--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nearly all the pressures from outside are…" description: "\"“Nearly all the pressures from outside are in terms of group beliefs, group needs, national needs, patriotism and the demands of local loyalties, such ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/doris-lessing-501_demands_nearly-all-the-pressures-from-outside-ar_1694276.png" --- # Nearly all the pressures from outside are in terms of… ![“Nearly all the pressures from outside are in terms of group beliefs, group needs, national needs, patriotism and the demands of local loyalties, such as to your city and local groups of all kinds. But more subtle and more demanding—more dangerous—are the pressures from inside, which demand that…” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/doris-lessing-501_demands_nearly-all-the-pressures-from-outside-ar_1694276.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/doris-lessing-501_demands_nearly-all-the-pressures-from-outside-ar_1694276.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/doris-lessing-501_demands_nearly-all-the-pressures-from-outside-ar_1694276.png) > ““Nearly all the pressures from outside are in terms of group beliefs, group needs, national needs, patriotism and the demands of local loyalties, such as to your city and local groups of all kinds. But more subtle and more demanding—more dangerous—are the pressures from inside, which demand that you should conform, and it is these that are the hardest to watch and to control.”” [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage contrasts external societal pressures with internal pressures to conform, noting the latter are harder to detect and control. **In simple terms:** Internal pressures to conform are subtle and hard to control. Key Takeaway Recognize and resist internal conformity. Themes conformity internal pressure social influence identity Mood analytical critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal decision making - political activism - cultural participation Key Concepts psychology sociology self-determination Questions to Reflect On - What internal cues signal conformity pressure? - How can you maintain authenticity? A Different Perspective It may understate the role of external forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ## Related quotes > [Patriotism demands of us sustained sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/patriotism-demands-of-us-sustained-sacrifice/) [Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/) > [“Patriotism never demands obedience to the state but rather obedience to the principles of liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/patriotism-never-demands-obedience-to-the-state-but-rather-obedience/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Patriotism demands the ability to feel shame as much as to feel pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-slaughter/patriotism-demands-the-ability-to-feel-shame-as-much-as-to-feel-pride/) [Anne-Marie Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-slaughter/) > [If you get a great wife who understands the demands of someone in athletics, I think that's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/if-you-get-a-great-wife-who-understands-the-demands-of-someone-in/) [Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/) > [For the actors, the talent is to serve the demands that I ask of them, to do it with naturality and truth, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/for-the-actors-the-talent-is-to-serve-the-demands-that-i-ask-of-them/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/can-there-be-a-love-which-does-not-make-demands-on-its-object/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Like their personal lives, women's history is fragmented, interrupted; a shadow history of human beings whose existence has been shaped by the efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/like-their-personal-lives-women-s-history-is-fragmented-interrupted-a/) [Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/) > [Every actor demands different things. 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