---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [There] is something fundamentally…"
description: "\"[There] is something fundamentally unpatriotic in the yearning to fundamentally transform your country.\" — Jonah Goldberg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png"
---

#  \[There\] is something fundamentally unpatriotic in the…

![“&#91;There&#93; is something fundamentally unpatriotic in the yearning to fundamentally transform your country.” quote by Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png)

> “\[There\] is something fundamentally unpatriotic in the yearning to fundamentally transform your country.”

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote suggests that deep desire to radically change a nation can be seen as unpatriotic, implying loyalty should be cautious and incremental.

**In simple terms:** Radical change may seem unpatriotic.

Key Takeaway

Consider measured reform.

Themes

patriotism change national identity

Mood

reflective critical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- Policy reform debates
- national elections
- public discourse
- activist planning

Key Concepts

Political theory civic duty

Questions to Reflect On

- Is radical change always unpatriotic?
- How do we balance loyalty and progress?

A Different Perspective

Radical change can also be patriotic if it aims to improve the country.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Yearning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yearning/)

## Related quotes

> [We don't need to fundamentally transform America. We need to restore America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/we-don-t-need-to-fundamentally-transform-america-we-need-to-restore/)

[Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/)

> [To take on the question of race in America and believe that you could transform this country so that it would actually be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/to-take-on-the-question-of-race-in-america-and-believe-that-you-could/)

[Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/)

> [Good economic policy requires not so much the bravado to implement drastic change as the strength and wisdom to make reasonable trade-offs over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/good-economic-policy-requires-not-so-much-the-bravado-to-implement/)

[Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/)

> [I do think if we take the power out of Washington and bring it back to the people, if we defend the Bill of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-do-think-if-we-take-the-power-out-of-washington-and-bring-it-back/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [Argentina will become a model for how to transform a country into a prosperous nation. I have no doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/argentina-will-become-a-model-for-how-to-transform-a-country-into-a/)

[Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/)

> [“A leader who allows their subordinates to suffer as proof of who is the boss likely quenches their thirst with salt water from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donavan-nelson-butler-master-sergeant-us-army/a-leader-who-allows-their-subordinates-to-suffer-as-proof-of-who-is/)

[Donavan Nelson Butler, Master Sergeant US Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donavan-nelson-butler-master-sergeant-us-army/)

> [How lovely." The old lady sighed. "An office romance. I always wanted an office romance. Of course I never really had a job, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mallery/how-lovely-the-old-lady-sighed-an-office-romance-i-always-wanted-an/)

[Susan Mallery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mallery/)

> [The quandary of many liberals in America and elsewhere is that they have largely outgrown patriotism but are afraid to face this fact. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fm-2030/the-quandary-of-many-liberals-in-america-and-elsewhere-is-that-they/)

FM-2030

> [And what terrifies me is that we're entering a phase where if you start to speak about this as something that can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/and-what-terrifies-me-is-that-we-re-entering-a-phase-where-if-you/)

[Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/)

> [The suspicion that immigrants are not to be trusted or are unpatriotic is not just wrong; it is un-American. And dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/the-suspicion-that-immigrants-are-not-to-be-trusted-or-are/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [Global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-sajak/global-warming-alarmists-are-unpatriotic-racists-knowingly-misleading/)

[Pat Sajak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-sajak/)

> [Louis Brandeis started off by embracing the Theodore Roosevelt notion that hyphenated Americanism was unpatriotic. You couldn't have dual loyalties. But then he thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/louis-brandeis-started-off-by-embracing-the-theodore-roosevelt-notion/)

[Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/)

> [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/)

[James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/)

> [It must never be unpatriotic to support your country against your government. It must always be unpatriotic to support your government against your country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-t-byington/it-must-never-be-unpatriotic-to-support-your-country-against-your/)

Steven T. Byington

> [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/)

[George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/)

## More by Jonah Goldberg

> [Not reassuring when weathermen say 'Today will be terrible but don't worry it won't be as terrible as tomorrow or Friday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/not-reassuring-when-weathermen-say-today-will-be-terrible-but-don-t/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [Are you a producer or a looter? If diversity were always and everywhere good we would be clamoring for more midgets in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/are-you-a-producer-or-a-looter-if-diversity-were-always-and/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [You can make a very good argument that society would be much worse off if you let 10 rapists and murderers free rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/you-can-make-a-very-good-argument-that-society-would-be-much-worse/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [“The nasty racism that infused the progressive eugenics of Margaret Sanger and others has largely melted away. But liberal fascists are still racist in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-nasty-racism-that-infused-the-progressive-eugenics-of-margaret/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [Liberals are Nazis, and Nazis are liberals. And if you don't agree with me, you're a Nazi too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/liberals-are-nazis-and-nazis-are-liberals-and-if-you-don-t-agree-with/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [I have always seen the Clinton Foundation - yes, they do a lot of charitable good works. But by my lights, the charitable good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-have-always-seen-the-clinton-foundation-yes-they-do-a-lot-of/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [(I)f France's righteous bloviating against war makes them your Dashboard Saint of International Integrity, it's either because you are sand-poundingly ignorant of how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-f-france-s-righteous-bloviating-against-war-makes-them-your/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [(I)t is simply wrong to confuse cowardice with appeasement. Cowardice is a failing of character. Appeasement is a failure of policy. Stalin appeased Hitler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/i-t-is-simply-wrong-to-confuse-cowardice-with-appeasement-cowardice/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [Social distinctions tend to matter only at your own level and above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/social-distinctions-tend-to-matter-only-at-your-own-level-and-above/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [The logical upshot of liberalism's hatred of hypocrisy is that it is better for the liar to champion lying, the glutton to advocate gluttony,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-logical-upshot-of-liberalism-s-hatred-of-hypocrisy-is-that-it-is/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [“No nation influenced American thinking more profoundly than Germany, W.E.B. DuBois, Charles Beard, Walter Weyl, Richard Ely, Richard Ely, Nicholas Murray Butler, and countless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/no-nation-influenced-american-thinking-more-profoundly-than-germany-w/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [In Europe and America alike, voters increasingly recognize that the benefits of the green revolution aren't worth the costs, particularly when the revolutionaries don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/in-europe-and-america-alike-voters-increasingly-recognize-that-the/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [“Tom Friedman says China is so awesome they make kosher pigs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/tom-friedman-says-china-is-so-awesome-they-make-kosher-pigs/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [Facts are mere speed bumps on the road to lefty moral outrage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/facts-are-mere-speed-bumps-on-the-road-to-lefty-moral-outrage/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [There was no intellectual movement in American history called social Darwinism. The people who were supposedly the leaders of the social Darwinist movement never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-was-no-intellectual-movement-in-american-history-called-social/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

[Explore all 171 Jonah Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

## More Country quotes

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [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/)

> [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/)

[Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [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/)

> ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/)

[Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/)

> [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

[Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[There] is something fundamentally unpatriotic in the yearning to fundamentally transform your country.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonah Goldberg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatriotic-in-the-yearning-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Country"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatriotic-in-the-yearning-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/jonah-goldberg-2339_country_there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatri_531539.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[There] is something fundamentally unpatriotic in the yearning to fundamentally transform your country.” — Jonah Goldberg",
                "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": "Jonah Goldberg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "[There] is something fundamentally unpatriotic in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatriotic-in-the-yearning-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/there-is-something-fundamentally-unpatriotic-in-the-yearning-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
