--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is, I think, an indisputable fact that…" description: "\"“It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are, as Americans, the most self- conscious people in the world, and the most addicted to the beli..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/henry-james-417_america_it-is-i-think-an-indisputable-fact-that_2068941.png" --- # It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are… ![“It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are, as Americans, the most self- conscious people in the world, and the most addicted to the belief that the other nations are in a conspiracy to under-value them.” quote by Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/henry-james-417_america_it-is-i-think-an-indisputable-fact-that_2068941.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/henry-james-417_america_it-is-i-think-an-indisputable-fact-that_2068941.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a2/henry-james-417_america_it-is-i-think-an-indisputable-fact-that_2068941.png) > ““It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are, as Americans, the most self- conscious people in the world, and the most addicted to the belief that the other nations are in a conspiracy to under-value them.”” [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. James critiques American self‑consciousness and conspiratorial thinking, implying cultural insecurity and a need for humility. **In simple terms:** Americans are overly self‑conscious and conspiratorial. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and broader perspective. Themes culture psychology national identity insecurity Mood introspective critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - travel - international business - media consumption - political discourse Key Concepts self‑awareness critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How does national identity shape your worldview? - What steps can reduce collective insecurity? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizing can ignore individual differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ## Related quotes > [It is, I think, an indisputable fact that Americans are, as Americans, the most self-conscious people in the world, and the most addicted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-is-i-think-an-indisputable-fact-that-americans-are-as-americans/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [This supposed idyllic society we have is the most confused, warped, addicted society in the history of the world. 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No matter who or what we are, we're always working on ways to become somebody else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brown/you-know-americans-self-improvement-no-matter-who-or-what-we-are-we/) Alan Brown > [There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-henry/there-is-one-day-that-is-ours-there-is-one-day-when-all-we-americans/) [O. Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-henry/) > [Is the economy going to collapse if we continue down this road? Yes. Should Americans be self-reliant? Yes. Absolutely. ... I think loving our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-shea/is-the-economy-going-to-collapse-if-we-continue-down-this-road-yes/) [Matt Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-shea/) > [The idea of self-government is foreign to Americans. ... Self-government is a form of self-control, self-limitation. It goes against our whole grain. We're supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-perelman-rossner/the-idea-of-self-government-is-foreign-to-americans-self-government/) [Judith Perelman Rossner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-perelman-rossner/) > [Social issues have been used to distract Americans from their own self interests since Nixon's southern strategy, and now people are paying the price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-kass/social-issues-have-been-used-to-distract-americans-from-their-own/) [Deborah Kass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-kass/) > [ We \[americans\] self-regulate ourselves, we self-censor ourselves a lot in this country instead of having someone else censor us so we can blame them.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serj-tankian/we-americans-self-regulate-ourselves-we-self-censor-ourselves-a-lot/) [Serj Tankian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serj-tankian/) > [Sometimes I think that the public's lack of criticism of the rich - and how they seek their pleasure - might derive from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-quart/sometimes-i-think-that-the-public-s-lack-of-criticism-of-the-rich-and/) [Alissa Quart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-quart/) > [The fact is that Americans are not a thoughtful people; they are too busy to stop and question their values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-inge/the-fact-is-that-americans-are-not-a-thoughtful-people-they-are-too/) [William Inge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-inge/) ## More by Henry James > [Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/though-there-are-some-disagreeable-things-in-venice-there-is-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“In literature we move through a blest world in which we know nothing except by style, but in which everything is saved by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/in-literature-we-move-through-a-blest-world-in-which-we-know-nothing/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I shall stay here as long as I may, I don't want to think — I needn't think. I don't care for anything but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-shall-stay-here-as-long-as-i-may-i-don-t-want-to-think-i-needn-t/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“...It often seemed to her that she thought too much about herself, you could have made her blush any day of the year, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-often-seemed-to-her-that-she-thought-too-much-about-herself-you/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I reflected acutely that the sense of such differences, such superiorities of quality, always, on the part of the majority—which could include even stupid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-reflected-acutely-that-the-sense-of-such-differences-such/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“She had had a real fright but had fallen back to earth. 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He has never done a thing in his life exept play games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-is-no-wonder-he-wins-every-game-he-has-never-done-a-thing-in-his/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Make (the reader) think the evil, make him think it for himself, and you are released from weak specifications. My values are positively all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/make-the-reader-think-the-evil-make-him-think-it-for-himself-and-you/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“It was the air she wanted and the world she would now exclusively choose; the quiet chambers, nobly overwhelming, rich but slightly veiled, opened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-was-the-air-she-wanted-and-the-world-she-would-now-exclusively/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The time-honored bread-sauce of the happy ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-time-honored-bread-sauce-of-the-happy-ending/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) [Explore all 571 Henry James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## 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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