---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Community cannot for long feed on itself…"
description: "\"Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers.\" — Howar..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/howard-thurman-11976_brotherhood_community-cannot-for-long-feed-on-itself_2045118.jpg"
---

#  Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only…

![“Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers.” quote by Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/howard-thurman-11976_brotherhood_community-cannot-for-long-feed-on-itself_2045118.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/howard-thurman-11976_brotherhood_community-cannot-for-long-feed-on-itself_2045118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/howard-thurman-11976_brotherhood_community-cannot-for-long-feed-on-itself_2045118.jpg)

> “Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers.”

[Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Communities need external input and fresh perspectives to grow; they cannot sustain themselves solely on internal resources.

**In simple terms:** Communities thrive when new ideas and people join.

Key Takeaway

Invite diverse voices and collaborate.

Themes

community growth diversity collaboration interdependence

Mood

hopeful reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational social.

When to use this quote

- urban planning
- team building
- cultural exchange
- innovation labs
- nonprofit development

Key Concepts

social ecology collective intelligence network theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you seek out unknown perspectives?
- What barriers prevent external contributions?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on internal cohesion can lead to stagnation and echo chambers.

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[Brotherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brotherhood/) [Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brothers/) [Coming Unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-unknown-731597/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Community Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-long-3825913/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Undiscovered Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undiscovered-brothers-3825912/)

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