--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Borders may divide us, but…" description: "\"“Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically, they're also the places where we're nearest to one another.”\" — Ken Jennings" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg" --- # Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically, they're also… ![“Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically, they're also the places where we're nearest to one another.” quote by Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg) > ““Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically, they're also the places where we're nearest to one another.”” [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Borders separate but also bring people close together. **In simple terms:** Borders divide yet create proximity. Key Takeaway Recognize both division and connection. Themes division connection culture Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - travel - immigration - community building Key Concepts geography social interaction Questions to Reflect On - How do borders shape identity? - Can borders be reimagined as bridges? A Different Perspective Borders can also reinforce conflict and exclusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Borders Divide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders-divide-1686654/) [Divide Paradoxically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-paradoxically-3925214/) [Paradoxically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradoxically-847974/) [Paradoxically Places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradoxically-places-3925213/) ## Related quotes > [“Originally, there were no man-made borders to divide and segregate lands on this beautiful planet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dines/originally-there-were-no-man-made-borders-to-divide-and-segregate/) [Christopher Dines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dines/) > [Whether the borders that divide us are picket fences or national boundaries, we are all neighbors in a global community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/whether-the-borders-that-divide-us-are-picket-fences-or-national/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [“Decisions are made in life,  you make them and you stand by them, they're what make us who we are, they define us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-darshan/decisions-are-made-in-life-you-make-them-and-you-stand-by-them-they/) [T. Darshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-darshan/) > [“It is precisely, if paradoxically, because reversal is in the service of repetition (so as to ensure, alongside its companion strategies, a dizzying proliferation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-beizer/it-is-precisely-if-paradoxically-because-reversal-is-in-the-service/) [Janet Beizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-beizer/) > [“Not only are we inescapably alone in the realms of our private thoughts, perceptions and feelings, but we are also, paradoxically, inescapably together in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/not-only-are-we-inescapably-alone-in-the-realms-of-our-private/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) > [“It's rarely pointed out, even though it's so obvious, that the artistic triumph of the small screen has paradoxically come at the expense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-essex/it-s-rarely-pointed-out-even-though-it-s-so-obvious-that-the-artistic/) [Andrew Essex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-essex/) > [“Step One is, paradoxically, both a crushing end and a beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/step-one-is-paradoxically-both-a-crushing-end-and-a-beginning/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [Paradoxically, the more deeply one grows in enlightenment, the more clearly one discerns one's own frailties and limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hee-jin/paradoxically-the-more-deeply-one-grows-in-enlightenment-the-more/) [Kim Hee-jin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hee-jin/) > [“Paradoxically, it now is much easier to treat many mental disorders than it is to understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-m-nesse/paradoxically-it-now-is-much-easier-to-treat-many-mental-disorders/) [Randolph M. Nesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-m-nesse/) > [“it sounds paradoxically, but: "love was counting seconds before time was created”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gika/it-sounds-paradoxically-but-love-was-counting-seconds-before-time-was/) [Gika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gika/) > [“Markets are born free, yet no sooner are they born than some would-be emperor is forging chains. Paradoxically,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/markets-are-born-free-yet-no-sooner-are-they-born-than-some-would-be/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Paradoxically, to be truly idle, you also have to be efficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/paradoxically-to-be-truly-idle-you-also-have-to-be-efficient/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Paradoxically nothing exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/paradoxically-nothing-exists/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Paradoxically, the ability to be alone is the condition for the ability to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/paradoxically-the-ability-to-be-alone-is-the-condition-for-the/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“although the phrase “come back” is misleading because in the realm of meditative daydream the only way to “go there” is, paradoxically, to totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/although-the-phrase-come-back-is-misleading-because-in-the-realm-of/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) ## More by Ken Jennings > [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/) > [“The decline of geography in academia is easy to understand: we live in an age of ever-increasing specialization, and geography is a generalist's discipline.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/the-decline-of-geography-in-academia-is-easy-to-understand-we-live-in/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [We regret the insinuation that Mr. Alex Trebek is a robot, and has been since 2004. Mr. Trebek's robotic frame does still contain some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/we-regret-the-insinuation-that-mr-alex-trebek-is-a-robot-and-has-been/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [People are using GPS systems to find millions of little hidden objects throughout the world - often as simple as a piece of Tupperware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/people-are-using-gps-systems-to-find-millions-of-little-hidden/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [I always bring my kids vacation souvenirs printed in Comic Sans, so they know I love them but not unconditionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/i-always-bring-my-kids-vacation-souvenirs-printed-in-comic-sans-so/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [During the whole 'Jeopardy' experience, I felt like I was living a bit of a double life, I would be secretly flying out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/during-the-whole-jeopardy-experience-i-felt-like-i-was-living-a-bit/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [For me, it started as a child with one of those little wooden jigsaw maps of the U.S., wheres theres crocodiles on Florida and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/for-me-it-started-as-a-child-with-one-of-those-little-wooden-jigsaw/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [I would read the atlas for pleasure. I knew it was weird. It was weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/i-would-read-the-atlas-for-pleasure-i-knew-it-was-weird-it-was-weird/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [If youre a vegan who ran a marathon & got your dogs from a shelter, how do you decide which thing to wedge into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/if-youre-a-vegan-who-ran-a-marathon-got-your-dogs-from-a-shelter-how/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Even before you understand them, your brain is drawn to maps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/even-before-you-understand-them-your-brain-is-drawn-to-maps/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [We don't realize how hard it was to drive anywhere outside the major cities less than a century ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/we-don-t-realize-how-hard-it-was-to-drive-anywhere-outside-the-major/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [You watch an old 'Jeopardy!' and the categories alone are very plain. 'Poetry,' or 'Movies,' or 'Physics.' If you watch it now, though, there'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-watch-an-old-jeopardy-and-the-categories-alone-are-very-plain/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [“There were two problems with this idea. First, it led to crappy “virtual reality” movies like Virtuosity and The Lawnmower Man. And second, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/there-were-two-problems-with-this-idea-first-it-led-to-crappy-virtual/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Sure I have a cell-phone, so I don't have to remember everyone's number anymore, but that really wasn't a core part of my brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/sure-i-have-a-cell-phone-so-i-don-t-have-to-remember-everyone-s/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [“I pick up Dylan. He certainly takes after his father: about three-quarters of his body weight seems to be head, and three-quarters of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/i-pick-up-dylan-he-certainly-takes-after-his-father-about-three/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) [Explore all 49 Ken Jennings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) ## More Borders quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/when-i-went-to-law-school-which-after-all-was-back-in-the-dark-ages/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [Schengen cannot survive without the most dramatic reform, and the external borders of Europe must be rapidly strengthened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/schengen-cannot-survive-without-the-most-dramatic-reform-and-the/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [The troops were occasionally occupied in pursuing scattered bands going north or south, and on three occasions the large camp of Sitting Bull ventured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-a-miles/the-troops-were-occasionally-occupied-in-pursuing-scattered-bands/) [Nelson A. Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-a-miles/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we talk about contemporary art and contemporary artists, we usually imagine artists who are alive. But I feel very uncomfortable about placing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/when-we-talk-about-contemporary-art-and-contemporary-artists-we/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [Photography... unites the obvious and the unconscious at the level of the limimal - the border between what we see and what we suspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-lorca-dicorcia/photography-unites-the-obvious-and-the-unconscious-at-the-level-of/) [Philip-Lorca diCorcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-lorca-dicorcia/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [Fifty thousand people in Mexico have been murdered. Puerto Penasco, 60 miles south of our border, just had five people and a police officer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/fifty-thousand-people-in-mexico-have-been-murdered-puerto-penasco-60/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [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/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/at-no-other-time-than-autumn-does-the-earth-let-itself-be-inhaled-in/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [House Republicans want to pass a strong border security, illegal immigration bill. We want a bill. There is no ifs, ands or buts about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/house-republicans-want-to-pass-a-strong-border-security-illegal/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) [Browse all 1,650 Borders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically, they're also the places where we're nearest to one another.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Jennings" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically-they-re-also-the-places-where/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Borders" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically-they-re-also-the-places-where/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/076/ken-jennings-13843_quote_borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically_2059975.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically, they're also the places where we're nearest to one another.” — Ken Jennings", "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": "Ken Jennings", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Borders may divide us, but, paradoxically,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically-they-re-also-the-places-where/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/borders-may-divide-us-but-paradoxically-they-re-also-the-places-where/#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 } } ] } ```