--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The interests we share as human beings…" description: "\"The interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.\" — Barack Obama" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg" --- # The interests we share as human beings are far more… ![“The interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg) > “The interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.” [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. Shared human values can bridge divisions, outweighing the forces that separate us. **In simple terms:** Common humanity unites Key Takeaway Focus on shared interests to reduce conflict. Themes unity humanity common ground division Mood hopeful optimistic Type political philosophical When to use this quote - community building - policy making - interpersonal dialogue Key Concepts social cohesion political polarization empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can we highlight shared values in polarized debates? - What actions foster genuine empathy? A Different Perspective Differences may still cause tension. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) ## Related quotes > [“All beings so far have created something beyond themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/all-beings-so-far-have-created-something-beyond-themselves/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [You and I possess manifold ideal bonds in the interests we share; but each of us has his poor body and his irremediable, incommunicable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/you-and-i-possess-manifold-ideal-bonds-in-the-interests-we-share-but/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [“The love of one individual is far more powerful than the hate of one million.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-ambu/the-love-of-one-individual-is-far-more-powerful-than-the-hate-of-one/) [Joan Ambu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-ambu/) > [As the number of studies increased, it became clear that writing was a far more powerful tool for healing than anyone had ever imagined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-pennebaker/as-the-number-of-studies-increased-it-became-clear-that-writing-was-a/) [James W. Pennebaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-pennebaker/) > [We have the ability to become far more powerful and happy and healthy than we ever dreamed possible. At any age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/we-have-the-ability-to-become-far-more-powerful-and-happy-and-healthy/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [The Truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-truth-is-far-more-powerful-than-any-weapon-of-mass-destruction/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [What you cannot see in the world is far more powerful than anything you can see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/what-you-cannot-see-in-the-world-is-far-more-powerful-than-anything/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [“In many ways,' answered the wizard. 'It is far more powerful than I ever dared to think at first, so powerful that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/in-many-ways-answered-the-wizard-it-is-far-more-powerful-than-i-ever/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [Never underestimate the value of knowing another's language. It can be far more powerful than swords and arrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/never-underestimate-the-value-of-knowing-another-s-language-it-can-be/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [A prayer couched in the words of the soul, is far more powerful than any ritual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-prayer-couched-in-the-words-of-the-soul-is-far-more-powerful-than/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Knowledge is far more powerful than any weapon,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-berry/knowledge-is-far-more-powerful-than-any-weapon/) [Steve Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-berry/) > [“Don Vito Corleone was a man to whom everybody came for help, and never were they disappointed. He made no empty promises, nor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/don-vito-corleone-was-a-man-to-whom-everybody-came-for-help-and-never/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“The simplicity of total trust is one of the most powerful forces in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-simplicity-of-total-trust-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-forces-in/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The Queen is by much the most powerful of the forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-staunton/the-queen-is-by-much-the-most-powerful-of-the-forces/) [Howard Staunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-staunton/) > [One of the most powerful forces in the world is the will of men and women who believe in themselves, who dare to hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-devos/one-of-the-most-powerful-forces-in-the-world-is-the-will-of-men-and/) [Richard DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-devos/) ## 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 Force quotes > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Above Coblentz almost every mountain has a ruin and a legend. One feels everywhere the spirit of the past, and its stirring recollections come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/above-coblentz-almost-every-mountain-has-a-ruin-and-a-legend-one/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [The one means that wins the easiest victory over reason is terror and force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-one-means-that-wins-the-easiest-victory-over-reason-is-terror-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Dictatorship is rule based directly upon force and unrestricted by any laws. The revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is rule won and maintained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/dictatorship-is-rule-based-directly-upon-force-and-unrestricted-by/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [The great force for forging a society into a solid mass has always been war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/the-great-force-for-forging-a-society-into-a-solid-mass-has-always/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) Segun Magbagbeola Browse all 10,458 Force quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-are-far-more-powerful-than-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Force" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-are-far-more-powerful-than-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/barack-obama-17_force_the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-a_379331.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.” — 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": "The interests we share as human...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-are-far-more-powerful-than-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-interests-we-share-as-human-beings-are-far-more-powerful-than-the/#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 } } ] } ```