--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you travel internationally, you will…" description: "\"“If you travel internationally, you will feel shocked by contemptuous talk of America. To hear your fellow citizens characterized as barbarians who kno..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_america_if-you-travel-internationally-you-will-f_554263.png" --- # If you travel internationally, you will feel shocked by… ![“If you travel internationally, you will feel shocked by contemptuous talk of America. To hear your fellow citizens characterized as barbarians who know nothing of love, food, health, and religion, but everything of lawsuits, fast food, and guns, is to experience a national fidelity of which you…” quote by Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_america_if-you-travel-internationally-you-will-f_554263.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_america_if-you-travel-internationally-you-will-f_554263.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/676/hilary-thayer-hamann-14252_america_if-you-travel-internationally-you-will-f_554263.png) > ““If you travel internationally, you will feel shocked by contemptuous talk of America. To hear your fellow citizens characterized as barbarians who know nothing of love, food, health, and religion, but everything of lawsuits, fast food, and guns, is to experience a national fidelity of which you may not have thought yourself capable. And yet, you’re at a loss for a defense.”” [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author critiques how Americans often view their country through a lens of materialism and legalism, ignoring deeper cultural values, leading to a defensive national pride. **In simple terms:** Americans focus on material/legal aspects, neglecting deeper cultural values. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance material concerns with cultural depth. Themes nationalism materialism identity Mood critical reflective Type analytical provocative When to use this quote - travel - political discourse - media consumption - national debate Key Concepts cultural critique social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What values define your national identity? - How can you foster balanced patriotism? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizing can ignore regional diversity and positive aspects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Fast food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fast-food/) ## Related quotes > [Well, I just don't want to talk to America about my family. Like, this is my baby. This isn't America's baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/well-i-just-don-t-want-to-talk-to-america-about-my-family-like-this/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [“America has faced hardships in the past but we have always mounted a comeback! We defeated the Nazis, we defeated the Native Americans, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/america-has-faced-hardships-in-the-past-but-we-have-always-mounted-a/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“I like to talk about America. It's so mysterious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ashley/i-like-to-talk-about-america-it-s-so-mysterious/) [Robert Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ashley/) > [I see people who talk about America, and then undermine it by not paying attention to its soul, to its poetry. I see polarization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/i-see-people-who-talk-about-america-and-then-undermine-it-by-not/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [I have always felt my role was to do anything I could to enable the powerless to speak. I want America to hear these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/i-have-always-felt-my-role-was-to-do-anything-i-could-to-enable-the/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [You have to get past the idea that music has to be one thing. To be alive in America is to hear all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/you-have-to-get-past-the-idea-that-music-has-to-be-one-thing-to-be/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [Folks, tomorrow America will get to hear those four words we've been waiting for: "Former president George Bush".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/folks-tomorrow-america-will-get-to-hear-those-four-words-we-ve-been/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Nothing hurts so much the interest and reputation of America as to hear of their intestine quarrels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/nothing-hurts-so-much-the-interest-and-reputation-of-america-as-to/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [I wanted so much to come to America and have America hear my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demis-roussos/i-wanted-so-much-to-come-to-america-and-have-america-hear-my-music/) [Demis Roussos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demis-roussos/) > [ Israel is extraordinary blessed to have \[Benjamin Netanyahu\] as prime minister at this pivotal time in history and so is the United States of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-dobbs/israel-is-extraordinary-blessed-to-have-benjamin-netanyahu-as-prime/) [Lou Dobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-dobbs/) > [I hate the gym, so I try to diversify my workouts with swimming and basketball. 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I watch it alarmingly too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harrison/i-m-a-big-foodie-and-i-love-the-food-network-i-watch-it-alarmingly/) [Chris Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harrison/) > [In Italy, food is an expression of love. It is how you show those around you that you care for them. Having a love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/in-italy-food-is-an-expression-of-love-it-is-how-you-show-those/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) ## More by Hilary Thayer Hamann > [“Hell is only loneliness, a place without play for the soul, a place without God. How could there be God in loneliness when God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/hell-is-only-loneliness-a-place-without-play-for-the-soul-a-place/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“Having to talk to people was the one thing, but soliciting conversation was something else. If I acted squirmy or didn't make eye contact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/having-to-talk-to-people-was-the-one-thing-but-soliciting/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“I shook my head. I couldn't remember the time before, or the way it used to be. There were things we used to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/i-shook-my-head-i-couldn-t-remember-the-time-before-or-the-way-it/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“Why remain polite but powerless, in love but a beggar?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/why-remain-polite-but-powerless-in-love-but-a-beggar/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“They were sorting, or classifying. 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When you strive for quiet, you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/the-unusual-thing-about-quiet-is-that-when-you-seek-it-it-is-almost/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“I liked the idea of marking the place where a life ends as opposed to the place a corpse is buried. And also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/i-liked-the-idea-of-marking-the-place-where-a-life-ends-as-opposed-to/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“My hand reaches for his eye. He does not pull away but breathes into my touch. His normal lid drifts closed, and beneath my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/my-hand-reaches-for-his-eye-he-does-not-pull-away-but-breathes-into/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [“Envy is awful. 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If you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/lying-is-a-full-time-occupation-even-if-you-tell-just-one-because/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) [Explore all 47 Hilary Thayer Hamann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) ## 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! 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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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