--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the 21st century, we can't create…" description: "\"In the 21st century, we can't create security by building walls.\" — James G. Stavridis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/james-g-stavridis-15104_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-we-can-t-create-secu_2948352.png" --- # In the 21st century, we can't create security by building… ![“In the 21st century, we can't create security by building walls.” quote by James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/james-g-stavridis-15104_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-we-can-t-create-secu_2948352.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/james-g-stavridis-15104_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-we-can-t-create-secu_2948352.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/james-g-stavridis-15104_21st-century_in-the-21st-century-we-can-t-create-secu_2948352.png) > “In the 21st century, we can't create security by building walls.” [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Security cannot be built by isolation; openness and cooperation are essential. **In simple terms:** Walls don’t create safety. Key Takeaway Foster collaboration over division. Themes security globalization cooperation Mood thoughtful strategic Type political philosophical When to use this quote - international relations - community building - cybersecurity - immigration policy Key Concepts interdependence policy resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can openness address security threats? - What balance between openness and protection is needed? A Different Perspective Some threats require physical barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [21st century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/21st-century/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-walls/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Create Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create-security-3071597/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Security Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-building-4430827/) [Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walls/) ## Related quotes > [None of the threats to the global commons will be solved by building walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/none-of-the-threats-to-the-global-commons-will-be-solved-by-building/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [Walls don't work. ... Instead of building walls to create security, we need to build bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/walls-don-t-work-instead-of-building-walls-to-create-security-we-need/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [We have to create security for the working families of Britain, and that's what I'll do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/we-have-to-create-security-for-the-working-families-of-britain-and/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [We are a nation that does not build walls. We do not believe in building walls. And that defines who we are. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-ramaphosa/we-are-a-nation-that-does-not-build-walls-we-do-not-believe-in/) [Cyril Ramaphosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-ramaphosa/) > [“Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fort-newton/men-build-too-many-walls-and-not-enough-bridges/) [Joseph Fort Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fort-newton/) > [Be careful when building walls to protect yourself. Those same walls may cage you in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-careful-when-building-walls-to-protect-yourself-those-same-walls/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What I do is the opposite of building walls. I build bridges. A bridge is something that connects instead of separating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/what-i-do-is-the-opposite-of-building-walls-i-build-bridges-a-bridge/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [“He spent so long building walls to protect his privacy that I think he forgot to build a door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenner/he-spent-so-long-building-walls-to-protect-his-privacy-that-i-think/) [J. Kenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenner/) > [For some people, life is the process of knocking through walls to get out. For others, it is the building of walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-van-booy/for-some-people-life-is-the-process-of-knocking-through-walls-to-get/) [Simon Van Booy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-van-booy/) > [I spend my whole life building these walls so I wont get hurt so I wont get jealous and then some one like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-spend-my-whole-life-building-these-walls-so-i-wont-get-hurt-so-i/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Building walls isn't going to work in the long run. Some people are happy with the wall in Israel, but somebody will get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/building-walls-isn-t-going-to-work-in-the-long-run-some-people-are/) [Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/) > [In the 20th century, we built a lot of walls - we endlessly tried to build walls between us and people we perceived, correctly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/in-the-20th-century-we-built-a-lot-of-walls-we-endlessly-tried-to/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) ## More by James G. Stavridis > [Building a stable, peaceful, and coherent Europe must include Russia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/building-a-stable-peaceful-and-coherent-europe-must-include-russia/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [I would not be surprised to see Syria break apart entirely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/i-would-not-be-surprised-to-see-syria-break-apart-entirely/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [What's the third largest nation in the world after China and India? It's the Facebook nation - 430 million people on Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/what-s-the-third-largest-nation-in-the-world-after-china-and-india-it/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [As a 4-star admiral, I visited over a hundred U.S. embassies all around the world, and I never failed to see lines of locals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/as-a-4-star-admiral-i-visited-over-a-hundred-u-s-embassies-all-around/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [I spent much of my life - almost 40 years - as a military officer. My specialty was in the part of the Navy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/i-spent-much-of-my-life-almost-40-years-as-a-military-officer-my/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [All of my relatives on both sides of my family are from Allentown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/all-of-my-relatives-on-both-sides-of-my-family-are-from-allentown/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [It's probably worth noting that although I'm ethnically Greek, my grandfather was actually born in Turkey and came through Greece on his way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/it-s-probably-worth-noting-that-although-i-m-ethnically-greek-my/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [Eighty-five percent cannot read when they enter the security forces of Afghanistan. Why? Because the Taliban withheld education during the period of time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/eighty-five-percent-cannot-read-when-they-enter-the-security-forces/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [We are excellent at launching Tomahawk missiles; we need to get better at launching ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/we-are-excellent-at-launching-tomahawk-missiles-we-need-to-get-better/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [The NATO treaty is crystal clear on this one: An attack on one nation shall be regarded as an attack on all of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/the-nato-treaty-is-crystal-clear-on-this-one-an-attack-on-one-nation/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [Internal fights between various agencies, i.e. between the CIA and FBI, are highly counterproductive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/internal-fights-between-various-agencies-i-e-between-the-cia-and-fbi/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [After 37 years in the Navy, there were no further jobs in uniform, and it was my time to transition. But I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/after-37-years-in-the-navy-there-were-no-further-jobs-in-uniform-and/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [During the early 1990s, Mexico's domestic political sensitivities meant that it rarely extradited people who had committed crimes in the U.S. After NAFTA, extradition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/during-the-early-1990s-mexico-s-domestic-political-sensitivities/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [If we discover through a thorough and unbiased investigation that Russia has indeed attacked our electoral process directly with the intent to influencing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/if-we-discover-through-a-thorough-and-unbiased-investigation-that/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [The most important thing I learned was the value of personal friendships and working cooperatively with your peers - the Academy has a saying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-was-the-value-of-personal/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) [Explore all 44 James G. Stavridis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) ## More 21st century quotes > [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [“You know it’s the 21st Century when someone TEXTS you from the washroom to ask you to bring them a roll of toilet paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/comic-strip-mama/you-know-it-s-the-21st-century-when-someone-texts-you-from-the/) [Comic Strip Mama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/comic-strip-mama/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) [Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/) > [Like many others, I have deep misgivings about the state of education in the United States. Too many of our students fail to graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/like-many-others-i-have-deep-misgivings-about-the-state-of-education/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Maybe we need a tax credit for the poorest Americans to buy a laptop. Now, maybe that's wrong, maybe that's expensive, maybe we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/maybe-we-need-a-tax-credit-for-the-poorest-americans-to-buy-a-laptop/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. I am the most influential person of this decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/human-race-is-all-over-universe-and-i-am-the-first-person-to-inform/) [Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/) > [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [What I love about making albums in the 21st century is that so few people buy albums! I can make an album without any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/what-i-love-about-making-albums-in-the-21st-century-is-that-so-few/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [The computer provides the only way to give students a real foundation in 21st-century skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-negroponte/the-computer-provides-the-only-way-to-give-students-a-real-foundation/) [Nicholas Negroponte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-negroponte/) [Browse all 771 21st century quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/21st-century/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the 21st century, we can't create security by building walls.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James G. 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