Country Quote by John Buchan
““If you’re going to be killed you invent some kind of flag and country to fight for, and if you survive you get to love the thing””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Greenmantle by John Buchan, 1916
People often create causes or nations to give meaning to survival, and love may follow that purpose.
In simple terms: Survival can inspire creation of causes and love.
Key Takeaway
Find purpose in adversity, then cherish what emerges.
Themes
purpose
survival
identity
love
Mood
thoughtful
hopeful
Type
narrative
inspirational
When to use this quote
- war
- political movements
- personal crisis
- community building
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology of meaning
Questions to Reflect On
- What cause would you create if faced with death?
- Can love survive without a cause?
A Different Perspective
Purpose may be constructed, not inherent.
![“[W]ithout humour you cannot run a sweetie-shop, let alone a nation.” quote by John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/edf/john-buchan-7539_comedy_w-ithout-humour-you-cannot-run-a-sweetie_418577.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
