--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everywhere I go - from villages outside…" description: "\"Everywhere I go - from villages outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, to community centers in Amman, Jordan, to offices at the State Department in Washington, D.C...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg" --- # Everywhere I go - from villages outside Kandy, Sri Lanka… ![“Everywhere I go - from villages outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, to community centers in Amman, Jordan, to offices at the State Department in Washington, D.C. - I find people with a similar story. When thousands of people discover that their story is also someone else's story, they have the chance to…” quote by Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg) > “Everywhere I go - from villages outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, to community centers in Amman, Jordan, to offices at the State Department in Washington, D.C. - I find people with a similar story. When thousands of people discover that their story is also someone else's story, they have the chance to write a new story together.” [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing common experiences unites people, enabling collaborative creation of new narratives. **In simple terms:** Shared stories bring people together to create new futures. Key Takeaway Seek common ground and co‑author change. Themes community storytelling collaboration identity change Mood hopeful inspired reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - community workshops - cross‑cultural dialogues - policy forums - educational programs Key Concepts social identity narrative theory collective action Questions to Reflect On - How can we identify the core commonalities in diverse experiences? - What obstacles arise when trying to merge personal narratives? A Different Perspective If stories differ too much, finding a shared thread can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Community centers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-centers/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sri lanka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sri-lanka/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Village](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/village/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When thousands of people discover that their story is also someone else's story, they have the chance to write a new story together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/when-thousands-of-people-discover-that-their-story-is-also-someone/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [Life is a chance, a story is a chance. That I am here is a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-vizenor/life-is-a-chance-a-story-is-a-chance-that-i-am-here-is-a-chance/) Gerald Vizenor > [“Any life isn't just a story; it's thousands of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/any-life-isn-t-just-a-story-it-s-thousands-of-them/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [You can't tell the story of the thousands of people whose lives were destroyed by Bernie Madoff because there are thousands of stories. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/you-can-t-tell-the-story-of-the-thousands-of-people-whose-lives-were/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [My story is the story of thousands of children from around the world. I hope it inspires others to stand up for their rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/my-story-is-the-story-of-thousands-of-children-from-around-the-world/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [ A Christian state should be established \[in Lebanon\], with its southern border on the Litani river. We will make an alliance with it. When… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/a-christian-state-should-be-established-in-lebanon-with-its-southern/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [We have received unconfirmed reports out of our embassy in Amman in Jordan that two Indonesian nationals, or precisely two Indonesian reporters ... have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-natalegawa/we-have-received-unconfirmed-reports-out-of-our-embassy-in-amman-in/) [Marty Natalegawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-natalegawa/) > [The Amman Agreement failed because there was American pressure, and Israeli pressure, on Jordan to deal alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasser-arafat/the-amman-agreement-failed-because-there-was-american-pressure-and/) [Yasser Arafat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasser-arafat/) > [You know, if you want to meet a lot of Iraqi leaders, the best places are the hotels in Amman or in London. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/you-know-if-you-want-to-meet-a-lot-of-iraqi-leaders-the-best-places/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Some of you may know my story: How for nineteen years, I worked as a manager for a tire plant in Alabama. And some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-ledbetter/some-of-you-may-know-my-story-how-for-nineteen-years-i-worked-as-a/) [Lilly Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilly-ledbetter/) > [There were many African Americans - many, many stories similar to my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudette-colvin/there-were-many-african-americans-many-many-stories-similar-to-my/) [Claudette Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudette-colvin/) > [We're trying to set up a movie for me in the near future. It's going to be similar to the story of how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/we-re-trying-to-set-up-a-movie-for-me-in-the-near-future-it-s-going/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) > ['Korra' is its own series. Obviously it's tied in, in the same world, a similar story, but it's not just 'Book Four' of 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-konietzko/korra-is-its-own-series-obviously-it-s-tied-in-in-the-same-world-a/) [Bryan Konietzko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-konietzko/) > [But nearly every woman I know has a roughly similar story - in fact, dozens of them: stories about being obsessed with a celebrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/but-nearly-every-woman-i-know-has-a-roughly-similar-story-in-fact/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [I am hard-pressed to find a successful writer who doesn't have a similar story to mine - transformation through the public library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-am-hard-pressed-to-find-a-successful-writer-who-doesn-t-have-a/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) ## More by Eboo Patel > [Finding Mecca in America weaves social theory and concrete ethnography into a significant contribution on Muslims in the United States, illuminating broader questions about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/finding-mecca-in-america-weaves-social-theory-and-concrete/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [I think that we live in a remarkably networked world. The problem with that, of course, is that tensions can travel in nanoseconds across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/i-think-that-we-live-in-a-remarkably-networked-world-the-problem-with/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [“In one of the moments when my father was feeling especially righteous about his “Muslim-ness,” I overheard him expressing concern to my mother that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/in-one-of-the-moments-when-my-father-was-feeling-especially-righteous/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [We have to build bridges that are stronger than the bombs that other people might throw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/we-have-to-build-bridges-that-are-stronger-than-the-bombs-that-other/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [Religious pluralism is neither mere coexistence nor forced consensus. It is a form of proactive cooperation that affirms the identity of the constituent communities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/religious-pluralism-is-neither-mere-coexistence-nor-forced-consensus/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [“I realized that it was precisely because of America’s glaring imperfections that I should seek to participate in its progress, carve a place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/i-realized-that-it-was-precisely-because-of-america-s-glaring/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [A social entrepreneur is somebody who knows how to make an idea reality, and one of the great ideas of our time is pluralism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/a-social-entrepreneur-is-somebody-who-knows-how-to-make-an-idea/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [Show me a religion that doesn't care about compassion. Show me a religion that doesn't care about stewardship of the environment. Show me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/show-me-a-religion-that-doesn-t-care-about-compassion-show-me-a/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [To see the other side, to defend another people, not despite your tradition but because of it, is the heart of pluralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/to-see-the-other-side-to-defend-another-people-not-despite-your/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [When thousands of people discover that their story is also someone else's story, they have the chance to write a new story together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/when-thousands-of-people-discover-that-their-story-is-also-someone/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [Religious extremists want to show us that the only possibility is for us to kill each other, so September 11 is not only heinous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/religious-extremists-want-to-show-us-that-the-only-possibility-is-for/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [I as a Muslim believe deeply in the differences that are within Islam. But I also take seriously the idea that we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/i-as-a-muslim-believe-deeply-in-the-differences-that-are-within-islam/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [I thought about the meaning of pluralism in a world where the forces that seek to divide us are strong. I came to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/i-thought-about-the-meaning-of-pluralism-in-a-world-where-the-forces/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [Too many people think that the faith line divides Muslims and Christians or Jews and Hindus, or just to say that there is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/too-many-people-think-that-the-faith-line-divides-muslims-and/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) > [A social entrepreneur is somebody who knows how to make an idea reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/a-social-entrepreneur-is-somebody-who-knows-how-to-make-an-idea-2/) [Eboo Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) [Explore all 30 Eboo Patel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/) ## More Amman quotes > [We have received unconfirmed reports out of our embassy in Amman in Jordan that two Indonesian nationals, or precisely two Indonesian reporters ... have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-natalegawa/we-have-received-unconfirmed-reports-out-of-our-embassy-in-amman-in/) [Marty Natalegawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-natalegawa/) > [ A Christian state should be established \[in Lebanon\], with its southern border on the Litani river. We will make an alliance with it. When… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ben-gurion/a-christian-state-should-be-established-in-lebanon-with-its-southern/) [David Ben-Gurion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ben-gurion/) > [You know, if you want to meet a lot of Iraqi leaders, the best places are the hotels in Amman or in London. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/you-know-if-you-want-to-meet-a-lot-of-iraqi-leaders-the-best-places/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [The Amman Agreement failed because there was American pressure, and Israeli pressure, on Jordan to deal alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasser-arafat/the-amman-agreement-failed-because-there-was-american-pressure-and/) [Yasser Arafat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasser-arafat/) Browse all 5 Amman quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Everywhere I go - from villages outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, to community centers in Amman, Jordan, to offices at the State Department in Washington, D.C. - I find people with a similar story. When thousands of people discover that their story is also someone else's story, they have the chance to write a new story together.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eboo Patel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-kandy-sri-lanka-to-community/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amman" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-kandy-sri-lanka-to-community/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0f/eboo-patel-20781_amman_everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-ka_1335190.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Everywhere I go - from villages outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, to community centers in Amman, Jordan, to offices…” — Eboo Patel", "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": "Eboo Patel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eboo-patel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Everywhere I go - from villages...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-kandy-sri-lanka-to-community/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eboo-patel/everywhere-i-go-from-villages-outside-kandy-sri-lanka-to-community/#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 } } ] } ```