---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But…"
description: "\"“Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But when he did, he meant it. This was politics. It was ugly, it was irrational, but it was preferable to war. R..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png"
---

#  Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But when he did, he…

![“Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But when he did, he meant it. This was politics. It was ugly, it was irrational, but it was preferable to war. Roger was being cheered because he had won. What did it mean to win? It meant being cheered. So Daniel huzzahed, as lustily as his dry pipes and…” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png)

> ““Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But when he did, he meant it. This was politics. It was ugly, it was irrational, but it was preferable to war. Roger was being cheered because he had won. What did it mean to win? It meant being cheered. So Daniel huzzahed, as lustily as his dry pipes and creaky ribs would permit, and was astounded to see the way people came a-running: not only the Quality from their town-houses, but hooligans and Vagabonds from bonfire-strewn fields to the north, to throng around Roger and cheer him. Not because they agreed with his positions, or even knew who he was, but because he was plainly enough the man of the hour.””

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Cheering for a leader can be a social ritual that transcends rational agreement, offering unity and purpose.

**In simple terms:** People cheer for leaders even without agreement.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the power of collective enthusiasm.

Themes

politics social dynamics leadership

Mood

reflective critical thoughtful

Type

political psychological

When to use this quote

- sports events
- political rallies
- public celebrations
- community gatherings

Key Concepts

group psychology symbolic action

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we follow symbols over substance?
- When does collective joy become manipulation?

A Different Perspective

Cheering may blind participants to critical evaluation of leaders.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [I would love to make my entire career as the guy who did not get cheered. Of course, I'm still going to get cheered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolph-ziggler/i-would-love-to-make-my-entire-career-as-the-guy-who-did-not-get/)

[Dolph Ziggler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolph-ziggler/)

> [I don't cheer for anyone because my job is obviously more important, but the reason why I got into sports is because of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-andrews/i-don-t-cheer-for-anyone-because-my-job-is-obviously-more-important/)

[Erin Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-andrews/)

> [I will never hope to walk into a room and be cheered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/i-will-never-hope-to-walk-into-a-room-and-be-cheered/)

[Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/)

> [“They cheered and clapped, excited by the prospect of my musical pain. Twisted... every last one of them. If I still had any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genna-rulon/they-cheered-and-clapped-excited-by-the-prospect-of-my-musical-pain/)

[Genna Rulon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genna-rulon/)

> [“People began to clap as she made her way up the aisle, giggling. She threw herself at him, burying her head in his chest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-rose/people-began-to-clap-as-she-made-her-way-up-the-aisle-giggling-she/)

[Renee Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-rose/)

> [“I got cheered greatly, not because I did well, but because the main point in my part was to look foolish, and I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lellenberg/i-got-cheered-greatly-not-because-i-did-well-but-because-the-main/)

Jon Lellenberg

> [Here the people could stand it no longer and complained of the long voyage; but the Admiral cheered them as best he could, holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-columbus/here-the-people-could-stand-it-no-longer-and-complained-of-the-long/)

[Christopher Columbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-columbus/)

> [I get cheered more and more for one simple reason: When I step in the ring, I steal the show! I will not accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolph-ziggler/i-get-cheered-more-and-more-for-one-simple-reason-when-i-step-in-the/)

[Dolph Ziggler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolph-ziggler/)

> [I went to see a band in New York. The lead singer got on the microphone, and he said How many of you people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-went-to-see-a-band-in-new-york-the-lead-singer-got-on-the/)

[Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/)

> [I owe everything to my fans. They were the ones who cheered for me, and they were the ones who gave me the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-piper/i-owe-everything-to-my-fans-they-were-the-ones-who-cheered-for-me-and/)

[Roddy Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-piper/)

> [I'm always cheered. The way I fight, people love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-vera/i-m-always-cheered-the-way-i-fight-people-love-it/)

[Marlon Vera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-vera/)

> [I know what it's like to be somewhere I'm not being idolized or cheered for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-waller/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-somewhere-i-m-not-being-idolized-or/)

[Darren Waller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-waller/)

> [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/)

[Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/)

> [I've been cheered by the reaction to what I've done with Film Independent at LACMA and the organizational support I've received in pursuing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/i-ve-been-cheered-by-the-reaction-to-what-i-ve-done-with-film/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [Pro football gave me a good sense of perspective to enter politics: I'd already been booed, cheered, cut, sold, traded and hung in effigy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/pro-football-gave-me-a-good-sense-of-perspective-to-enter-politics-i/)

[Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/)

## More by Neal Stephenson

> [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [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/)

> [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

[Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

## More Cheer quotes

> [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Hardy thinks they're cheering for him. I'm not going to tell him differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-hoeppner/hardy-thinks-they-re-cheering-for-him-i-m-not-going-to-tell-him/)

Terry Hoeppner

> [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/)

[Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/)

> [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/)

[David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/)

> [I'm neurotic in the sense that I can have a crowd of 300 people cheering you, applauding you, standing O, but one guy come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-white/i-m-neurotic-in-the-sense-that-i-can-have-a-crowd-of-300-people/)

[Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-white/)

> [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/)

[PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/)

> [“Kurt smiled a shy smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up," he said. "Course I am," Andy said. "You deserve to be full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/kurt-smiled-a-shy-smile-you-re-just-trying-to-cheer-me-up-he-said/)

[Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/)

> [Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/be-of-good-cheer-do-not-think-of-today-s-failures-but-of-the-success/)

[Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/)

> [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [ People had been so attached to the Diane \[Cheers\] character that audiences and producers found it difficult to think of me in any other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-long/people-had-been-so-attached-to-the-diane-cheers-character-that/)

[Shelley Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-long/)

> [I decided very early that I was going to be a reporter, that I would not cheer for the team. I don't denigrate people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/i-decided-very-early-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-reporter-that-i-would/)

[Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/)

> [It's fun, and a laugh for you... you can boo me and feel happy about yourself because you're part of the crowd that did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-goodes/it-s-fun-and-a-laugh-for-you-you-can-boo-me-and-feel-happy-about/)

[Adam Goodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-goodes/)

> [Poetical taste is the only magician whose wand is not broken. No hand, except its own, can dissolve the fabric of beauty in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/poetical-taste-is-the-only-magician-whose-wand-is-not-broken-no-hand/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [This is no time to be precious about locating the exact individuals directly involved in this particular terrorist attack… We know who the homicidal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/this-is-no-time-to-be-precious-about-locating-the-exact-individuals/)

[Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/)

> [Cheer up, you're never alone! There is probably at least 1 bug in your room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/cheer-up-you-re-never-alone-there-is-probably-at-least-1-bug-in-your/)

[Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/)

Browse all 1,099 Cheer quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But when he did, he meant it. This was politics. It was ugly, it was irrational, but it was preferable to war. Roger was being cheered because he had won. What did it mean to win? It meant being cheered. So Daniel huzzahed, as lustily as his dry pipes and creaky ribs would permit, and was astounded to see the way people came a-running: not only the Quality from their town-houses, but hooligans and Vagabonds from bonfire-strewn fields to the north, to throng around Roger and cheer him. Not because they agreed with his positions, or even knew who he was, but because he was plainly enough the man of the hour.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neal Stephenson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but-when-he-did-he-meant-it-this/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cheer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but-when-he-did-he-meant-it-this/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc1/neal-stephenson-362_cheer_daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but_220149.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Daniel was slow to take up the cheer. But when he did, he meant it. This was politics. It was ugly, it was…” — Neal Stephenson",
                "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": "Neal Stephenson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Daniel was slow to take up...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but-when-he-did-he-meant-it-this/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/daniel-was-slow-to-take-up-the-cheer-but-when-he-did-he-meant-it-this/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
