--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course you can more easily recognise…" description: "\"Of course you can more easily recognise the outsiders because they have a different skin color. But let us take for instance the relationship between t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/norbert-elias-27977_black_of-course-you-can-more-easily-recognise_2211050.jpg" --- # Of course you can more easily recognise the outsiders… ![“Of course you can more easily recognise the outsiders because they have a different skin color. But let us take for instance the relationship between the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant majority in America and the negroes. What is important here is that the negroes were the descendants from slaves…” quote by Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/norbert-elias-27977_black_of-course-you-can-more-easily-recognise_2211050.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/norbert-elias-27977_black_of-course-you-can-more-easily-recognise_2211050.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e8/norbert-elias-27977_black_of-course-you-can-more-easily-recognise_2211050.jpg) > “Of course you can more easily recognise the outsiders because they have a different skin color. But let us take for instance the relationship between the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant majority in America and the negroes. What is important here is that the negroes were the descendants from slaves and were excluded from power, while the white majority kept them at bay, kept them down, kept them where they are. If the negroes in the future became assimilated and acquired equal power access, if there were a black president, then many of these things would change.” [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racial hierarchies persist because power structures keep minorities marginalized; integration could shift dynamics. **In simple terms:** Power keeps minorities down; integration could change that. Key Takeaway Challenge systemic inequality. Themes race power social hierarchy assimilation inequality Mood reflective critical Type sociological historical When to use this quote - political reform - education equity - community dialogue - policy advocacy Key Concepts social stratification dominance colonial legacy Questions to Reflect On - How can power be redistributed fairly? - What policies truly empower marginalized groups? A Different Perspective Integration alone may not erase deep‑rooted prejudice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Negroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-negroes-4895872/) [Negroes Descendants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes-descendants-4895873/) [Negroes Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negroes-important-4895870/) [Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) [Outsiders Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders-different-4895871/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Recognise Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognise-outsiders-4895869/) [Skin color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin-color/) [Skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skins/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ## Related quotes > [“Does anyone in this room have it?" "No, Chris, no one here has it." "How do you know?" "Because the mark was dark skin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/does-anyone-in-this-room-have-it-no-chris-no-one-here-has-it-how-do/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [I have touched here on a problem that is masked if one speaks of racism. And that is the fact that the major differences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/i-have-touched-here-on-a-problem-that-is-masked-if-one-speaks-of/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [“In the American colonies, the first laborers were European indentured servants. When African laborers were forcibly brought to Virginia beginning in 1619, status was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-h-goodman/in-the-american-colonies-the-first-laborers-were-european-indentured/) [Alan H. 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None of that had changed, or could be changed by anything as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/i-understood-her-trusted-her-and-loved-her-as-a-dear-friend-none-of/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [This is really skin privilege, the ranking of color in terms of its closeness to white people or white-skinned people and its devaluation according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/this-is-really-skin-privilege-the-ranking-of-color-in-terms-of-its/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [What makes us different? Well, besides our skin color and our nationality and maybe our religion, nothing. We all want the same thing, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/what-makes-us-different-well-besides-our-skin-color-and-our/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [“I spent most of my time floating on an inflatable raft in the pristine Mediterranean waters, my big belly curving toward the sun, reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/i-spent-most-of-my-time-floating-on-an-inflatable-raft-in-the/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [Money is human kind's greatest invention. Money doesn't discriminate. Money doesn't care whether a person is poor, whether a person comes from a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takafumi-horie/money-is-human-kind-s-greatest-invention-money-doesn-t-discriminate/) [Takafumi Horie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takafumi-horie/) > [“The desire to describe voice, gesture, skin color, is a desire to eat, take over, make into part of the pattern. I am happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-lockwood/the-desire-to-describe-voice-gesture-skin-color-is-a-desire-to-eat/) [Patricia Lockwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-lockwood/) > [Being a good person does not depend on you religion, status in life, race, skin color, political views, or culture. It depends on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/being-a-good-person-does-not-depend-on-you-religion-status-in-life/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) ## More by Norbert Elias > [The heart of assimilation process of absorbing minorities lies in the self-image of a nation. There are, as you will know, big differences for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/the-heart-of-assimilation-process-of-absorbing-minorities-lies-in-the/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [Debating the concept of race does not mean that I in any way regard this as a quarrel between neighbors over where they come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/debating-the-concept-of-race-does-not-mean-that-i-in-any-way-regard/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [One has to give minority groups a kind of reward, an emotional reward, that it is worthwhile assimilating to this particular majority group. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/one-has-to-give-minority-groups-a-kind-of-reward-an-emotional-reward/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [Perhaps one could appoint three or four professional people specially concerned with the task of bridge building between the majority and the minority. Bridge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/perhaps-one-could-appoint-three-or-four-professional-people-specially/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [The natives of England are closing their doors to relationships with Asians and Africans or, for that matter, Turks and Spaniards. While the Africans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/the-natives-of-england-are-closing-their-doors-to-relationships-with/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [I wish you all the pleasurable excitement one can have without hurting others and one's own dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/i-wish-you-all-the-pleasurable-excitement-one-can-have-without/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [Assimilation, a certain uniformity of conduct, is necessary in a multi-party state.This is not only a requirement to the established majority; it is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/assimilation-a-certain-uniformity-of-conduct-is-necessary-in-a-multi/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [The way one behaves and feels as a Dutchman and Dutchwoman is the result of a long development. It is by no means 'the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/the-way-one-behaves-and-feels-as-a-dutchman-and-dutchwoman-is-the/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [I have touched here on a problem that is masked if one speaks of racism. And that is the fact that the major differences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/i-have-touched-here-on-a-problem-that-is-masked-if-one-speaks-of/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [Scientific modes of thought cannot be developed and become generally accepted unless people renounce their primary, unreflecting, and spontaneous attempt to understand all their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/scientific-modes-of-thought-cannot-be-developed-and-become-generally/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [I would like to remind you that both assimilation and integration apply to the working classes in the nineteenth century, at least in Britain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/i-would-like-to-remind-you-that-both-assimilation-and-integration/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [The number of those who have to be assimilated to the majority is not too high. It remains small compared with the numbers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/the-number-of-those-who-have-to-be-assimilated-to-the-majority-is-not/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [Perhaps I should say that in general there are three solutions to such a situation. I mean not only in Holland, but everywhere where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/perhaps-i-should-say-that-in-general-there-are-three-solutions-to/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [Very often people who live in a ghetto accept some of the stigmatisation against them. I mention the case of a Japanese minority the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/very-often-people-who-live-in-a-ghetto-accept-some-of-the/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) > [When Benjamin Disraeli spoke of the 'two nations' in Britain he was perfectly right, only the working classes were not exactly a nation. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-elias/when-benjamin-disraeli-spoke-of-the-two-nations-in-britain-he-was/) [Norbert Elias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) [Explore all 19 Norbert Elias quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-elias/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. 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