--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The increasing tendency towards seeing…" description: "\"The increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of one dominant ‘identity’ (‘this is your duty as an American’, ‘you must commit these acts as a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png" --- # The increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of… ![“The increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of one dominant ‘identity’ (‘this is your duty as an American’, ‘you must commit these acts as a Muslim’, or ‘as a Chinese you should give priority to this national engagement’) is not only an imposition of an external and arbitrary priority…” quote by Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png) > “The increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of one dominant ‘identity’ (‘this is your duty as an American’, ‘you must commit these acts as a Muslim’, or ‘as a Chinese you should give priority to this national engagement’) is not only an imposition of an external and arbitrary priority, but also the denial of an important liberty of a person who can decide on their respective loyalties to different groups (to all of which he or she belongs).” [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. Identifying people solely by a single identity imposes external priorities and denies personal liberty to choose multiple loyalties. **In simple terms:** Reducing people to one identity limits freedom and choice. Key Takeaway Respect multiple affiliations. Themes identity freedom politics pluralism rights Mood thoughtful concerned Type philosophical political When to use this quote - national politics - immigration debates - workplace diversity - personal relationships - community building Key Concepts social contract intersectionality liberty Questions to Reflect On - How can societies honor multiple identities? - What policies support plural loyalties? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on singular identity can ignore complex individual experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arbitrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbitrary/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Commit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commit/) [Denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denial/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Dominant Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominant-identity-2069499/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Engagement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engagement/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Identity Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-duty-2069501/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-liberty-597131/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Loyalties Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalties-different-2069500/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [Multiculturalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multiculturalism/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Respective Loyalties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respective-loyalties-2069502/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Tendencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendencies/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) ## Related quotes > [“In order to keep our freedom, we must place out of bounds all those things that would enslave us. 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Henry III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-henry-iii/) > [“Failing to be American (The Sonnet) I've tried to rekindle the American sentiment of my early days of writing, but in vain. Once you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/failing-to-be-american-the-sonnet-i-ve-tried-to-rekindle-the-american/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Multiculturalism means your kid has to learn some wretched tribal dirge for the school holiday concert instead of getting to sing 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/multiculturalism-means-your-kid-has-to-learn-some-wretched-tribal/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [“We have never even begun to understand a people until we have found something that we do not understand. So long as we find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/we-have-never-even-begun-to-understand-a-people-until-we-have-found/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Don't assume you understand Naskar (Sonnet 2972) Naskar Science is Naskar Theology is Naskar Poetry is Naskar Philosophy - and do not even dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/don-t-assume-you-understand-naskar-sonnet-2972-naskar-science-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I think that the global consciousness concerning all those elements that produce tension, fractions of societies, is changing in the sense that we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilberto-gil/i-think-that-the-global-consciousness-concerning-all-those-elements/) [Gilberto Gil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilberto-gil/) > [“Don't place me in the lineage of your tribal white giants, they were cute little smart kids, but that's all, my peers of heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/don-t-place-me-in-the-lineage-of-your-tribal-white-giants-they-were/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“Broken polyglots are potent polyglots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/broken-polyglots-are-potent-polyglots/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Pilgrim of the heart, oneness in our vein - love is the revolution, Human is the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/pilgrim-of-the-heart-oneness-in-our-vein-love-is-the-revolution-human/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) ## 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 Arbitrary quotes > [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/) [John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/) > [I do think that theater is a great venue for science fiction, and not just adaptations but also original work. I also think some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-do-think-that-theater-is-a-great-venue-for-science-fiction-and-not/) [Edward Einhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-einhorn/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [Not to be offensive, not to be capricious, not to be arbitrary, not to be neurotic, not to be an actor outer, you're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/not-to-be-offensive-not-to-be-capricious-not-to-be-arbitrary-not-to/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I don't concern myself with thinking ahead to the finished product. I focus more specifically on what the character is experiencing. Once you relieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-don-t-concern-myself-with-thinking-ahead-to-the-finished-product-i/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [Habit is altogether too arbitrary a master for me to submit to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/habit-is-altogether-too-arbitrary-a-master-for-me-to-submit-to/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [I look back, now, and I know that the naming moment, which seemed so insignificant then, which seemed to demand no more than an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/i-look-back-now-and-i-know-that-the-naming-moment-which-seemed-so/) [Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Contrary to what certain governments say, human rights are universal. Arbitrary detention, torture and discrimination hurt the human dignity of anybody, whatever his or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/contrary-to-what-certain-governments-say-human-rights-are-universal/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [What causes adolescents to rebel is not the assertion of authority but the arbitrary use of power, with little explanation of the rules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-steinberg/what-causes-adolescents-to-rebel-is-not-the-assertion-of-authority/) [Laurence Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-steinberg/) > [There is something on earth greater than arbitrary or despotic power. The lightning has its power, and the whirlwind has its power, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/there-is-something-on-earth-greater-than-arbitrary-or-despotic-power/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [“nothing is arbitrary in this whole world, there is a good reason behind each and everything…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-kumar/nothing-is-arbitrary-in-this-whole-world-there-is-a-good-reason/) [Nikhil Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-kumar/) > [Fundamentally, adopting rules without any estimate of the impact is the height of arbitrary decision-making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-rielly/fundamentally-adopting-rules-without-any-estimate-of-the-impact-is/) [Michael O'Rielly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-rielly/) > [No arbitrary regulation, no act of the legislature, can add anything to the capital of the country; it can only force it into artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ramsay-mcculloch/no-arbitrary-regulation-no-act-of-the-legislature-can-add-anything-to/) [John Ramsay McCulloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ramsay-mcculloch/) > [But the desire of obtaining the advantages, and of escaping the burthens, of political society, is a perpetual and inexhaustible source of discord; nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/but-the-desire-of-obtaining-the-advantages-and-of-escaping-the/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) [Browse all 529 Arbitrary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbitrary/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of one dominant ‘identity’ (‘this is your duty as an American’, ‘you must commit these acts as a Muslim’, or ‘as a Chinese you should give priority to this national engagement’) is not only an imposition of an external and arbitrary priority, but also the denial of an important liberty of a person who can decide on their respective loyalties to different groups (to all of which he or she belongs).", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amartya Sen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-people-in-terms-of-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arbitrary" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-people-in-terms-of-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7a/amartya-sen-2518_arbitrary_the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-p_1805483.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The increasing tendency towards seeing people in terms of one dominant ‘identity’ (‘this is your duty as an…” — 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": "The increasing tendency towards seeing people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-people-in-terms-of-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/the-increasing-tendency-towards-seeing-people-in-terms-of-one/#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 } } ] } ```