--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Monuments may be builded to express the…" description: "\"Monuments may be builded to express the affection or pride of friends, or to display their wealth, but they are only valuable for the characters which ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/james-a-garfield-3517_affection_monuments-may-be-builded-to-express-the_569816.jpg" --- # Monuments may be builded to express the affection or pride… ![“Monuments may be builded to express the affection or pride of friends, or to display their wealth, but they are only valuable for the characters which they perpetuate.” quote by James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/james-a-garfield-3517_affection_monuments-may-be-builded-to-express-the_569816.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/james-a-garfield-3517_affection_monuments-may-be-builded-to-express-the_569816.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/james-a-garfield-3517_affection_monuments-may-be-builded-to-express-the_569816.jpg) > “Monuments may be builded to express the affection or pride of friends, or to display their wealth, but they are only valuable for the characters which they perpetuate.” [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Monuments matter only as symbols of the values they represent. **In simple terms:** Statues reflect the character they honor. Key Takeaway Build meaning, not just monuments. Themes legacy values symbolism Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical civic When to use this quote - Erect public art - honor community heroes - preserve history Key Concepts Cultural memory social status heritage Questions to Reflect On - What values do you want to embody? - How can we ensure monuments stay relevant? A Different Perspective Monuments can become empty status without shared values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection/) [Affection Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affection-pride-4705115/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters Perpetuate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-perpetuate-4705113/) [Display](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/display/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Monument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monument/) [Monuments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monuments/) [Monuments Builded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monuments-builded-4705112/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Valuable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable/) [Valuable Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable-characters-4705114/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [Our public monuments are memorials to the Enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/our-public-monuments-are-memorials-to-the-enlightenment/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [To extend our memories by monuments, whose death we daily pray for, and whose duration we cannot hope, without injury to our expectations in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/to-extend-our-memories-by-monuments-whose-death-we-daily-pray-for-and/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Most monuments are not something you're going to keep me out of. And I go to a lot of monuments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-huebel/most-monuments-are-not-something-you-re-going-to-keep-me-out-of-and-i/) [Rob Huebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-huebel/) > [Genius only leaves behind it the monuments of its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/genius-only-leaves-behind-it-the-monuments-of-its-strength/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [With monuments as with men, position means everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/with-monuments-as-with-men-position-means-everything/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [We hence acquire this sublime and interesting idea; that all the calcareous mountains in the world, and all the strata of clay, coal, marl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erasmus-darwin/we-hence-acquire-this-sublime-and-interesting-idea-that-all-the/) [Erasmus Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erasmus-darwin/) > [Monuments and archaeological pieces serve as testimonies of man's greatness and establish a dialogue between civilizations showing the extent to which human beings are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-fox/monuments-and-archaeological-pieces-serve-as-testimonies-of-man-s/) [Vicente Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-fox/) > [Monuments obtain their full worth through their complete use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangelos-venizelos/monuments-obtain-their-full-worth-through-their-complete-use/) [Evangelos Venizelos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangelos-venizelos/) > [A contempt of the monuments and the wisdom of the past, may be justly reckoned one of the reigning follies of these days, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/a-contempt-of-the-monuments-and-the-wisdom-of-the-past-may-be-justly/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [What the masses want are monuments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-drapeau/what-the-masses-want-are-monuments/) [Jean Drapeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-drapeau/) > [The most fitting monuments this nation can build are schoolhouses and homes for those who do the work of the world. It is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-most-fitting-monuments-this-nation-can-build-are-schoolhouses-and/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [People are quick to make monuments of anything they live long enough to control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/people-are-quick-to-make-monuments-of-anything-they-live-long-enough/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) > [People who worship only themselves get a slick, polished look -- like monuments. Too bad they had to go so soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanna-bonta/people-who-worship-only-themselves-get-a-slick-polished-look-like/) [Vanna Bonta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanna-bonta/) > [Labor should not be about creating monuments on hills or statues in parks. Labor's monuments and statues are when a young person can find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/labor-should-not-be-about-creating-monuments-on-hills-or-statues-in/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [It's time to stop building the shopping malls, the prisons, the stadiums and other tributes to all of our collective failures. It is time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/it-s-time-to-stop-building-the-shopping-malls-the-prisons-the/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) ## More by James A. Garfield > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [If wrinkles must be written on our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brows-let-them-not-be-written-upon/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Coercion is the basis of every law in the universe,--human or divine. A law is not law without coercion behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/coercion-is-the-basis-of-every-law-in-the-universe-human-or-divine-a/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/there-are-men-and-women-who-make-the-world-better-just-by-being-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [..remember that under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/remember-that-under-our-institutions-there-was-no-middle-ground-for/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Whomsoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce and when you realize that the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/whomsoever-controls-the-volume-of-money-in-any-country-is-absolute/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“Jika kerut merut mesti tertera di dahi kita, biarlah mereka tidak tertera di hati kita. Jiwa kita jangan pernah menjadi tua.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/jika-kerut-merut-mesti-tertera-di-dahi-kita-biarlah-mereka-tidak/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [The men who succeed best in public life are those who take the risk of standing by their own convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-men-who-succeed-best-in-public-life-are-those-who-take-the-risk/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/now-more-than-ever-the-people-are-responsible-for-the-character-of/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Nobody but radicals have ever accomplished anything in a great crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/nobody-but-radicals-have-ever-accomplished-anything-in-a-great-crisis/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Battles are never the end of war; for the dead must be buried and the cost of the conflict must be paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/battles-are-never-the-end-of-war-for-the-dead-must-be-buried-and-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Men are tending to materialism. Houses, lands, and worldly goods attract their attention, and as a mirage lure them on to death. Christianity, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/men-are-tending-to-materialism-houses-lands-and-worldly-goods-attract/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“If wrinkles must be written on our brow, let them not be written on our heart. The spirit should not grow old.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/if-wrinkles-must-be-written-on-our-brow-let-them-not-be-written-on/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) [Explore all 128 James A. Garfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) ## 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. Deep-rooted desires for esteem, affection, belonging, achievement, self-actualization, power, and control motivate us to push for what we want and need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/needs-cause-motivation-deep-rooted-desires-for-esteem-affection/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [“It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/it-is-to-build-a-house-with-affection-even-as-if-your-beloved-were-to/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [A lost love. Deny it who will, ridicule it, treat it as mere imagination and sentiment, the thing is and will be; and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/a-lost-love-deny-it-who-will-ridicule-it-treat-it-as-mere-imagination/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [Affection! Affection is false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/affection-affection-is-false/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [We are a spectacular, splendid manifestation of life. We have language. . . . We have affection. We have genes for usefulness, and usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-a-spectacular-splendid-manifestation-of-life-we-have-language/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Listen, I have a great affection and respect for Joe Biden. I think he's been a great vice president. 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": "Monuments may be builded to express the affection or pride of friends, or to display their wealth, but they are only valuable for the characters which they perpetuate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James A. 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