--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Freedom and diversity guard each other…" description: "\"Freedom and diversity guard each other, and if a country could form the whole of one's character, Napoleon III and Victor Hugo would have been the same..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg" --- # Freedom and diversity guard each other, and if a country… ![“Freedom and diversity guard each other, and if a country could form the whole of one's character, Napoleon III and Victor Hugo would have been the same person... if national identity means anything, it means something that comes with you wherever you go, and stays with you no matter how long you…” quote by Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg) > “Freedom and diversity guard each other, and if a country could form the whole of one's character, Napoleon III and Victor Hugo would have been the same person... if national identity means anything, it means something that comes with you wherever you go, and stays with you no matter how long you stay away.” [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom and diversity support each other; national identity is personal, not tied to a country. **In simple terms:** Freedom and diversity protect each other. Key Takeaway Embrace personal identity. Themes freedom diversity national identity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type political philosophical When to use this quote - immigration - cultural exchange - personal narrative Key Concepts political philosophy human rights Questions to Reflect On - What defines your identity beyond nationality? - How can societies honor both freedom and diversity? A Different Perspective May overlook collective identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Napoleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-napoleon-4016939/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-diversity-4016940/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Identity Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-means-2021610/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [National identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-identity/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [I would love to do the whole 'Anonymous General Manager' storyline again. The way it was supposed to turn out was that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hornswoggle/i-would-love-to-do-the-whole-anonymous-general-manager-storyline/) [Hornswoggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hornswoggle/) > [I think that identity means different things to different people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-torres/i-think-that-identity-means-different-things-to-different-people/) [Julio Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-torres/) > [Spiritual identity means we are not what we do or what people say about us. And we are not what we have. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/spiritual-identity-means-we-are-not-what-we-do-or-what-people-say/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Identity means "how do I get known? How do I expressmyself?" and that's generally what I'm helping somebody do. It may be three dimensional,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/identity-means-how-do-i-get-known-how-do-i-expressmyself-and-that-s/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I think it's pretty clear that the Internet as a whole has not had a strong notion of identity. And identity means, 'Who am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/i-think-it-s-pretty-clear-that-the-internet-as-a-whole-has-not-had-a/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [I've realized that a lot of people come to me because of what's called identity. In the sense of "he's like me" - more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-iyer/i-ve-realized-that-a-lot-of-people-come-to-me-because-of-what-s/) [Vijay Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-iyer/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [The essence of a class system is not that the privileged are conscious of their privileges, but that the deprived are conscious of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-essence-of-a-class-system-is-not-that-the-privileged-are/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Think about how our country was built. The greatness came from our diversity; the greatness came from individuals with different perspectives coming together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-murkowski/think-about-how-our-country-was-built-the-greatness-came-from-our/) [Lisa Murkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-murkowski/) > [The diversity of perspective, the unwillingness to generalise - those are good traits in countries as they are in art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dean/the-diversity-of-perspective-the-unwillingness-to-generalise-those/) [Michelle Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dean/) > [“But the alternative is the return to power of Labour. This is the party which did more than any other to wreck Britain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/but-the-alternative-is-the-return-to-power-of-labour-this-is-the/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [A waning United States would likely be more nationalistic, more defensive about its national identity, more paranoid about its homeland security, and less willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/a-waning-united-states-would-likely-be-more-nationalistic-more/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [“According to royal doctrine, the king’s role as defender of Egypt (and the whole of creation) involved the corresponding defeat of Egypt’s neighbors (who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-a-h-wilkinson/according-to-royal-doctrine-the-king-s-role-as-defender-of-egypt-and/) [Toby A.H. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-a-h-wilkinson/) > [Theatre has no national identity. It is something for the world, whether it is Irish, English, or French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-cusack/theatre-has-no-national-identity-it-is-something-for-the-world/) [Cyril Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-cusack/) > [People are less certain of their national identities or their place in the world. It starts looking different and disorienting. And there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-are-less-certain-of-their-national-identities-or-their-place/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Clive James > [Arnold Schwarzenegger looks like a brown condom full of walnuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/arnold-schwarzenegger-looks-like-a-brown-condom-full-of-walnuts/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [My wife spoke perfect Italian and she was very beautiful and very suave Italian men were crowding around her, talking all the time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/my-wife-spoke-perfect-italian-and-she-was-very-beautiful-and-very/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The streets, at least in this part of town, seemed impossibly clean in comparison to London. The public telephones were unvandalised. For a London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-streets-at-least-in-this-part-of-town-seemed-impossibly-clean-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [In London there was no home cooking worthy of the name. When you were in funds you ate out. But only the people whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/in-london-there-was-no-home-cooking-worthy-of-the-name-when-you-were/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Generally it is our failures that civilize us. Triumph confirms us in our habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/generally-it-is-our-failures-that-civilize-us-triumph-confirms-us-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [I try to be specific. One thought at a time. Clear. Articulate. And above all, memorable, if you can be. You'd like to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/i-try-to-be-specific-one-thought-at-a-time-clear-articulate-and-above/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Pound had argued - and Eliot had helped him prove - that a poem could be sustained by memorable moments. Olson proved that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/pound-had-argued-and-eliot-had-helped-him-prove-that-a-poem-could-be/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [A luxury liner is really just a bad play surrounded by water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-luxury-liner-is-really-just-a-bad-play-surrounded-by-water/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [One way or another, all the poets of the thirties and forties reacted to Auden, either by rejecting him or trying to absorb him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/one-way-or-another-all-the-poets-of-the-thirties-and-forties-reacted/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Little books are the things to write at my age, I've decided. Avoid the big ones, go for the little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/little-books-are-the-things-to-write-at-my-age-i-ve-decided-avoid-the/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [“Too many of my friends are dead, and others wrecked By various diseases of the intellect Or failing body. How am I still upright?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/too-many-of-my-friends-are-dead-and-others-wrecked-by-various/) [clive james](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [A sceptic finds Dallas absurd. A cynic thinks the public doesn't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/a-sceptic-finds-dallas-absurd-a-cynic-thinks-the-public-doesn-t/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The Canadian version of Julius Caesar's memoirs? I came, I saw, I coped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-canadian-version-of-julius-caesar-s-memoirs-i-came-i-saw-i-coped/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [“Rilke used to say that no poet would mind going to gaol, since he would at least have time to explore the treasure house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/rilke-used-to-say-that-no-poet-would-mind-going-to-gaol-since-he/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The thing about making a documentary in Las Vegas is there isn't much to film apart from other people making documentaries about Las Vegas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-thing-about-making-a-documentary-in-las-vegas-is-there-isn-t-much/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) [Explore all 151 Clive James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [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/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Freedom and diversity guard each other, and if a country could form the whole of one's character, Napoleon III and Victor Hugo would have been the same person... if national identity means anything, it means something that comes with you wherever you go, and stays with you no matter how long you stay away.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clive James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-and-if-a-country-could-form/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-and-if-a-country-could-form/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/clive-james-2750_character_freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-a_2884612.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Freedom and diversity guard each other, and if a country could form the whole of one's character, Napoleon…” — Clive James", "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": "Clive James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Freedom and diversity guard each other,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-and-if-a-country-could-form/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/freedom-and-diversity-guard-each-other-and-if-a-country-could-form/#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 } } ] } ```