--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When your goal is to bring together the…" description: "\"When your goal is to bring together the country in a substantive way to say that we're united by values and more - that are - you know, stronger than t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/michael-gerson-33420_country_when-your-goal-is-to-bring-together-the_1130556.jpg" --- # When your goal is to bring together the country in a… ![“When your goal is to bring together the country in a substantive way to say that we're united by values and more - that are - you know, stronger than the things that divide us. That could be a moment.” quote by Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/michael-gerson-33420_country_when-your-goal-is-to-bring-together-the_1130556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/michael-gerson-33420_country_when-your-goal-is-to-bring-together-the_1130556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/michael-gerson-33420_country_when-your-goal-is-to-bring-together-the_1130556.jpg) > “When your goal is to bring together the country in a substantive way to say that we're united by values and more - that are - you know, stronger than the things that divide us. That could be a moment.” [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker urges focusing on shared values to overcome divisions and create unity. **In simple terms:** Emphasize common values to bridge divides. Key Takeaway Promote unity through shared values. Themes unity values politics division leadership Mood hopeful determined Type inspirational political When to use this quote - national campaigns - community meetings - public debates - media messaging Key Concepts collective identity social cohesion political rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - How can we identify truly shared values? - What risks arise from oversimplifying complex divisions? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on values may ignore structural issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Substantive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substantive/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [The Things That Divide Us Are Stronger Than The Things That Unite Us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hickman/the-things-that-divide-us-are-stronger-than-the-things-that-unite-us/) [Jonathan Hickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hickman/) > [America is always stronger when we do things together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/america-is-always-stronger-when-we-do-things-together/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [“Some things are simply meant to happen to make you stronger. Other things happen to break you down just so you can understand what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-m-hardin/some-things-are-simply-meant-to-happen-to-make-you-stronger-other/) [B.M. Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-m-hardin/) > [“I figure we go through things that make us stronger, but we also go through things that just simply piss us off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-winkler/i-figure-we-go-through-things-that-make-us-stronger-but-we-also-go/) Meg Winkler > [Things that make us alike are finer and stronger than the things that make us different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-addams/things-that-make-us-alike-are-finer-and-stronger-than-the-things-that/) [Jane Addams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-addams/) > [I want to clean up my handle. Get stronger. Those are the things that will help me out in the long run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-kuzma/i-want-to-clean-up-my-handle-get-stronger-those-are-the-things-that/) [Kyle Kuzma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-kuzma/) > [“So we've been out-numbered, raided and out-cornered. It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair. We're getting stronger now, found things they've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/so-we-ve-been-out-numbered-raided-and-out-cornered-it-s-hard-to-fight/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Things that make you CRY will help you become stronger and things that COMFORT you will make you weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monalyn-tuazon/things-that-make-you-cry-will-help-you-become-stronger-and-things/) [Monalyn Tuazon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monalyn-tuazon/) > [I do think that there is such a thing as human nature, and that the things that we have in common are perhaps greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-do-think-that-there-is-such-a-thing-as-human-nature-and-that-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The stupidity of militarized fences between two worlds is a metaphor for all the things that divide us as human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/the-stupidity-of-militarized-fences-between-two-worlds-is-a-metaphor/) [Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/) > [We are not going to dwell on those things that divide us. We are going to rejoice in those things that keep us together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-are-not-going-to-dwell-on-those-things-that-divide-us-we-are-going/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So unless we come together as a people and stop our foolish beefing among each other, sit down like intelligent men and women and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/so-unless-we-come-together-as-a-people-and-stop-our-foolish-beefing/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [We came to America, either ourselves or in the persons of our ancestors, to better the ideals of men, to make them see finer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/we-came-to-america-either-ourselves-or-in-the-persons-of-our/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [It's easy to focus on the things that divide us. Sometimes too easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/it-s-easy-to-focus-on-the-things-that-divide-us-sometimes-too-easy/) [Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/) > [While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/while-we-celebrate-our-diversity-what-surprises-me-time-and-time/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) ## More by Michael Gerson > [This has all the appearance of a foreign power trying to undermine structures of legitimacy of an American election. That is a serious matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/this-has-all-the-appearance-of-a-foreign-power-trying-to-undermine/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“Freedom requires virtues it does not produce and may even help undermine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/freedom-requires-virtues-it-does-not-produce-and-may-even-help/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The Republican Party has become more conservative. The Democratic Party has become marginally more liberal. There's almost no overlap in the middle, ideological overlap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-republican-party-has-become-more-conservative-the-democratic/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The soft bigotry of low expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-soft-bigotry-of-low-expectations/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [It's hard when the worst people in the country are cheering, the people with the confederate flag, the people that do anti-Semitism on Twitter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/it-s-hard-when-the-worst-people-in-the-country-are-cheering-the/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [Parenthood offers many lessons in patience and sacrifice. But ultimately, it is a lesson in humility. The very best thing about your life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/parenthood-offers-many-lessons-in-patience-and-sacrifice-but/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [Atheists can be good people; they just have no objective way to judge the conduct of those who are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/atheists-can-be-good-people-they-just-have-no-objective-way-to-judge/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The problem with these presidential debates like this is that you can't really prepare for them, because the questions are so individual and personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-problem-with-these-presidential-debates-like-this-is-that-you-can/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“To restrict or legalize abortion, to allow or forbid gay marriage, a legislator would need to write and pass a law, get it signed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/to-restrict-or-legalize-abortion-to-allow-or-forbid-gay-marriage-a/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [When you analyze it, Mike Pence could only defend Donald Trump in some circumstances by projecting an image of himself, as though he were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/when-you-analyze-it-mike-pence-could-only-defend-donald-trump-in-some/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The NSA is not looking through people's address books and Visa bills and violating the rights of average citizens. That's not what the NSA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-nsa-is-not-looking-through-people-s-address-books-and-visa-bills/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [There is some of the paradox of foreign policy polling. So on Iraq and Syria, the President is pretty much doing what Americans want,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/there-is-some-of-the-paradox-of-foreign-policy-polling-so-on-iraq-and/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“The rational arguments against suicide are compelling. It causes intense suffering for loved ones that few would intend in their right mind. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-rational-arguments-against-suicide-are-compelling-it-causes/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“To this point, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has been the Republican flavor of the year. Events from the IRS scandal to NSA revelations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/to-this-point-sen-rand-paul-of-kentucky-has-been-the-republican/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) [Explore all 15 Michael Gerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) ## 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": "When your goal is to bring together the country in a substantive way to say that we're united by values and more - that are - you know, stronger than the things that divide us. 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