--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never been much of a patriot. My…" description: "\"I have never been much of a patriot. My father would not have allowed such a thing while he lived, and his death insured that his wish was carried out...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/david-benioff-7307_affection_i-have-never-been-much-of-a-patriot-my-f_175240.jpg" --- # I have never been much of a patriot. My father would not… ![“I have never been much of a patriot. My father would not have allowed such a thing while he lived, and his death insured that his wish was carried out. Piter commanded far more affection and loyalty from me than the nation as a whole. But that night, running across the unplowed fields of winter…” quote by David Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/david-benioff-7307_affection_i-have-never-been-much-of-a-patriot-my-f_175240.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/david-benioff-7307_affection_i-have-never-been-much-of-a-patriot-my-f_175240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/david-benioff-7307_affection_i-have-never-been-much-of-a-patriot-my-f_175240.jpg) > “I have never been much of a patriot. My father would not have allowed such a thing while he lived, and his death insured that his wish was carried out. Piter commanded far more affection and loyalty from me than the nation as a whole. But that night, running across the unplowed fields of winter wheat, with the Fascist invaders behind us and the dark Russian woods before us, I felt a surge of pure love for my country. We ran for the forest, crashing through the stalks of wheat, beneath the rising moon and the stars spinning farther and farther away, alone beneath the godless sky.” [David Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benioff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In wartime, love for country can surge unexpectedly, even when loyalty lies elsewhere, driven by survival and shared struggle. **In simple terms:** War can spark sudden patriotism despite prior doubts. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected loyalty when needed. Themes war patriotism survival identity loyalty Mood intense poignant Type historical emotional When to use this quote - battlefield - family - national crisis - personal reflection Key Concepts human nature psychology conflict Questions to Reflect On - How does crisis reshape values? - Can such love persist peacefully? A Different Perspective Patriotism may be fleeting after conflict ends. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fascists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascists/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forests/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriot/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Pure love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-love/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Stalking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stalking/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) ## Related quotes > [“impulsive.  It wasn’t like him to do anything without a reasonable amount of thought, much less jump up in the middle of the night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-harmon/impulsive-it-wasn-t-like-him-to-do-anything-without-a-reasonable/) [Brian Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-harmon/) > [Night was running ahead of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-amado/night-was-running-ahead-of-itself/) [Jorge Amado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-amado/) > [There are some troubles from which mankind can never escape … have never claimed that liberty will bring perfection; they simply say that its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/there-are-some-troubles-from-which-mankind-can-never-escape-have/) [Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/) > [ It doesn't matter what we think we are there \[in Afghanistan\] for; it matters what they think. 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Make it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benioff/you-re-a-writer-make-it-up/) [David Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benioff/) > [Once you realise that heroes die, everything becomes that much more terrifying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-benioff/once-you-realise-that-heroes-die-everything-becomes-that-much-more/) [David Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benioff/) > [“She leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. 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My father would not have allowed such a thing while he lived, and his death insured that his wish was carried out. Piter commanded far more affection and loyalty from me than the nation as a whole. But that night, running across the unplowed fields of winter wheat, with the Fascist invaders behind us and the dark Russian woods before us, I felt a surge of pure love for my country. 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