--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing for which we can combine…" description: "\"The only thing for which we can combine is the underlying ideal of Socialism; justice and liberty. But it is hardly strong enough to call this ideal un..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/george-orwell-57_buried_the-only-thing-for-which-we-can-combine_326616.jpg" --- # The only thing for which we can combine is the underlying… ![“The only thing for which we can combine is the underlying ideal of Socialism; justice and liberty. But it is hardly strong enough to call this ideal underlying. It is almost completely forgotten. It has been buried beneath layer after layer of doctnaire priggishness, party squabbles and…” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/george-orwell-57_buried_the-only-thing-for-which-we-can-combine_326616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/george-orwell-57_buried_the-only-thing-for-which-we-can-combine_326616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/george-orwell-57_buried_the-only-thing-for-which-we-can-combine_326616.jpg) > “The only thing for which we can combine is the underlying ideal of Socialism; justice and liberty. But it is hardly strong enough to call this ideal underlying. It is almost completely forgotten. It has been buried beneath layer after layer of doctnaire priggishness, party squabbles and half-backed progressivism until it is like a diamond hidden under a monition of dung. The job of the Socialist is to get it out again. Justice and liberty! Those are the words that have got to ring like a bugle across the world.” [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The core socialist ideal of justice and liberty has been obscured by bureaucracy, party infighting, and superficial reforms, needing revival like a hidden diamond. **In simple terms:** Justice and liberty are the true goals of socialism, now buried under corruption. Key Takeaway Revive and prioritize genuine justice and liberty. Themes socialism justice liberty politics corruption Mood hopeful critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political activism - policy reform - education - public discourse Key Concepts ideology reform historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can justice and liberty be concretely pursued today? - What obstacles prevent their realization? A Different Perspective Idealism may overlook practical challenges of implementation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diamond/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Progressivism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progressivism/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Socialist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialist/) [Squabbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/squabbles/) [Strong enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-enough/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“If one faces facts one must admit that nearly everything describable as Socialist literature is dull, tasteless, and bad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-one-faces-facts-one-must-admit-that-nearly-everything-describable/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [In my opinion nothing has contributed more to the corruption of the original idea of socialism as the belief that Russia is a socialist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-my-opinion-nothing-has-contributed-more-to-the-corruption-of-the/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The typical socialist... a prim little man with a white-collar job, usually a secret teetotaler and often with vegetarian leanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-typical-socialist-a-prim-little-man-with-a-white-collar-job/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“On the one hand you have the warm-hearted unthinking Socialist, the typical working-class Socialist, who only wants to abolish poverty and does not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/on-the-one-hand-you-have-the-warm-hearted-unthinking-socialist-the/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The high-water mark, so to speak, of Socialist literature is W.H. 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There are always messy squabbles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/campaigns-and-primaries-can-get-ugly-there-are-always-messy-squabbles/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle; ...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-myriad-of-men-are-born-they-labor-and-sweat-and-struggle-they/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by George Orwell > [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/) > [It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. 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