--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any classification according to a…" description: "\"Any classification according to a singular identity polarizes people in a particular way, but if we take note of the fact that we have many different i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg" --- # Any classification according to a singular identity… ![“Any classification according to a singular identity polarizes people in a particular way, but if we take note of the fact that we have many different identities - related not just to religion but also to language, occupation and business, politics, class and poverty, and many others - we can see…” quote by Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg) > “Any classification according to a singular identity polarizes people in a particular way, but if we take note of the fact that we have many different identities - related not just to religion but also to language, occupation and business, politics, class and poverty, and many others - we can see that the polarization of one can be resisted by a fuller picture. So knowledge and understanding are extremely important to fight against singular polarization.” [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing people as possessing multiple, overlapping identities reduces the tendency to view them as monolithic and combats divisive polarization. **In simple terms:** Multiple identities lessen division. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect diverse identities. Themes diversity identity social cohesion politics inclusion Mood thoughtful concerned Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - community building - policy design - education curricula - conflict resolution - media representation Key Concepts intersectionality social theory political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions reflect intersecting identities? - What barriers prevent people from seeing others' multiple facets? A Different Perspective Complex identities can be ignored or oversimplified in practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Classification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classification/) [Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge and understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-and-understanding/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Occupation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occupation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Polarization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polarization/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Unity in diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unity-in-diversity/) ## Related quotes > [I don't care, really, whether the movie polarizes people, Republican, Democrat...I don't think it should. But what's more important to me is that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sarsgaard/i-don-t-care-really-whether-the-movie-polarizes-people-republican/) [Peter Sarsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sarsgaard/) > [Taking a vote or poll is a great simple way to take a decision, but it doesn't help a group find consensus. It actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-b-rosenberg/taking-a-vote-or-poll-is-a-great-simple-way-to-take-a-decision-but-it/) [Louis B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-b-rosenberg/) > [There is good evidence that the catastrophist framing of climate change is self-defeating because it alienates and polarizes many people. And exaggerating climate change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shellenberger/there-is-good-evidence-that-the-catastrophist-framing-of-climate/) [Michael Shellenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shellenberger/) > [New York has a tremendous number of people but the quality of its politics is unspeakable. By contrast, in a smaller township, I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/new-york-has-a-tremendous-number-of-people-but-the-quality-of-its/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [“the fundamental problem facing American democracy remains extreme partisan division—one fueled not just by policy differences but by deeper sources of resentment, including racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levitsky/the-fundamental-problem-facing-american-democracy-remains-extreme/) [Steven Levitsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levitsky/) > [The 2012 presidential campaign's turn away from the classic, straight-up, American election - where the candidate who gets the most votes nationwide wins -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-williams/the-2012-presidential-campaign-s-turn-away-from-the-classic-straight/) [Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-williams/) > [The rotation of the polarization plane is extraordinarily small in all gases, thus also in sodium vapour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pieter-zeeman/the-rotation-of-the-polarization-plane-is-extraordinarily-small-in/) [Pieter Zeeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pieter-zeeman/) > [“Polarization is just one of many ways group membership can change an individual. Perhaps the most striking effect of group membership is that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-robbins/polarization-is-just-one-of-many-ways-group-membership-can-change-an/) [Alexandra Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-robbins/) > [I see people who talk about America, and then undermine it by not paying attention to its soul, to its poetry. I see polarization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/i-see-people-who-talk-about-america-and-then-undermine-it-by-not/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [There is a considerable polarization taking place here, increasing the gap between rich and poor. It's most dramatic in Third World countries, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-is-a-considerable-polarization-taking-place-here-increasing-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“See the system. When you find yourself stuck in an oversimplified polarized conflict, a useful first step is to try to become more aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-t-coleman/see-the-system-when-you-find-yourself-stuck-in-an-oversimplified/) Peter T. Coleman > [“When polarization confronts the United States’ Madisonian check-and-balance political system, the result is devastating. – Francis Fukuyama”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-polarization-confronts-the-united-states-madisonian-check-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is too much at stake for us to surrender to the politics of polarization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-henry/there-is-too-much-at-stake-for-us-to-surrender-to-the-politics-of/) [Brad Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-henry/) > [The depth of the middle class is waning as the polarization of society is in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katsuya-okada/the-depth-of-the-middle-class-is-waning-as-the-polarization-of/) [Katsuya Okada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katsuya-okada/) > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) ## More by Amartya Sen > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. Now how far we can go along that and what new capabilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/capability-is-just-a-concept-of-what-is-it-we-re-looking-at-now-how/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/where-the-mind-is-without-fear-and-the-head-is-held-high-where/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Violence is fomented by the imposition of singular and belligerent identities on gullible people, championed by proficient artisans of terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/violence-is-fomented-by-the-imposition-of-singular-and-belligerent/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I think the whole progress over the last two or three millennia has been entirely dependent on ideas and techniques and commodities and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-think-the-whole-progress-over-the-last-two-or-three-millennia-has/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [No famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/no-famine-has-ever-taken-place-in-the-history-of-the-world-in-a/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [To say that certainly America was very lucky to get a large amount of land, and the native Indians were extremely unlucky to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/to-say-that-certainly-america-was-very-lucky-to-get-a-large-amount-of/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The lack of economic freedom could be a very major reason for loss of liberty, liberty of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-lack-of-economic-freedom-could-be-a-very-major-reason-for-loss-of/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We need to ask the moral questions: Do I have a right to be rich? And do I have a right to be content…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/we-need-to-ask-the-moral-questions-do-i-have-a-right-to-be-rich-and/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“He wrote extensively on how schools should be made more attractive to boys and girls and thus more productive. His own co-educational school at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/he-wrote-extensively-on-how-schools-should-be-made-more-attractive-to/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [One has to be realistic. One’s concern for equity and justice in the world must not carry one into the alien territory of unreasoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/one-has-to-be-realistic-one-s-concern-for-equity-and-justice-in-the/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [While I am interested both in economics and in philosophy, the union of my interests in the two fields far exceeds their intersection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/while-i-am-interested-both-in-economics-and-in-philosophy-the-union/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [I was born in a University campus and seem to have lived all my life in one campus or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-was-born-in-a-university-campus-and-seem-to-have-lived-all-my-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [If jobs are important, education is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/if-jobs-are-important-education-is-important/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Thailand's economic development was driven by educational expansion. That has been a very dramatic factor, and South Asia had been pretty miserable in not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/thailand-s-economic-development-was-driven-by-educational-expansion/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) [Explore all 162 Amartya Sen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## More Brotherhood quotes > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [Saying that the origin of the Islamic State (IS) is within the Muslim Brotherhood organisation only strengthens IS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/saying-that-the-origin-of-the-islamic-state-is-is-within-the-muslim/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [“All the same I keep on looking for someone incomprehensible who won't understand me either, because I have a terrible thirst for brotherhood”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-ajar/all-the-same-i-keep-on-looking-for-someone-incomprehensible-who-won-t/) Emile Ajar > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Brothers all In honour, as in one community, Scholars and gentlemen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/brothers-all-in-honour-as-in-one-community-scholars-and-gentlemen/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [This is me and my older brother alasandro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brother/this-is-me-and-my-older-brother-alasandro/) Brother > [You may call for peace as loudly as you wish, but where there is no brotherhood there can in the end be no peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/you-may-call-for-peace-as-loudly-as-you-wish-but-where-there-is-no/) [Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/) > [Forgiving the men who killed my parents and brother was a process, a journey into deeper and deeper prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immaculee-ilibagiza/forgiving-the-men-who-killed-my-parents-and-brother-was-a-process-a/) [Immaculee Ilibagiza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immaculee-ilibagiza/) > [Overall, we had about 50 meetings where the brothers would say that I couldn't do any solo records, I couldn't write for other people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-hagar/overall-we-had-about-50-meetings-where-the-brothers-would-say-that-i/) [Sammy Hagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-hagar/) > [Please be slow to judge ‘brothers’ who have a different calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/please-be-slow-to-judge-brothers-who-have-a-different-calling/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [My brothers and I would try to talk our dad into letting us stay up and watch 'Star Trek.' I remember watching it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/my-brothers-and-i-would-try-to-talk-our-dad-into-letting-us-stay-up/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) > [I work incredibly hard - just like every other person in business and work. And aside from the fact of, yes, I am the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-middleton/i-work-incredibly-hard-just-like-every-other-person-in-business-and/) [James William Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-middleton/) > [I have 10 brothers and sisters. My mother raised us because my father died when I was 8.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/i-have-10-brothers-and-sisters-my-mother-raised-us-because-my-father/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [A League of Their Own' had some special meaning for me, I guess - it's about women joining together and being empowered, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/a-league-of-their-own-had-some-special-meaning-for-me-i-guess-it-s/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [My older brothers were both basketball players so I just grew up around the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brook-lopez/my-older-brothers-were-both-basketball-players-so-i-just-grew-up/) [Brook Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brook-lopez/) [Browse all 3,733 Brotherhood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any classification according to a singular identity polarizes people in a particular way, but if we take note of the fact that we have many different identities - related not just to religion but also to language, occupation and business, politics, class and poverty, and many others - we can see that the polarization of one can be resisted by a fuller picture. So knowledge and understanding are extremely important to fight against singular polarization.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amartya Sen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/any-classification-according-to-a-singular-identity-polarizes-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brotherhood" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/any-classification-according-to-a-singular-identity-polarizes-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/amartya-sen-2518_brotherhood_any-classification-according-to-a-singul_2357910.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any classification according to a singular identity polarizes people in a particular way, but if we take…” — Amartya Sen", "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": "Amartya Sen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Any classification according to a singular...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/any-classification-according-to-a-singular-identity-polarizes-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/any-classification-according-to-a-singular-identity-polarizes-people/#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 } } ] } ```