--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well - Patriotism has its laws. And it…" description: "\"Well - Patriotism has its laws. And it also is a perfectly definite one, there are not vaguenesses about it. It commands that the brother over the bord..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/mark-twain-22_book_well-patriotism-has-its-laws-and-it-also_696853.png" --- # Well - Patriotism has its laws. And it also is a perfectly… ![“Well - Patriotism has its laws. And it also is a perfectly definite one, there are not vaguenesses about it. It commands that the brother over the border shall be sharply watched and brought to book every time he does us a hurt or offends us with an insult.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/mark-twain-22_book_well-patriotism-has-its-laws-and-it-also_696853.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/mark-twain-22_book_well-patriotism-has-its-laws-and-it-also_696853.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/mark-twain-22_book_well-patriotism-has-its-laws-and-it-also_696853.png) > “Well - Patriotism has its laws. And it also is a perfectly definite one, there are not vaguenesses about it. It commands that the brother over the border shall be sharply watched and brought to book every time he does us a hurt or offends us with an insult.” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Patriotism is depicted as a strict, unambiguous duty to monitor and punish perceived threats from neighboring nations. **In simple terms:** Patriotism is a clear, strict duty to watch and punish. Key Takeaway Recognize the need for balanced vigilance. Themes patriotism duty conflict justice Mood serious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - border disputes - military policy - foreign relations - public opinion Key Concepts nationalism security retribution Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect themselves without fostering hatred? - What limits should be placed on surveillance of neighbors? A Different Perspective Overly rigid patriotism can fuel hostility and ignore nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Border Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/border-shall-5524390/) [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Brother Border](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother-border-5524391/) [Command](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/command/) [Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definite/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Hurt Offends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt-offends-5524392/) [Insult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insult/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-perfectly-4595902/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Patriotism Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism-laws-5524389/) [Vagueness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vagueness/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [“The whole idea of a unified universe with mathematically regular laws, that was what had been flushed down the toilet; the whole notion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/the-whole-idea-of-a-unified-universe-with-mathematically-regular-laws/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [The mission of the law is not to oppress persons and plunder them of their property, even though the law may be acting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-mission-of-the-law-is-not-to-oppress-persons-and-plunder-them-of/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [No blur of inexactness, no cloud of vagueness, is allowable in good writing; from the first seeing to the last putting down, there must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/no-blur-of-inexactness-no-cloud-of-vagueness-is-allowable-in-good/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [When people talk, they lay lines on each other, do a lot of role playing, sidestep, shilly-shally and engage in all manner of vagueness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-people-talk-they-lay-lines-on-each-other-do-a-lot-of-role/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Conventions of generality and mathematical elegance may be just as much barriers to the attainment and diffusion of knowledge as may contentment with particularity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/conventions-of-generality-and-mathematical-elegance-may-be-just-as/) [Kenneth E. 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