---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You need to live in a nation whose…"
description: "\"“You need to live in a nation whose government values the search to understand humanity’s place in the universe.”\" — Neil deGrasse Tyson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png"
---

#  You need to live in a nation whose government values the…

![“You need to live in a nation whose government values the search to understand humanity’s place in the universe.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png)

> ““You need to live in a nation whose government values the search to understand humanity’s place in the universe.””

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## 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 should prioritize scientific inquiry into humanity's place in the cosmos, making that quest a core governmental value.

**In simple terms:** Governments should value cosmic understanding.

Key Takeaway

Science should guide national priorities.

Themes

science government philosophy cosmology

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

visionary philosophical

When to use this quote

- education funding
- space exploration programs
- public science outreach

Key Concepts

public policy existential inquiry

Practical Applications

- Increase STEM research budgets
- Promote science literacy initiatives

Questions to Reflect On

- What benefits arise from a science‑focused government?
- How can societies balance scientific and immediate material needs?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/)

## Related quotes

> [You know, in the sentence of humanity this place needs to be a parentheses. And when I say parentheses I mean I'm talking like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-spooky/you-know-in-the-sentence-of-humanity-this-place-needs-to-be-a/)

[DJ Spooky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-spooky/)

> [“But who gets to think that way? Who gets to celebrate this cosmic view of life? Not the migrant farm worker. Not the sweatshop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/but-who-gets-to-think-that-way-who-gets-to-celebrate-this-cosmic-view/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [“Who gets to celebrate this cosmic view in life? Not the migrant farmworker. Not the sweatshop worker. Certainly not the homeless person rummaging through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/who-gets-to-celebrate-this-cosmic-view-in-life-not-the-migrant/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [I try to keep this in mind when tied in to a rope 75 feet up in a tree... The history of ideas about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-try-to-keep-this-in-mind-when-tied-in-to-a-rope-75-feet-up-in-a/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Science is an enterprise that should be cherished as an activity of the free human mind. Because it transforms who we are, how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-is-an-enterprise-that-should-be-cherished-as-an-activity-of/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Canadian federalism is more than a form of government. It's also a system of values that allows different people in diverse communities to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-chretien/canadian-federalism-is-more-than-a-form-of-government-it-s-also-a/)

[Jean Chretien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-chretien/)

> [I'm a product of the Kennedy era. Kennedy's Inaugural plus the accident of Dean Rusk brought me into the government. Those were my values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-holbrooke/i-m-a-product-of-the-kennedy-era-kennedy-s-inaugural-plus-the/)

[Richard Holbrooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-holbrooke/)

> [I feel the denial of gay marriage sends a prejudice message. Our youth deserve a fair and hopeful future with government that values us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-feel-the-denial-of-gay-marriage-sends-a-prejudice-message-our-youth/)

[Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/)

> [“The right to take a chance, the right to suffer. The right to be unwise, the right to die. These aims are hateful to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/the-right-to-take-a-chance-the-right-to-suffer-the-right-to-be-unwise/)

[Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/)

> [Ours is a land rich in resources; stimulating in its glorious beauty; filled with millions of happy homes; blessed with comfort and opportunity. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert/ours-is-a-land-rich-in-resources-stimulating-in-its-glorious-beauty/)

[Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert/)

> [I stand with the Navajo Nation and call upon the U.S. Government to do what is right and clean up this mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-stand-with-the-navajo-nation-and-call-upon-the-u-s-government-to-do/)

[Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/)

> [You better believe that I want to build a Christian nation, because the only option is a pagan nation. Not that the government can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/you-better-believe-that-i-want-to-build-a-christian-nation-because/)

[Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/)

> [All I want is the same thing you want. To have a nation with a government that is as good and honest and decent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/all-i-want-is-the-same-thing-you-want-to-have-a-nation-with-a/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [To found a great empire for the sole purpose of raising up a people of customers, may at first sight appear a project fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/to-found-a-great-empire-for-the-sole-purpose-of-raising-up-a-people/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

> [We are a nation that has a government - not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-are-a-nation-that-has-a-government-not-the-other-way-around-and/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## More by Neil deGrasse Tyson

> [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The Pacific is the best toilet for satellites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-pacific-is-the-best-toilet-for-satellites/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [... informed ignorance provides the natural state of mind for research scientists at the ever-shifting frontiers of knowledge. People who believe themselves ignorant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/informed-ignorance-provides-the-natural-state-of-mind-for-research/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [If you seek only easy problems to solve, then ultimately, there'll be nothing about you to distinguish yourself from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-you-seek-only-easy-problems-to-solve-then-ultimately-there-ll-be/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The caricature of science is that we hold tight to the theories we have, and shun challenges to them. That's just not true. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-caricature-of-science-is-that-we-hold-tight-to-the-theories-we/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [I've said multiple times that the world's first trillionaire is going to be the person who exploits the resources of asteroids, the natural resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-ve-said-multiple-times-that-the-world-s-first-trillionaire-is-going/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [ They \[scientists of centuries past\] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-on-god-only-from-the-lonely/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [We explore our environment, more than we are compelled to utter poetry, when we're toddlers. We start doing that later. Before that happens, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-explore-our-environment-more-than-we-are-compelled-to-utter-poetry/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Science surrounds you. It's not something that you can step aside, step over or push out of your way because you were never good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/science-surrounds-you-it-s-not-something-that-you-can-step-aside-step/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The idea that God resides in the unknown is what philosophers call the God of the gaps. And we have this thing called science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/the-idea-that-god-resides-in-the-unknown-is-what-philosophers-call/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Everybody's got money for vacation time. Look at how much we all spend just to get - well, I get sick on the loop-the-loop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/everybody-s-got-money-for-vacation-time-look-at-how-much-we-all-spend/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

[Explore all 1,143 Neil deGrasse Tyson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## More Politics quotes

> [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/)

[Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/)

> [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [“Only careful political manoeuvring will be able to manage the situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davan-yahya-khalil/only-careful-political-manoeuvring-will-be-able-to-manage-the/)

Davan Yahya Khalil

> [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/)

[Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/)

> [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/)

[Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/)

> [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/)

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/)

[Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/)

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [“Jim Reston: Walking through the crowds of air-kissing politicians, actors and high fliers, it was tough to tell where the politics stopped and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/jim-reston-walking-through-the-crowds-of-air-kissing-politicians/)

[Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/)

> [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/)

[Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/)

> [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/)

[Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/)

> [A man who kills on his own is a murderer. A man who kills at his government's request is a national hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramman-kenoun/a-man-who-kills-on-his-own-is-a-murderer-a-man-who-kills-at-his/)

[Ramman Kenoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramman-kenoun/)

> [Politics in Philadelphia is a contact sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/politics-in-philadelphia-is-a-contact-sport/)

[Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/)

[Browse all 44,914 Politics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You need to live in a nation whose government values the search to understand humanity’s place in the universe.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-government-values-the-search-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Politics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-government-values-the-search-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_politics_you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-gover_105853.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You need to live in a nation whose government values the search to understand humanity’s place in the…” — Neil deGrasse Tyson",
                "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": "Neil deGrasse Tyson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You need to live in a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-government-values-the-search-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-need-to-live-in-a-nation-whose-government-values-the-search-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
