--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nationalism always preserved this initial…" description: "\"“Nationalism always preserved this initial intimate loyalty to the government and never quite lost its function of preserving a precarious balance betw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/hannah-arendt-610_1968_nationalism-always-preserved-this-initia_51533.jpg" --- # Nationalism always preserved this initial intimate loyalty… ![“Nationalism always preserved this initial intimate loyalty to the government and never quite lost its function of preserving a precarious balance between nation and state on one hand, between the nationals of an atomized society on the other. Native citizens of a nation-state frequently looked…” quote by Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/hannah-arendt-610_1968_nationalism-always-preserved-this-initia_51533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/hannah-arendt-610_1968_nationalism-always-preserved-this-initia_51533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f6/hannah-arendt-610_1968_nationalism-always-preserved-this-initia_51533.jpg) > ““Nationalism always preserved this initial intimate loyalty to the government and never quite lost its function of preserving a precarious balance between nation and state on one hand, between the nationals of an atomized society on the other. Native citizens of a nation-state frequently looked down upon naturalized citizens, those who had received their rights by law and not by birth, from the state and not from the nation…”” [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nationalism balances loyalty to the state with a fragile tension between the collective nation and individual citizens, often marginalizing naturalized members. **In simple terms:** Nationalism mediates state‑citizen relations. Key Takeaway Loyalty vs. inclusion. Themes Identity Political Theory Citizenship Social Cohesion Exclusion Mood Analytical Reflective Type Philosophical Political When to use this quote - Debates on immigration policy - Analysis of nationalist rhetoric - Design of inclusive civic education - Comparative studies of citizenship models Key Concepts Nation‑state Loyalty Naturalization Social stratification Practical Applications - Policy brief on integration - Academic article on nationalism Questions to Reflect On - How does nationalism shape attitudes toward newcomers? - Can a nation maintain unity without excluding naturalized citizens? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1968](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1968-435/) [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Classism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classism/) [Imperialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperialism/) [Loyalty Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty-government-731803/) [Nation State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-state-487682/) [Nation-state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-state-129060/) [Nationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalism/) [Nationalism Preserved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalism-preserved-731802/) [Native Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-citizens-731804/) [Naturalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naturalization/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“The absolute monarch was supposed to serve the interests of the nation as a whole, to be the visible exponent and proof of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-absolute-monarch-was-supposed-to-serve-the-interests-of-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Naturalization, on the other hand, also proved to be a failure. The whole naturalization system of European countries fell apart when it was confronted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/naturalization-on-the-other-hand-also-proved-to-be-a-failure-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“In other words, they appeal to the state for protection, but the state is precisely that from which they require protection. To be protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/in-other-words-they-appeal-to-the-state-for-protection-but-the-state/) [Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/) > [“What imperialists actually wanted was expansion of political power without the foundation of the body politic. Imperialist expansion had been touched off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-imperialists-actually-wanted-was-expansion-of-political-power/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Equality of condition, though it is certainly a basic requirement for justice, is nevertheless among the greatest and most uncertain ventures of modern mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/equality-of-condition-though-it-is-certainly-a-basic-requirement-for/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“In other words, if a patent forgery like the " Protocols of the Elders of Zion " is believed by so many people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/in-other-words-if-a-patent-forgery-like-the-protocols-of-the-elders/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The temporary alliance between the elite and the mob rested largely on this genuine delight with which the former watched the latter destroy respectability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-temporary-alliance-between-the-elite-and-the-mob-rested-largely/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The fall of the protecting class walls transformed the slumbering majorities behind all parties into one great unorganized, structureless mass of furious individuals who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-fall-of-the-protecting-class-walls-transformed-the-slumbering/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“… the Nazis, without admitting it, learned as much from American gangster organizations as their propaganda, admittedly, learned from American business publicity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-nazis-without-admitting-it-learned-as-much-from-american-gangster/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“As far as the Jews were concerned, the transformation of the "crime" of Judaism into the fashionable "vice" of Jewishness was dangerous in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/as-far-as-the-jews-were-concerned-the-transformation-of-the-crime-of/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/loyalty-to-the-country-always-loyalty-to-the-government-when-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/loyalty-to-country-always-loyalty-to-government-when-it-deserves-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Why is patriotism thought to be blind loyalty to the government and the politicians who run it, rather than loyalty to the principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/why-is-patriotism-thought-to-be-blind-loyalty-to-the-government-and/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/loyalty-to-the-nation-all-the-time-loyalty-to-the-government-when-it/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Most of us in the media are, by and large, sentimental about our national identity, but comfortable enough in our skins as Indians, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkha-dutt/most-of-us-in-the-media-are-by-and-large-sentimental-about-our/) [Barkha Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkha-dutt/) ## More by Hannah Arendt > [“It means, first, that everything that appears in public can be seen and heard by everybody and has the widest possible publicity. For us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/it-means-first-that-everything-that-appears-in-public-can-be-seen-and/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Without being forgiven, released from the consequences of what we have done, our capacity to act would, as it were, be confined to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/without-being-forgiven-released-from-the-consequences-of-what-we-have/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [What really distinguishes this generation in all countries from earlier generations ... is its determination to act, its joy in action, the assurance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-really-distinguishes-this-generation-in-all-countries-from/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [The practice of violence, like all action, changes the world, but the most probable change is a more violent world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-practice-of-violence-like-all-action-changes-the-world-but-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [There is all the difference in the world between the criminal's avoiding the public eye and the civil disobedience's taking the law into his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/there-is-all-the-difference-in-the-world-between-the-criminal-s/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“What imperialists actually wanted was expansion of political power without the foundation of the body politic. Imperialist expansion had been touched off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-imperialists-actually-wanted-was-expansion-of-political-power/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [the greater the bureaucratization of public life, the greater will be the attraction of violence. In a fully developed bureaucracy there is nobody left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-greater-the-bureaucratization-of-public-life-the-greater-will-be/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/forgiveness-is-the-key-to-action-and-freedom/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Death not merely ends life, it also bestows upon it a silent completeness, snatched from the hazardous flux to which all things human are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/death-not-merely-ends-life-it-also-bestows-upon-it-a-silent/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil; but only the hypocrite is really rotten to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/only-crime-and-the-criminal-it-is-true-confront-us-with-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [We have almost succeeded in leveling all human activities to the common denominator of securing the necessities of life and providing for their abundance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/we-have-almost-succeeded-in-leveling-all-human-activities-to-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Totalitarian politics—far from being simply antisemitic or racist or imperialist or communist—use and abuse their own ideological and political elements until the basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/totalitarian-politics-far-from-being-simply-antisemitic-or-racist-or/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“It is like the distinction between war and peace: just as war takes place for the sake of peace, thus every kind of activity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/it-is-like-the-distinction-between-war-and-peace-just-as-war-takes/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [Every end in history necessarily contains a new beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/every-end-in-history-necessarily-contains-a-new-beginning/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [The end of rebellion is liberation, while the end of revolution is the foundation of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-end-of-rebellion-is-liberation-while-the-end-of-revolution-is-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) [Explore all 405 Hannah Arendt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) ## More 1968 quotes > [“...you are strong only as long as you don't deprive people of everything . For a person you've taken everything from is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/you-are-strong-only-as-long-as-you-don-t-deprive-people-of-everything/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“What imperialists actually wanted was expansion of political power without the foundation of the body politic. Imperialist expansion had been touched off by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-imperialists-actually-wanted-was-expansion-of-political-power/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Once," he added, "you told me that the seeking counts more than the finding. So, too, must the striving count more than the gain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/once-he-added-you-told-me-that-the-seeking-counts-more-than-the/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [“It is a human characteristic, which has been richly exploited in every era, that while hope of survival is still alive in a man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-is-a-human-characteristic-which-has-been-richly-exploited-in-every/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Very often the test of one's allegiance to a cause or to a people is precisely the willingness to stay the course when things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/very-often-the-test-of-one-s-allegiance-to-a-cause-or-to-a-people-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“No one, even as a joke, could call a member of the all-Union Communist Party a Neo-Hegelian, a Neo-Kantian, a Subjectivist, an Agnostic, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/no-one-even-as-a-joke-could-call-a-member-of-the-all-union-communist/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“As far as the Jews were concerned, the transformation of the "crime" of Judaism into the fashionable "vice" of Jewishness was dangerous in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/as-far-as-the-jews-were-concerned-the-transformation-of-the-crime-of/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The North Korean capital, Pyongyang, is a city consecrated to the worship of a father-son dynasty. (I came to think of them, with their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-north-korean-capital-pyongyang-is-a-city-consecrated-to-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It is beyond any man's wisdom to judge the secret heart of another... for in it are good and evil mixed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/it-is-beyond-any-man-s-wisdom-to-judge-the-secret-heart-of-another/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [“… the Nazis, without admitting it, learned as much from American gangster organizations as their propaganda, admittedly, learned from American business publicity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-nazis-without-admitting-it-learned-as-much-from-american-gangster/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“Between 1882 and 1968, more black people were lynched in MIssissippi than in any other state.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/between-1882-and-1968-more-black-people-were-lynched-in-mississippi-2/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [“The fall of the protecting class walls transformed the slumbering majorities behind all parties into one great unorganized, structureless mass of furious individuals who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-fall-of-the-protecting-class-walls-transformed-the-slumbering/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The temporary alliance between the elite and the mob rested largely on this genuine delight with which the former watched the latter destroy respectability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-temporary-alliance-between-the-elite-and-the-mob-rested-largely/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“The fact that no one made demands on her knowledge in her special field was lucky for Simochka. 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