--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Walls don't work. ... Instead of building…" description: "\"Walls don't work. ... Instead of building walls to create security, we need to build bridges.\" — James G. Stavridis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/james-g-stavridis-15104_bridges_walls-don-t-work-instead-of-building-wal_1241503.png" --- # Walls don't work. ... Instead of building walls to create… ![“Walls don't work. ... Instead of building walls to create security, we need to build bridges.” quote by James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/james-g-stavridis-15104_bridges_walls-don-t-work-instead-of-building-wal_1241503.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/james-g-stavridis-15104_bridges_walls-don-t-work-instead-of-building-wal_1241503.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/james-g-stavridis-15104_bridges_walls-don-t-work-instead-of-building-wal_1241503.png) > “Walls don't work. ... Instead of building walls to create security, we need to build bridges.” [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 is better achieved by connecting people than by separating them with barriers. **In simple terms:** Build bridges, not walls, for safety. Key Takeaway Prioritize collaboration over isolation. Themes security connection collaboration Mood cautious optimistic Type political philosophical When to use this quote - community planning - international relations - urban design - conflict resolution Key Concepts social architecture trust building Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure bridges stay strong? - What risks do walls actually mitigate? A Different Perspective Bridges can be vulnerable; they require maintenance and trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Build Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build-bridges/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-walls/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Election day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election-day/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walls/) [Walls Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walls-create-3877666/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [We have to Build Bridges of Peace Instead of building Walls of Wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/widad-akrawi/we-have-to-build-bridges-of-peace-instead-of-building-walls-of-wars/) [Widad Akrawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/widad-akrawi/) > [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/) > [Americans are at our best when we build bridges between us, not walls around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-swalwell/americans-are-at-our-best-when-we-build-bridges-between-us-not-walls/) [Eric Swalwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-swalwell/) > [I like to build bridges... not walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-to-build-bridges-not-walls/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [People have said, 'Let's build bridges,' and frankly, I want to do more than that. I would like break to the walls of ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mayassa-bint-hamad-bin-khalifa-al-thani/people-have-said-let-s-build-bridges-and-frankly-i-want-to-do-more/) [Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mayassa-bint-hamad-bin-khalifa-al-thani/) > [“What a world this would be if we just build bridges instead of walls!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ramirez/what-a-world-this-would-be-if-we-just-build-bridges-instead-of-walls/) [Carlos Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ramirez/) > [I've always been a person who tries to build bridges and not walls. Whether it's my ex-wife and my step-son, or my daughter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-coleman/i-ve-always-been-a-person-who-tries-to-build-bridges-and-not-walls/) [Chad Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-coleman/) ## 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 Bridges quotes > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [In my rear view mirror the sun is going down sinking behind bridges in the road and I think of all the good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/in-my-rear-view-mirror-the-sun-is-going-down-sinking-behind-bridges/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you walk, try to think nothing! You can then obtain the silence of a streetlight or a bridge; stop thinking; after that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-walk-try-to-think-nothing-you-can-then-obtain-the-silence-of/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges do it for me in a big way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-scanlon/al-pacino-and-jeff-bridges-do-it-for-me-in-a-big-way/) [Angela Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-scanlon/) > [Instead of building castles against your enemies, build bridges for them to come to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/instead-of-building-castles-against-your-enemies-build-bridges-for/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Each person is an island unto himself, in a very real sense; and he can only build bridges to other islands if he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/each-person-is-an-island-unto-himself-in-a-very-real-sense-and-he-can/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [The real test of a bridge player isn’t in keeping out of trouble, but in escaping once he’s in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-sheinwold/the-real-test-of-a-bridge-player-isn-t-in-keeping-out-of-trouble-but/) [Alfred Sheinwold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-sheinwold/) > [The law ... allows rich as well as poor to sleep under bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-law-allows-rich-as-well-as-poor-to-sleep-under-bridges/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [Guys like Todd Bridges never overcame being a child star. You can't have any big failures. I've always felt regular. I played organized ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/guys-like-todd-bridges-never-overcame-being-a-child-star-you-can-t/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) [Browse all 1,521 Bridges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Walls don't work. ... Instead of building walls to create security, we need to build bridges.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James G. 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