--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life in Britain had seemed like one long…" description: "\"“Life in Britain had seemed like one long antechamber to a room that had too many barriers to entry; here in the USA it seemed to be true that if you d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/christopher-hitchens-117_america_life-in-britain-had-seemed-like-one-long_2946854.jpg" --- # Life in Britain had seemed like one long antechamber to a… ![“Life in Britain had seemed like one long antechamber to a room that had too many barriers to entry; here in the USA it seemed to be true that if you dared to give things 'your best shot' then the other much-used phrases like 'land of opportunity' would kick in as well.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/christopher-hitchens-117_america_life-in-britain-had-seemed-like-one-long_2946854.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/christopher-hitchens-117_america_life-in-britain-had-seemed-like-one-long_2946854.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70e/christopher-hitchens-117_america_life-in-britain-had-seemed-like-one-long_2946854.jpg) > ““Life in Britain had seemed like one long antechamber to a room that had too many barriers to entry; here in the USA it seemed to be true that if you dared to give things 'your best shot' then the other much-used phrases like 'land of opportunity' would kick in as well.”” [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. Britain feels restrictive, while the US promises opportunity for those who try hard. **In simple terms:** Britain seemed closed; US seemed open to effort. Key Takeaway Seek opportunities actively. Themes culture immigration opportunity Mood critical reflective Type political social When to use this quote - career moves - education - entrepreneurship Key Concepts social mobility American Dream Questions to Reflect On - What barriers did you face in Britain? - How does effort translate to success in the US? A Different Perspective Opportunity may be unevenly distributed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Barriers Entry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers-entry-617845/) [Best shot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-shot/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Britain Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain-like-342098/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-britain-1001187/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [Coronavirus has challenged daily life in Britain in a way not seen for generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alok-sharma/coronavirus-has-challenged-daily-life-in-britain-in-a-way-not-seen/) [Alok Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alok-sharma/) > [If we don't like modern Britain, then it is very unlikely that modern Britain will like us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/if-we-don-t-like-modern-britain-then-it-is-very-unlikely-that-modern/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In America, it's quite admirable if someone's done well or been successful at whatever it is. Whereas in Britain, they're not. They only like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aphex-twin/in-america-it-s-quite-admirable-if-someone-s-done-well-or-been/) [Aphex Twin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aphex-twin/) > [People in America, when listening to radio, like to lean forward. People in Britain like to lean back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-cooke/people-in-america-when-listening-to-radio-like-to-lean-forward-people/) [Alistair Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-cooke/) > [There is an important distinction between barriers to entry and barriers to imitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-k-prahalad/there-is-an-important-distinction-between-barriers-to-entry-and/) [C. K. Prahalad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-k-prahalad/) > [Broadband eliminates so many barriers to entry for so many different people that it's actually become a barrier to entry in and of itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-powell/broadband-eliminates-so-many-barriers-to-entry-for-so-many-different/) [Michael K. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-powell/) > [The history of the ticketing business was about barriers to entry, which kept Ticketmaster protected. 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A thriller would be something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayma-mays/i-love-britain-i-d-like-to-work-there-maybe-a-bbc-crime-show-i-love/) [Jayma Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayma-mays/) > [The E.U. without Britain is like fish without chips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-leadsom/the-e-u-without-britain-is-like-fish-without-chips/) [Andrea Leadsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-leadsom/) > [They don't think we're in touch with modern Britain, or understand modern Britain or like modern Britain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-maude/they-don-t-think-we-re-in-touch-with-modern-britain-or-understand/) [Francis Maude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-maude/) > [No one can be in any doubt that Britain is becoming more like Europe, though few in an increasingly economically illiterate media seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-neil/no-one-can-be-in-any-doubt-that-britain-is-becoming-more-like-europe/) [Andrew Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-neil/) > [“This is what you get when you found a political system on the family values of Henry VIII. 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And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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