--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is that fundamental belief, it is that…" description: "\"It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg" --- # It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental… ![“It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg) > “It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Collective responsibility and unity enable individuals to pursue dreams while supporting one another. **In simple terms:** Unity and responsibility let us chase dreams together. Key Takeaway Embrace shared responsibility and unity. Themes unity responsibility community American identity Mood hopeful patriotic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - community service - national policy - family support - team projects Key Concepts civic duty political philosophy social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance individual freedom with collective duty? - What does “E pluribus unum” mean to you today? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on unity may suppress dissenting voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-family/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Belief Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-brother-2202732/) [Belief Fundamental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-fundamental-5206792/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Brother Keeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother-keeper-991742/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fundamental Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental-belief-1438772/) [Fundamentals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Keepers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keepers/) [My brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-brother/) [My sister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-sister/) [My sister 's keeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-sister-s-keeper/) [Pursue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursue/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Together as one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together-as-one/) [Working it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-it/) ## Related quotes > [ America's not just \[about\] looking out for yourself, it's not just about greed, it's not just about trying to climb to the very top… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/america-s-not-just-about-looking-out-for-yourself-it-s-not-just-about/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Your mother is not crazy. Neither, contrary to popular belief, is your brother. He is merely miscast in a play. He would have made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-mother-is-not-crazy-neither-contrary-to-popular-belief-is-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No, your mother... is not crazy. And neither, contrary to popular belief, is your brother crazy. He's merely miscast in a play. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/se-hinton/no-your-mother-is-not-crazy-and-neither-contrary-to-popular-belief-is/) [SE Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/se-hinton/) > [In too many communities, too many young men of color are left behind and seen only as objects of fear. Through initiatives like My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-too-many-communities-too-many-young-men-of-color-are-left-behind/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Andrew Cuomo own story taught Andrew Cuomo that as Americans, we are bound together as one people, and our country's success rests on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/andrew-cuomo-own-story-taught-andrew-cuomo-that-as-americans-we-are/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It is that promise that has always set this country apart-that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-that-promise-that-has-always-set-this-country-apart-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We are an American family and we rise and fall together as one nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-are-an-american-family-and-we-rise-and-fall-together-as-one-nation/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-government-should-work-for-us-not-against-us-it-should-help-us/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Rather than double-down on the top-down economics that let a fortunate few play by their own rules, let’s embrace an economic patriotism that says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/rather-than-double-down-on-the-top-down-economics-that-let-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Ultimately there is no dividing line between Main Street and Wall Street. We will rise or we will fall together as one nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/ultimately-there-is-no-dividing-line-between-main-street-and-wall/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In dealing with those nations that break rules and laws, I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-dealing-with-those-nations-that-break-rules-and-laws-i-believe/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I have a fundamental belief in the goodness and strength of the American worker. And the American worker is the most productive, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-have-a-fundamental-belief-in-the-goodness-and-strength-of-the/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“Because, despite our differences, we shared one fundamental belief: that there is more to this world than what’s visible on the surface.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-wade/because-despite-our-differences-we-shared-one-fundamental-belief-that/) [Jeremy Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-wade/) > [If I have a fundamental belief that the universe is created by God, then I also come to the belief that that universe reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/if-i-have-a-fundamental-belief-that-the-universe-is-created-by-god/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-is-our-fundamental-belief-in-the-power-of-hope-that-has-allowed-us/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More American family quotes > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [We want American families to feel more confident in life. We want the next generation to know that yes, the best days of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/we-want-american-families-to-feel-more-confident-in-life-we-want-the/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [“At the very same time that we witnessed the explosion of white celebrity moms, and the outpouring of advice to a surveillance of middle-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/at-the-very-same-time-that-we-witnessed-the-explosion-of-white/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) > [To my way of thinking, the American family started to decline when parents began to communicate with their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/to-my-way-of-thinking-the-american-family-started-to-decline-when/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [“We are taken through the pursuit of the American dream, the establishment of the American family, and a smattering of suspense and intrigue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-allgire/we-are-taken-through-the-pursuit-of-the-american-dream-the/) [Nikita Allgire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-allgire/) > [Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/now-we-have-black-and-white-elected-officials-working-together-today/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I was completely naive about the business of being an actor. My family didn't go to the theater or to the movies. We watched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-mcdormand/i-was-completely-naive-about-the-business-of-being-an-actor-my-family/) [Frances McDormand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-mcdormand/) > [“...when President Clinton, on the anniversary of his election, spoke in the church in Tennessee where Martin Luther King, Jr., had delivered his last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-himmelfarb/when-president-clinton-on-the-anniversary-of-his-election-spoke-in/) [Gertrude Himmelfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-himmelfarb/) > [We had a very upwardly mobile economy, and that peaked around the 1950s when the typical middle-class American family consisted of a father with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/we-had-a-very-upwardly-mobile-economy-and-that-peaked-around-the/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [The truth is that family values, as used by the American Family Association, Dan Quayle, and the southern Baptists, has nothing to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-sullivan/the-truth-is-that-family-values-as-used-by-the-american-family/) [Morris Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-sullivan/) > [When I was a kid I got so much help from the Church. When I was a kid, our family was so poor they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-woo/when-i-was-a-kid-i-got-so-much-help-from-the-church-when-i-was-a-kid/) [John Woo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-woo/) > [There is no institution more vital to our Nation's survival than the American family. Here the seeds of personal character are planted, the roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-institution-more-vital-to-our-nation-s-survival-than-the/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, yeah, my dad is white - he's American. His family has been in this country for many, many, many years. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/you-know-yeah-my-dad-is-white-he-s-american-his-family-has-been-in/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [I think health care reform is challenging and challenged. We will see what happens, but this is a difficult topic that touches every American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blunt/i-think-health-care-reform-is-challenging-and-challenged-we-will-see/) [Roy Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blunt/) > [You hear a lot of dialogue on the death of the American family. Families aren't dying. They're merging into big conglomerates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/you-hear-a-lot-of-dialogue-on-the-death-of-the-american-family/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) [Browse all 155 American family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that-fundamental-belief-i-am-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American family" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that-fundamental-belief-i-am-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bce/barack-obama-17_american-family_it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that_3072844.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s…” — Barack Obama", "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": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is that fundamental belief, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that-fundamental-belief-i-am-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-that-fundamental-belief-it-is-that-fundamental-belief-i-am-my/#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 } } ] } ```