--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you say you're a unifier, you expect…" description: "\"“If you say you're a unifier, you expect and usually get applause. I'm a divider. Politics is division by definition, if there was no disagreement ther..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/961/christopher-hitchens-117_politics_if-you-say-you-re-a-unifier-you-expect-a_1603017.jpg" --- # If you say you're a unifier, you expect and usually get… ![“If you say you're a unifier, you expect and usually get applause. I'm a divider. Politics is division by definition, if there was no disagreement there would be no politics. The illusion of unity isn't worth having, and is anyways unattainable.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/961/christopher-hitchens-117_politics_if-you-say-you-re-a-unifier-you-expect-a_1603017.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/961/christopher-hitchens-117_politics_if-you-say-you-re-a-unifier-you-expect-a_1603017.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/961/christopher-hitchens-117_politics_if-you-say-you-re-a-unifier-you-expect-a_1603017.jpg) > ““If you say you're a unifier, you expect and usually get applause. I'm a divider. Politics is division by definition, if there was no disagreement there would be no politics. The illusion of unity isn't worth having, and is anyways unattainable.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hitchens claims that division is inherent to politics; seeking unity is unrealistic and possibly harmful. **In simple terms:** Politics thrives on disagreement. Key Takeaway Accept division as natural. Themes politics division truth Mood skeptical provocative Type philosophical political When to use this quote - campaign strategy - policy debate - public discourse - conflict resolution Key Concepts dialectical method political realism Questions to Reflect On - Is unity ever beneficial in politics? - How can we manage division constructively? A Different Perspective Attempting forced unity can suppress necessary dissent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“Politics was an illusion of service that cloaked the corruption of power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/politics-was-an-illusion-of-service-that-cloaked-the-corruption-of/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [To my great disappointment, it appears that the politics of division are making a big comeback. Many Americans share my disappointment - especially those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/to-my-great-disappointment-it-appears-that-the-politics-of-division/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [The politics of personal destruction, the politics of division, the politics of fear, it's all there. 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Over the course of a long friendship, you might fight with your friend, even get angry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-reilly/a-friend-s-loyalty-lasts-longer-than-their-memory-over-the-course-of/) [Matthew Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-reilly/) > [“I know quite well why I became a historian… It was because dissension was frowned upon when I was a child: 'Don't argue, Claudia,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/i-know-quite-well-why-i-became-a-historian-it-was-because-dissension/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. 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