Believe Quote by George Saunders
![“While writing this book [Lincoln in the Bardo], [idea of inclusion] occurred to me, you either believe in the Constitution or you don't. If you do, it's intense in what it wants of us.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/367/george-saunders-317_believe_while-writing-this-book-lincoln-in-the-b_2048122.jpg)
“While writing this book [Lincoln in the Bardo], [idea of inclusion] occurred to me, you either believe in the Constitution or you don't. If you do, it's intense in what it wants of us.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders, 2017
The book challenges readers to consider whether they truly uphold constitutional ideals, demanding intense personal commitment.
In simple terms: Believe in the Constitution or not.
Key Takeaway
Commit to constitutional values.
Themes
civic duty
literature
political philosophy
Mood
inspirational
provocative
Type
literary
political
When to use this quote
- public service
- legal studies
- activism
- community organizing
Key Concepts
constitution
moral responsibility
national identity
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you feel the Constitution demands personal sacrifice?
- How does literature shape civic engagement?
A Different Perspective
May alienate those skeptical of national narratives.
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![“Whole swaths of the book [Lincoln in the Bardo] are made up of verbatim quotes from various historical sources, which I cut up and rearranged to form part of the narrative.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f08/george-saunders-317_book_whole-swaths-of-the-book-lincoln-in-the_1268701.jpg)
![“As the writer of this book [Lincoln in the Bardo], what I loved was the feeling of having so many surprises come at the end that I hadn't really planned or planted.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/869/george-saunders-317_book_as-the-writer-of-this-book-lincoln-in-th_507145.jpg)
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![“The last page of [Lincoln in the Bardo] - without giving too much away - involves somebody entering somebody else. Not in a sexual way. But it says one of the simplest things you could ever say, which is that we must try and be inside each other. We must have some kind of feeling for each other…” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bae/zadie-smith-584_entering_the-last-page-of-lincoln-in-the-bardo-wi_1986495.jpg)
![“Something in me was changed by Lincoln in the Bardo, and the great sublime/grotesque risk of [George Saunders'] ghosts was a part of it.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c50/zadie-smith-584_changed_something-in-me-was-changed-by-lincoln-i_2919261.jpg)
