divisions are sold. It can happen when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-spradlin-lead-on-mission/when-left-alone-corporate-cultures-and-values-will-erode-over-time-it/) [Becca Spradlin, Lead On Mission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-spradlin-lead-on-mission/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? 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Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Left alone quotes > [“When left alone, corporate cultures and values will erode over time. It can happen when companies or divisions are sold. 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