--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America is never wholly herself unless…" description: "\"America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eda/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_america-is-never-wholly-herself-unless-s_433457.jpg" --- # America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in… ![“America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.” quote by George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eda/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_america-is-never-wholly-herself-unless-s_433457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eda/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_america-is-never-wholly-herself-unless-s_433457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eda/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_america-is-never-wholly-herself-unless-s_433457.jpg) > “America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.” [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nation stays true to itself only when it upholds high moral values, fostering kindness at home and gentleness abroad. **In simple terms:** A country must act morally to stay true. Key Takeaway Uphold moral principles daily. Themes ethics national identity compassion Mood reflective inspirational Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - community service - international diplomacy Key Concepts civic duty global responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence national ethics? - What actions show kindness at a societal level? A Different Perspective Moral ideals can clash with political pragmatism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Character education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-education/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philanthropy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropy/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/america-is-now-wholly-given-over-to-a-damned-mob-of-scribbling-women-3/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [An American-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein - and the replacement of the radical Baathist dictatorship with a new government more closely aligned with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/an-american-led-overthrow-of-saddam-hussein-and-the-replacement-of/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [We are a nation of communities... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/we-are-a-nation-of-communities-a-brilliant-diversity-spread-like/) [George H. 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(Stryder) I don’t believe is has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinley-macgregor/marriage-tis-an-unholy-union-between-two-people-and-for-what-purpose/) [Kinley MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinley-macgregor/) > [The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahbub-ul-haq/the-real-wealth-of-a-nation-is-its-people-and-the-purpose-of/) Mahbub ul Haq > [“I saw with my eyes people with and without purpose, people with the purpose know where they are going and the others follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/i-saw-with-my-eyes-people-with-and-without-purpose-people-with-the/) Deyth Banger > [People's purpose in life is always connected to their giftedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/people-s-purpose-in-life-is-always-connected-to-their-giftedness/) [John C. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [I firmly believed we should not march into Baghdad ...To occupy Iraq would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world against us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-firmly-believed-we-should-not-march-into-baghdad-to-occupy-iraq/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Ozone Man, Ozone. He's crazy, way out, far out, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/ozone-man-ozone-he-s-crazy-way-out-far-out-man/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [What's wrong with being a boring kind of guy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/what-s-wrong-with-being-a-boring-kind-of-guy/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [The liberation of Kuwait has begun. In conjunction with the forces of our coalition partners, the United States has moved under the code name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/the-liberation-of-kuwait-has-begun-in-conjunction-with-the-forces-of/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [The United States will continue its efforts to improve our understanding of climate change - to seek hard data, accurate models, and new ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/the-united-states-will-continue-its-efforts-to-improve-our/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [If you believe that there's a being superior to yourself and that will guide you, strengthen you that helps a lot but, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/if-you-believe-that-there-s-a-being-superior-to-yourself-and-that/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) [Explore all 239 George H. W. Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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