--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A Nation... is a group of persons united…" description: "\"A Nation... is a group of persons united by a common error about their ancestry, and a common dislike of their neighbors\" — Karl Deutsch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/karl-deutsch-67255_ancestry_a-nation-is-a-group-of-persons-united-by_2365523.jpg" --- # A Nation... is a group of persons united by a common error… ![“A Nation... is a group of persons united by a common error about their ancestry, and a common dislike of their neighbors” quote by Karl Deutsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/karl-deutsch-67255_ancestry_a-nation-is-a-group-of-persons-united-by_2365523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/karl-deutsch-67255_ancestry_a-nation-is-a-group-of-persons-united-by_2365523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/589/karl-deutsch-67255_ancestry_a-nation-is-a-group-of-persons-united-by_2365523.jpg) > “A Nation... is a group of persons united by a common error about their ancestry, and a common dislike of their neighbors” Karl Deutsch ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nation is formed by shared mistaken beliefs about origins and mutual hostility toward neighbors **In simple terms:** Nations arise from common myths and neighborly animosity Key Takeaway Recognize and question shared myths to reduce conflict Themes identity politics conflict myths nationalism Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - political negotiations - community building - education curricula - media narratives Key Concepts collective identity social construction othering Questions to Reflect On - What myths does your community hold about its origins? - How can we foster neighborly goodwill despite differences? A Different Perspective Shared myths can be resilient and hard to change ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestry/) [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) ## Related quotes > [“In all provinces of life, it is unhappily the case, that whatever is to be accomplished by a number of co-operating men and circumstances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/in-all-provinces-of-life-it-is-unhappily-the-case-that-whatever-is-to/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Your behavior determines, to some extent, the destiny of your nation and your group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/your-behavior-determines-to-some-extent-the-destiny-of-your-nation/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [Any group of persons – prisoners, primitives, pilots, or patients – develop a life of their own that becomes meaningful, reasonable and normal once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erving-goffman/any-group-of-persons-prisoners-primitives-pilots-or-patients-develop/) [Erving Goffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erving-goffman/) > [A mob is a group of persons with heads but no brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jet-li/a-mob-is-a-group-of-persons-with-heads-but-no-brains/) [Jet Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jet-li/) > [The function of the artist is to disturb. 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One's genius descends in the stream from long lines of ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/blood-is-a-destiny-one-s-genius-descends-in-the-stream-from-long/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Karl Deutsch > [Power is the ability to afford not to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-deutsch/power-is-the-ability-to-afford-not-to-learn/) Karl Deutsch > [“War, to be abolished, must be understood. To be understood, it must be studied." Karl Deutsch - preface of A Study of War by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-deutsch/war-to-be-abolished-must-be-understood-to-be-understood-it-must-be/) Karl Deutsch > [Truth lies at the confluence of independent streams of evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-deutsch/truth-lies-at-the-confluence-of-independent-streams-of-evidence/) Karl Deutsch Explore all 4 Karl Deutsch quotes ## More Ancestry quotes > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Blood is a destiny. 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He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-bethune/the-function-of-the-artist-is-to-disturb-his-duty-is-to-arouse-the/) Norman Bethune > [Both the ancestry and posterity of Grief go further than the ancestry and posterity of Joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/both-the-ancestry-and-posterity-of-grief-go-further-than-the-ancestry/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I wasn't trying to work out my own ancestry. I was trying to get people to feel slavery. I was trying to get across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wasn-t-trying-to-work-out-my-own-ancestry-i-was-trying-to-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ancestry is not destiny,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/ancestry-is-not-destiny/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > […Even the idea of a city never entered his mind. 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