--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Americans look out on the world…" description: "\"When Americans look out on the world, they see nothing but dark and menacing strangers who appear to have no sense of rhythm at all, nor any respect or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/james-a-baldwin-2080_affection_when-americans-look-out-on-the-world-the_1551338.jpg" --- # When Americans look out on the world, they see nothing but… ![“When Americans look out on the world, they see nothing but dark and menacing strangers who appear to have no sense of rhythm at all, nor any respect or affection for white people; and white Americans really do not know what to make of all this, except to increase the defense budget.” quote by James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/james-a-baldwin-2080_affection_when-americans-look-out-on-the-world-the_1551338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/james-a-baldwin-2080_affection_when-americans-look-out-on-the-world-the_1551338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd1/james-a-baldwin-2080_affection_when-americans-look-out-on-the-world-the_1551338.jpg) > “When Americans look out on the world, they see nothing but dark and menacing strangers who appear to have no sense of rhythm at all, nor any respect or affection for white people; and white Americans really do not know what to make of all this, except to increase the defense budget.” [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker claims Americans view the world as hostile, fearing cultural differences and responding with militarism. **In simple terms:** Americans see outsiders as threats and want more defense spending. Key Takeaway Recognize fear‑driven narratives and seek nuanced understanding. Themes fear racism militarism culture politics Mood anxious critical Type political social commentary When to use this quote - media analysis - policy debate - education reform Key Concepts Xenophobia nationalism defense policy Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape foreign policy? - What alternative narratives could reduce hostility? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizes diverse peoples and ignores diplomatic solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Budgets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budgets/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Every town has the same two malls: the one white people go to and the one white people used to go to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/every-town-has-the-same-two-malls-the-one-white-people-go-to-and-the/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [It was just really exciting to see dark people in white people's clothing, or what is perceived as white people garb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okieriete-onaodowan/it-was-just-really-exciting-to-see-dark-people-in-white-people-s/) [Okieriete Onaodowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okieriete-onaodowan/) > [“A course we different! Everybody know colored people and white people ain't the same. But we still just people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/a-course-we-different-everybody-know-colored-people-and-white-people/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [I've never seen a sincere white man, not when it comes to helping black people. Usually things like this are done by white people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-ve-never-seen-a-sincere-white-man-not-when-it-comes-to-helping/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Yes! I hate everything about this country. Like, I hate fat white Americans. All the people who are crunched into the middle of America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azealia-banks/yes-i-hate-everything-about-this-country-like-i-hate-fat-white/) [Azealia Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azealia-banks/) > [Why do most Americans look up to education and down upon educated people?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/why-do-most-americans-look-up-to-education-and-down-upon-educated/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [From the standpoint of a Middle Eastern citizen, Americans look like a bully forcing our way of life on the Islamic way of life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/from-the-standpoint-of-a-middle-eastern-citizen-americans-look-like-a/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [We Americans look at the last 300 years of history, and we basically see a world that's getting better and better. The rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell-mead/we-americans-look-at-the-last-300-years-of-history-and-we-basically/) [Walter Russell Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell-mead/) > [I don't think Americans look bad in spandex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/i-don-t-think-americans-look-bad-in-spandex/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [“I find it hilarious that whenever I light up, Americans look at me like I'm going to urinate on their children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-hodkin/i-find-it-hilarious-that-whenever-i-light-up-americans-look-at-me/) [Michelle Hodkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-hodkin/) > [“Americans look for heroes in the strangest of places.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathie-pelletier/americans-look-for-heroes-in-the-strangest-of-places/) [Cathie Pelletier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathie-pelletier/) > [A person like Roy Nelson, a lot of people can relate to him. A lot of Americans look like him, especially where I come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinton-jackson/a-person-like-roy-nelson-a-lot-of-people-can-relate-to-him-a-lot-of/) [Quinton Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinton-jackson/) > [Half of Americans look at the other half and say, they're too lazy or they're not willing to get up and go to school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-g-buchholz/half-of-americans-look-at-the-other-half-and-say-they-re-too-lazy-or/) [Todd G. Buchholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-g-buchholz/) > [There is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions, and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/there-is-an-urgent-need-for-americans-to-look-deeply-into-themselves/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [We Americans look funny when we're in France because we don't travel, we are fairly un-cultured whereas Europeans go to Africa all the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/we-americans-look-funny-when-we-re-in-france-because-we-don-t-travel/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More by James A. Baldwin > [One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/one-cannot-deny-the-humanity-of-another-without-diminishing-one-s-own/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/all-i-know-about-music-is-that-not-many-people-ever-really-hear-it/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I've always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-can-think-positive-just-as-well-as-you/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-white-man-discovered-the-cross-by-way-of-the-bible-but-the-black/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Voyagers discover that the world can never be larger than the person that is in the world; but it is impossible to foresee this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/voyagers-discover-that-the-world-can-never-be-larger-than-the-person/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [We take our shape, it is true, within and against that cage of reality bequeathed us at our birth; and yet it is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/we-take-our-shape-it-is-true-within-and-against-that-cage-of-reality/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [The American ideal is, after all, that everyone should be as much alike as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-is-after-all-that-everyone-should-be-as-much-alike/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [James Joyce is right about history being a nightmare-- but it may be that nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/james-joyce-is-right-about-history-being-a-nightmare-but-it-may-be/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [I think Americans are terrified of feeling anything. I never met a people more infantile in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/i-think-americans-are-terrified-of-feeling-anything-i-never-met-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Unless a writer is extremely old when he dies, in which case he has probably become a neglected institution, his death must always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/unless-a-writer-is-extremely-old-when-he-dies-in-which-case-he-has/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [An identity is questioned only when it is menaced, as when the mighty begin to fall, or when the wretched begin to rise, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/an-identity-is-questioned-only-when-it-is-menaced-as-when-the-mighty/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [White people will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/white-people-will-have-quite-enough-to-do-in-learning-how-to-accept/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [A devotion to humanity is... too easily equated with a devotion to a Cause, and Causes, as we know, are notoriously bloodthirsty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/a-devotion-to-humanity-is-too-easily-equated-with-a-devotion-to-a/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Most people... find a disorientating mismatch between the long-term nature of their liabilities and the increasingly short-term nature of their assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/most-people-find-a-disorientating-mismatch-between-the-long-term/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) [Explore all 187 James A. Baldwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) ## More Affection quotes > [My team and I have reunited two elements that coexist with diffiulty: respect and affection, because when they love you they don't respect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/my-team-and-i-have-reunited-two-elements-that-coexist-with-diffiulty/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [Needs cause motivation. 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He's taken on a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/listen-i-have-a-great-affection-and-respect-for-joe-biden-i-think-he/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [I am persuaded that there is no affection of the human heart more exquisitely pure, than that which is felt by a grateful son…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/i-am-persuaded-that-there-is-no-affection-of-the-human-heart-more/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [Our sweetest experiences of affection are meant to be suggestions of that realm which is the home of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/our-sweetest-experiences-of-affection-are-meant-to-be-suggestions-of/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) [Browse all 2,465 Affection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When Americans look out on the world, they see nothing but dark and menacing strangers who appear to have no sense of rhythm at all, nor any respect or affection for white people; and white Americans really do not know what to make of all this, except to increase the defense budget.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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