--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any assemblage comprising human beings…" description: "\"“Any assemblage comprising human beings, any family, any party, any tribe, any nation, will bind itself together not by what it shares but ultimately b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg" --- # Any assemblage comprising human beings, any family, any… ![“Any assemblage comprising human beings, any family, any party, any tribe, any nation, will bind itself together not by what it shares but ultimately by what it fears, which is often so much greater. Perhaps it abhors the outsider as camouflage for its own alarms; dreading what it would do to…” quote by Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg) > ““Any assemblage comprising human beings, any family, any party, any tribe, any nation, will bind itself together not by what it shares but ultimately by what it fears, which is often so much greater. Perhaps it abhors the outsider as camouflage for its own alarms; dreading what it would do to itself were the binding to fall asunder.”” [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Groups unite more by shared fears than by common interests, reinforcing exclusion. **In simple terms:** Fear binds groups together. Key Takeaway Recognize fear‑based cohesion. Themes social dynamics fear identity Mood cautious analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - political movements - work teams - family gatherings - online communities Key Concepts collective anxiety in‑group/out‑group bias Questions to Reflect On - What fear unites your community? - How can you shift focus to shared values? A Different Perspective Fear can be manipulated, leading to conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Fears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fears/) ## Related quotes > [“I’m a creative man so my fears are greater than most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/i-m-a-creative-man-so-my-fears-are-greater-than-most/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [I cant do this anymore. Pretend that everythings great. Act like theres nothing to hate. Wipe away every tear. Run away from my fears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-cant-do-this-anymore-pretend-that-everythings-great-act-like-theres/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves, and also that which it fears;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/the-soul-attracts-that-which-it-secretly-harbours-that-which-it-loves/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [Happy Monday! Live without fear! Face your fears and see them as an OPPORTUNITY for strength and growth. You'll see, once you face them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-edmonds/happy-monday-live-without-fear-face-your-fears-and-see-them-as-an/) [Tracey Edmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-edmonds/) > [Whoever knows and fears God has conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/whoever-knows-and-fears-god-has-conscience/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“As you travel along the roads in life, there is a certain kind of peace that comes with knowing you're on the right path.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-nkosazana/as-you-travel-along-the-roads-in-life-there-is-a-certain-kind-of/) [Amaka Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-nkosazana/) > [I had to battle the doubts and fears for a while, but I committed to making sure that my strongest emotion was self-belief. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-azarenka/i-had-to-battle-the-doubts-and-fears-for-a-while-but-i-committed-to/) [Victoria Azarenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-azarenka/) > [Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/fearlessness-is-like-a-muscle-i-know-from-my-own-life-that-the-more-i/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [For me, it's very easy to write a horror movie that's just a succession of scary sequences, but it's hard to find horror movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehren-kruger/for-me-it-s-very-easy-to-write-a-horror-movie-that-s-just-a/) [Ehren Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehren-kruger/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [The moment you conquer one fear is the minute you conquer many fears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/the-moment-you-conquer-one-fear-is-the-minute-you-conquer-many-fears/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“I cite too the ordinary fears of mortality the inspection of a fast-growing mole on the side of the nose blood in the stool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow-2/i-cite-too-the-ordinary-fears-of-mortality-the-inspection-of-a-fast/) [E.L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow-2/) > [“face your fears and live well”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane/face-your-fears-and-live-well/) [dane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane/) > [Live with your lips pressed against your fears, kissing your fears, neither pulling back nor aggressively violating them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-deida/live-with-your-lips-pressed-against-your-fears-kissing-your-fears/) [David Deida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-deida/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) ## More by Joseph O'Connor > [It is not a matter of ends justifying means: but of the creation of new means and new ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/it-is-not-a-matter-of-ends-justifying-means-but-of-the-creation-of/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“The English possessed as many words for stealing as the Irish had for seaweed or guilt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/the-english-possessed-as-many-words-for-stealing-as-the-irish-had-for/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“That each man is the sum of his choices is nothing less than the truth. And each, perhaps, is also something else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/that-each-man-is-the-sum-of-his-choices-is-nothing-less-than-the/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“...but as his father used to say when he had a few drinks taken, you couldn't expect bloody miracles when you were talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/but-as-his-father-used-to-say-when-he-had-a-few-drinks-taken-you/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [The most important thing I would learn in school was that almost everything I would learn in school would be utterly useless. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/the-most-important-thing-i-would-learn-in-school-was-that-almost/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“They had far more in common than either realised. One was born Catholic, the other Protestant. One was born Irish, the other British. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/they-had-far-more-in-common-than-either-realised-one-was-born/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [Dublin was turning into Disneyland with super-pubs, a Purgatory open till five in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/dublin-was-turning-into-disneyland-with-super-pubs-a-purgatory-open/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [(The short story) is a form that has all the power of the novel - some would say more - but none of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/the-short-story-is-a-form-that-has-all-the-power-of-the-novel-some/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“And if ever you wanted to quit your impatient girl truly, and our little story had to be stored away in a room that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/and-if-ever-you-wanted-to-quit-your-impatient-girl-truly-and-our/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [“Happy as a threaded needle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/happy-as-a-threaded-needle/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [I feel these days like a very large flamingo. No matter what way I turn, there is always a very large bill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/i-feel-these-days-like-a-very-large-flamingo-no-matter-what-way-i/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [Everything is in the way the material is composed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/everything-is-in-the-way-the-material-is-composed/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [Politics' the polite word for antediluvian prejudices, the rags put on by enmity and tribal resentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/politics-the-polite-word-for-antediluvian-prejudices-the-rags-put-on/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [There is nothing worse than the ambitions of a talentless person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/there-is-nothing-worse-than-the-ambitions-of-a-talentless-person/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) > [If you do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. If what you are doing is not working, do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/if-you-do-what-you-ve-always-done-you-ll-always-get-what-you-ve/) [Joseph O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) [Explore all 25 Joseph O'Connor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/) ## More Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) Maureen Andeson > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [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/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Any assemblage comprising human beings, any family, any party, any tribe, any nation, will bind itself together not by what it shares but ultimately by what it fears, which is often so much greater. Perhaps it abhors the outsider as camouflage for its own alarms; dreading what it would do to itself were the binding to fall asunder.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph O'Connor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-any-family-any-party-any-tribe/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Family" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-any-family-any-party-any-tribe/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/joseph-o-connor-23065_family_any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-a_3001740.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any assemblage comprising human beings, any family, any party, any tribe, any nation, will bind itself…” — Joseph O'Connor", "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": "Joseph O'Connor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-o-connor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Any assemblage comprising human beings, any...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-any-family-any-party-any-tribe/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-o-connor/any-assemblage-comprising-human-beings-any-family-any-party-any-tribe/#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 } } ] } ```