--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You ask why London has to 'stand for'…" description: "\"You ask why London has to 'stand for' anything. One response is that in fact it always inevitably does. One could say at the moment it stands for a com..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fb/doreen-massey-50691_arguing_you-ask-why-london-has-to-stand-for-anyt_1092924.jpg" --- # You ask why London has to 'stand for' anything. One… ![“You ask why London has to 'stand for' anything. One response is that in fact it always inevitably does. One could say at the moment it stands for a complex mix of multiculturalism and financial power. Interestingly, that is a political mix of progressive and oppressive. What I'm arguing is simply…” quote by Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fb/doreen-massey-50691_arguing_you-ask-why-london-has-to-stand-for-anyt_1092924.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fb/doreen-massey-50691_arguing_you-ask-why-london-has-to-stand-for-anyt_1092924.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fb/doreen-massey-50691_arguing_you-ask-why-london-has-to-stand-for-anyt_1092924.jpg) > “You ask why London has to 'stand for' anything. One response is that in fact it always inevitably does. One could say at the moment it stands for a complex mix of multiculturalism and financial power. Interestingly, that is a political mix of progressive and oppressive. What I'm arguing is simply that we should take responsibility for the effects of 'our place' around the world. To take responsibility for our embeddedness. If you don't want to, so be it. It does demand an imaginative engagement with our planetary interdependence and that can be quite challenging.” [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We must recognize that places carry political, cultural, and economic meanings, and we are responsible for their global impact. **In simple terms:** Places have meanings and responsibilities. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and act on your place’s influence. Themes responsibility place global interdependence Mood reflective concerned Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - urban planning - international relations - community activism - policy making Key Concepts political geography social embeddedness Questions to Reflect On - How does your location affect others? - What actions can mitigate negative impacts? A Different Perspective Responsibility can be limited by structural power imbalances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Engagement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engagement/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Imaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative/) [Interdependence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interdependence/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Multiculturalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multiculturalism/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Taking responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-responsibility/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“For remember, that it is altogether your world now. You and all the rest. We have delivered you from evil, but the evil that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cooper/for-remember-that-it-is-altogether-your-world-now-you-and-all-the/) [Susan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cooper/) > [“You don’t always have to take it all on, either, you know. The weight of the world. The responsibility for everyone else’s problems. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-day/you-don-t-always-have-to-take-it-all-on-either-you-know-the-weight-of/) [Alyssa Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-day/) > [I am a believer that if you bring children into this world, then you have a responsibility to do your best and support and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/i-am-a-believer-that-if-you-bring-children-into-this-world-then-you/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [The only way we can change our world is to take responsibility for our part in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-bermingham/the-only-way-we-can-change-our-world-is-to-take-responsibility-for/) [Rachael Bermingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-bermingham/) > [Education is the best way to train ourselves that we will secure our own well-being by concerning ourselves with others. It is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/education-is-the-best-way-to-train-ourselves-that-we-will-secure-our/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Left to my own devices, my first inclination is to mess in other people's lives. I secretly believe my whole family, and really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/left-to-my-own-devices-my-first-inclination-is-to-mess-in-other/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“To make good environmental decision, we must stop focusing on trying to remove or undo human influence, on turning back time or freezing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/to-make-good-environmental-decision-we-must-stop-focusing-on-trying/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) > [The world is our responsibility. We cannot evade it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/the-world-is-our-responsibility-we-cannot-evade-it/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [“Now especially since man has the strength to destroy the world, it is the responsibility of man to keep it alive, in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cooper/now-especially-since-man-has-the-strength-to-destroy-the-world-it-is/) [Susan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cooper/) > [All that means to me is that people who have a vision of a better world have a responsibility to open their eyes, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/all-that-means-to-me-is-that-people-who-have-a-vision-of-a-better/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Why are all these refugees rushing to the beauty and strength of Europe and to the United States and not rushing to their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-flynn/why-are-all-these-refugees-rushing-to-the-beauty-and-strength-of/) [Michael T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-flynn/) > [We do not have to accept the world as we find it. And we have a responsibility to leave our world a better place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/we-do-not-have-to-accept-the-world-as-we-find-it-and-we-have-a/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [If you bring a child into the world, you have a responsibility to that child in every sense of the word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-r-jaffe/if-you-bring-a-child-into-the-world-you-have-a-responsibility-to-that/) [Stanley R. Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-r-jaffe/) > [“One small shift in the way we each conduct ourselves, and the crystal lattice structure of the world is already different. In this way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-small-shift-in-the-way-we-each-conduct-ourselves-and-the-crystal/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## More by Doreen Massey > [For me, places are articulations of 'natural' and social relations, relations that are not fully contained within the place itself. So, first, places are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/for-me-places-are-articulations-of-natural-and-social-relations/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) > [Our overvaluation of speed (time here as only money) has robbed us of many things that are at least equally precious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/our-overvaluation-of-speed-time-here-as-only-money-has-robbed-us-of/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) > [If time is the dimension of change, then space is the dimension of coexisting difference. And that is both a source of nourishment (something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/if-time-is-the-dimension-of-change-then-space-is-the-dimension-of/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) > [Much of life for many people, even in the heart of the First World, still consists of waiting in a bus shelter with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/much-of-life-for-many-people-even-in-the-heart-of-the-first-world/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) > [The problem with the finance sector is not that it has crashed (though that has done enormous damage around the world) but the damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/the-problem-with-the-finance-sector-is-not-that-it-has-crashed-though/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) > [Incidentally, I don't think there is a non-adjectival 'globalisation'. What we have now is a particular form: dominated by finance and multinational corporations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-massey/incidentally-i-don-t-think-there-is-a-non-adjectival-globalisation/) [Doreen Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) [Explore all 7 Doreen Massey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-massey/) ## More Arguing quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You ask why London has to 'stand for' anything. One response is that in fact it always inevitably does. One could say at the moment it stands for a complex mix of multiculturalism and financial power. Interestingly, that is a political mix of progressive and oppressive. 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