--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I get always a little uptight when I hear…" description: "\"I get always a little uptight when I hear politicians say how exceptional America is.\" — John F. Kerry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/john-f-kerry-996_america_i-get-always-a-little-uptight-when-i-hea_1213364.png" --- # I get always a little uptight when I hear politicians say… ![“I get always a little uptight when I hear politicians say how exceptional America is.” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/john-f-kerry-996_america_i-get-always-a-little-uptight-when-i-hea_1213364.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/john-f-kerry-996_america_i-get-always-a-little-uptight-when-i-hea_1213364.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6de/john-f-kerry-996_america_i-get-always-a-little-uptight-when-i-hea_1213364.png) > “I get always a little uptight when I hear politicians say how exceptional America is.” [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling uneasy when politicians claim America's uniqueness, suggesting skepticism toward nationalism. **In simple terms:** Feeling uneasy about patriotic slogans. Key Takeaway Question claims critically. Themes nationalism politics identity Mood skeptical reflective Type political commentary When to use this quote - political debates - media consumption - public speaking - voting Key Concepts American exceptionalism critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports or contradicts the claim? - How does this affect your civic engagement? A Different Perspective Patriotic rhetoric can oversimplify complex realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Obnoxious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obnoxious/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“I'm going to stay a little uptight and anxious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/i-m-going-to-stay-a-little-uptight-and-anxious/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [Friends were always trying to get me to do sexy photographs, but I was a little too uptight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe-buell/friends-were-always-trying-to-get-me-to-do-sexy-photographs-but-i-was/) [Bebe Buell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bebe-buell/) > [I get a little uptight if things aren't going the way I think they should be going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-speedman/i-get-a-little-uptight-if-things-aren-t-going-the-way-i-think-they/) [Scott Speedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-speedman/) > [When you first start out with something new, you're always a little uptight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/when-you-first-start-out-with-something-new-you-re-always-a-little/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I'm not going to critique the president's every utterance, but I do think America is exceptional. America is different. We don't operate in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-m-not-going-to-critique-the-president-s-every-utterance-but-i-do/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [America's exceptional nature confers upon us responsibilities. We are not exceptional because we say so; we are exceptional because, over and over, we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/america-s-exceptional-nature-confers-upon-us-responsibilities-we-are/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [In my experience I haven't met too many uptight black people. I'm sure they're out there. Like I'm some big authority and I've lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-reubens/in-my-experience-i-haven-t-met-too-many-uptight-black-people-i-m-sure/) [Paul Reubens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-reubens/) > [Laughing at fear is one of the best things you can do. When you are afraid, instead of just plunging into panic, laugh. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/laughing-at-fear-is-one-of-the-best-things-you-can-do-when-you-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“God, you’re uptight. Did the aliens maybe forget to remove your anal probe?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/god-you-re-uptight-did-the-aliens-maybe-forget-to-remove-your-anal/) [Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/) > [Sometimes people are very kind of uptight and they're not really sure how to behave, but after time they open up sometimes. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilson/sometimes-people-are-very-kind-of-uptight-and-they-re-not-really-sure/) [John Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilson/) > [“I'm not uptight. I'm conscientious. There's a difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenore-appelhans/i-m-not-uptight-i-m-conscientious-there-s-a-difference/) [Lenore Appelhans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenore-appelhans/) > [...when you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you're free.To hold on is to be serious and uptight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carlson/when-you-let-go-of-your-expectations-when-you-accept-life-as-it-is/) [Richard Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carlson/) > [The work that I do doesn't make me feel uptight, It energises me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robinson/the-work-that-i-do-doesn-t-make-me-feel-uptight-it-energises-me/) [Tony Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robinson/) > [ I know that some of the folks in the press are uptight about this \[moving the press corps out of the West Wing \],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/i-know-that-some-of-the-folks-in-the-press-are-uptight-about-this/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-apfel/i-think-dressing-up-or-down-should-be-a-creative-experience-exciting/) [Iris Apfel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-apfel/) ## More by John F. Kerry > [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [I'm an internationalist. I'd like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-m-an-internationalist-i-d-like-to-see-our-troops-dispersed-through/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [There's an agreement that Syria should be a unified country, united; that it needs to be secular; that ISIL needs to be taken on;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/there-s-an-agreement-that-syria-should-be-a-unified-country-united/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [It's very hard to get other countries to give up their weapons when you're busy developing a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/it-s-very-hard-to-get-other-countries-to-give-up-their-weapons-when/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [There is no bigger judgment for a president of the United States than how you take a nation to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/there-is-no-bigger-judgment-for-a-president-of-the-united-states-than/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [I have confidence in my campaign. I have assembled a great team that is going to beat George W. Bush, and any rumors to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-have-confidence-in-my-campaign-i-have-assembled-a-great-team-that/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [In a few years, you should be able to plug your American-made plug-in hybrid into the outlet in your garage, so that you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/in-a-few-years-you-should-be-able-to-plug-your-american-made-plug-in/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Unlike Washington, which is stuck in ideological gridlock, Americans feel the impact of climate change in their own hometowns and they know something must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/unlike-washington-which-is-stuck-in-ideological-gridlock-americans/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [America must always be the world's paramount military power, but we can magnify our power through alliances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/america-must-always-be-the-world-s-paramount-military-power-but-we/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We should not allow a tiny minority of shoddy scientists and science and extreme ideologues to compete with scientific facts,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-should-not-allow-a-tiny-minority-of-shoddy-scientists-and-science/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Jesus did not help just the sick who could afford to pay for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/jesus-did-not-help-just-the-sick-who-could-afford-to-pay-for-it/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [War should be not a war of choice; it should be a war of necessity. And it should be a last resort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/war-should-be-not-a-war-of-choice-it-should-be-a-war-of-necessity-and/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) [Explore all 312 John F. Kerry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I get always a little uptight when I hear politicians say how exceptional America is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John F. 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