---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Within countries, I believe liberalism is…"
description: "\"Within countries, I believe liberalism is a genuine force for good.\" — John Mearsheimer"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg"
---

#  Within countries, I believe liberalism is a genuine force…

![“Within countries, I believe liberalism is a genuine force for good.” quote by John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg)

> “Within countries, I believe liberalism is a genuine force for good.”

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Liberalism can be a positive political force within nations, promoting freedoms and rights.

**In simple terms:** Liberalism can be good for societies.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and support policies that enhance liberty.

Themes

politics ideology human rights

Mood

optimistic critical

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy making
- civic education
- activism
- international relations

Key Concepts

liberal democracy social progress

Questions to Reflect On

- How can liberal values be balanced with social equity?
- What safeguards prevent liberal excesses?

A Different Perspective

Liberalism may also enable inequality or conflict if misapplied.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/)

## Related quotes

> [“Nonetheless, if you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/nonetheless-if-you-are-trying-to-change-an-organization-or-a-society/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [There's a lot of distrust of the United States, and I certainly see that. But at the same time, everything that I've seen is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dara-khosrowshahi/there-s-a-lot-of-distrust-of-the-united-states-and-i-certainly-see/)

[Dara Khosrowshahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dara-khosrowshahi/)

> [“Um, we don’t hit women in America.” He scowled, and spit out an apple seed. “No. Americans just persecute smaller countries that believe different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/um-we-don-t-hit-women-in-america-he-scowled-and-spit-out-an-apple/)

[Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/)

> [There are many countries where you can only believe more or you can believe less. But in the United States we have this incredible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wright/there-are-many-countries-where-you-can-only-believe-more-or-you-can/)

[Lawrence Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wright/)

> [If you look at any station, you will see that what people are reporting comes from what they believe in, where they stand, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-simonyan/if-you-look-at-any-station-you-will-see-that-what-people-are/)

[Margarita Simonyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-simonyan/)

> [I still believe in liberalism today as much as I ever did, but, oh, there was a happy time when I believed in liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/i-still-believe-in-liberalism-today-as-much-as-i-ever-did-but-oh/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [Though I believe in liberalism, I find it difficult to believe in liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/though-i-believe-in-liberalism-i-find-it-difficult-to-believe-in/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

> [“When the business man rebukes the idealism of his office-boy, it is commonly in some such speech as this: "Ah, yes, when one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/when-the-business-man-rebukes-the-idealism-of-his-office-boy-it-is/)

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

> [States that promote liberal hegemony invariably damage the fabric of liberalism inside their own borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/states-that-promote-liberal-hegemony-invariably-damage-the-fabric-of/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [A genuine Left doesn't consider anyone's suffering irrelevant or titillating; nor does it function as a microcosm of capitalist economy, with men competing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/a-genuine-left-doesn-t-consider-anyone-s-suffering-irrelevant-or/)

[Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/)

> [We very much hope that as we get growth that we can reduce the burden of taxation, that we can reduce income tax and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/we-very-much-hope-that-as-we-get-growth-that-we-can-reduce-the-burden/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/)

[Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Nothing more guarantees the erosion of character than getting something for nothing. In the liberal welfare state, one develops an entitlement mentality. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/nothing-more-guarantees-the-erosion-of-character-than-getting/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

## More by John Mearsheimer

> [Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed NATO enlargement, and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would not stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/since-the-mid-1990s-russian-leaders-have-adamantly-opposed-nato/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The unpleasant truth is that some borders are untenable and preserving them causes conflict, not peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-unpleasant-truth-is-that-some-borders-are-untenable-and/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Decapitation is a fanciful strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/decapitation-is-a-fanciful-strategy/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Great powers react harshly when distant rivals project military power into their neighborhood, much less attempt to make a country on their border an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/great-powers-react-harshly-when-distant-rivals-project-military-power/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [I hate sleeping in the woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/i-hate-sleeping-in-the-woods/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [When the United States worked to contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War, we went to enormous lengths to get as many countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/when-the-united-states-worked-to-contain-the-soviet-union-during-the/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The central aim of American foreign policy has traditionally been to dominate the western hemisphere while not permitting another great power to dominate Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-central-aim-of-american-foreign-policy-has-traditionally-been-to/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Nuclear weapons are the ideal middle-class weapons for Americans. They provide massive amounts of deterrence on the cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/nuclear-weapons-are-the-ideal-middle-class-weapons-for-americans-they/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [States have two kinds of power: latent power and military power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/states-have-two-kinds-of-power-latent-power-and-military-power/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Erosion of sovereignty is one more reason a powerful state with a liberal foreign policy ends up fighting never ending wars and fostering militarism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/erosion-of-sovereignty-is-one-more-reason-a-powerful-state-with-a/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Simply put, the most powerful state is the one that prevails in a dispute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/simply-put-the-most-powerful-state-is-the-one-that-prevails-in-a/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [What disappoints me about Obama is that, when he came into office, he gave the impression he was going to reduce America's global commitments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/what-disappoints-me-about-obama-is-that-when-he-came-into-office-he/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The question of whether or not the United States or any other great power should expand, should pursue regional hegemony, or pursue global hegemony,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-question-of-whether-or-not-the-united-states-or-any-other-great/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [The more closely any ism accords with human nature, the more relevance it will have in the real world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/the-more-closely-any-ism-accords-with-human-nature-the-more-relevance/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [Offensive realism predicts that the United States will send its army across the Atlantic when there is a potential hegemon in Europe that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/offensive-realism-predicts-that-the-united-states-will-send-its-army/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

[Explore all 121 John Mearsheimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [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/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Within countries, I believe liberalism is a genuine force for good.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Mearsheimer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is-a-genuine-force-for-good/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is-a-genuine-force-for-good/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fd/john-mearsheimer-3817_believe_within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is_1210475.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Within countries, I believe liberalism is a genuine force for good.” — John Mearsheimer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Mearsheimer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Within countries, I believe liberalism is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is-a-genuine-force-for-good/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/within-countries-i-believe-liberalism-is-a-genuine-force-for-good/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
