--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do believe that America's deepest…" description: "\"I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is that it is a self-righteous nation.\" — Norman Mailer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/norman-mailer-839_america_i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-poli_156809.png" --- # I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is… ![“I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is that it is a self-righteous nation.” quote by Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/norman-mailer-839_america_i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-poli_156809.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/norman-mailer-839_america_i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-poli_156809.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08d/norman-mailer-839_america_i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-poli_156809.png) > “I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is that it is a self-righteous nation.” [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America’s political malaise stems from a belief in its own moral superiority, blinding it to criticism and self‑reflection. **In simple terms:** America’s self‑righteousness harms its politics. Key Takeaway Recognize humility in national discourse. Themes politics national identity hubris Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - public debate - policy making - media analysis Key Concepts Moral psychology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How does national pride affect policy? - Can humility improve governance? A Different Perspective Self‑righteousness can also inspire reform movements, not just stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-america/) [Deepest Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-political-1729848/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-sickness-658159/) [Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous/) [Righteous Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous-nation-1729846/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-righteous/) [Sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickness/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a citizen of the only righteous nation in the Universe-the Kingdom of Jesus Christ!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/i-m-a-citizen-of-the-only-righteous-nation-in-the-universe-the/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [The pursuit of health is a symptom of unhealth. When this pursuit is no longer a personal yearning but part of state ideology, healthism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-skrabanek/the-pursuit-of-health-is-a-symptom-of-unhealth-when-this-pursuit-is/) [Petr Skrabanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-skrabanek/) > [It's amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. 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Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [Bob Geldof is a nauseating character. Band Aid was the most self-righteous platform ever in the history of popular music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/bob-geldof-is-a-nauseating-character-band-aid-was-the-most-self/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [The challenge is whether China as a rising country, the United States as the superpower, can develop a cooperative relationship in this period before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-challenge-is-whether-china-as-a-rising-country-the-united-states/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Those who know their unworthiness seize grace as a hungry man seizes bread: the self-righteous resent grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/those-who-know-their-unworthiness-seize-grace-as-a-hungry-man-seizes/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [Self-righteous victims invite extra nails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/self-righteous-victims-invite-extra-nails/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The world, and the great and free United States in particular, is full of narrow-minded, ignorant, moronic, bigoted, cowardly, self-righteous, anemic, pig-headed, stupid, puritanical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-world-and-the-great-and-free-united-states-in-particular-is-full/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [We are all naturally self-righteous. It is the family disease of all the children of Adam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/we-are-all-naturally-self-righteous-it-is-the-family-disease-of-all/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [We are never more self-righteous than when giving up what we should have shunned all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-are-never-more-self-righteous-than-when-giving-up-what-we-should/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [I shall pray God to send charity into this hideous world, and sympathy for the weak, and love for the unhappy and unfortunate. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wyndham/i-shall-pray-god-to-send-charity-into-this-hideous-world-and-sympathy/) [John Wyndham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wyndham/) ## More by Norman Mailer > [Conservatives are people who look at a tree and feel instinctively that it is more beautiful than anything they can name. But when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/conservatives-are-people-who-look-at-a-tree-and-feel-instinctively/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [There's a subterranean impetus towards pornography so powerful that half the business world is juiced by the sort of half sex that one finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/there-s-a-subterranean-impetus-towards-pornography-so-powerful-that/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [So the blind will lead the blind, and the deaf shout warnings to one another until their voices are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/so-the-blind-will-lead-the-blind-and-the-deaf-shout-warnings-to-one/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Writing for a newspaper is like running a revolutionary war. You go to battle not when you are ready, but when action offers itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/writing-for-a-newspaper-is-like-running-a-revolutionary-war-you-go-to/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I would introduce myself if it were not useless. The name I had last night will not be the same as the name I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-would-introduce-myself-if-it-were-not-useless-the-name-i-had-last/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“City Point is so beautiful, she says. In the night they cannot see the garbage that litters the beach, the seaweed and driftwood, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/city-point-is-so-beautiful-she-says-in-the-night-they-cannot-see-the/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“I find it’s more fun to write about something that you don’t know completely and that you will discover on route. A dear friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-find-it-s-more-fun-to-write-about-something-that-you-don-t-know/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Part of the oncoming demise (of New York during its terrible fiscal crisis) is that none of us can simply believe it. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/part-of-the-oncoming-demise-of-new-york-during-its-terrible-fiscal/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I have always had this very strong, call it a feeling, call it a prejudice, call it a conviction ... that the mysteries are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-have-always-had-this-very-strong-call-it-a-feeling-call-it-a/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [America is a hurricane, and the only people who do not hear the sound are those fortunate if incredibly stupid and smug White Protestants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/america-is-a-hurricane-and-the-only-people-who-do-not-hear-the-sound/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Armstrong, sitting in the commander's seat, spacesuit on, helmet on, plugged into electrical and environmental umbilical's, is a man who is not only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/armstrong-sitting-in-the-commander-s-seat-spacesuit-on-helmet-on/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I was thinking that surgeons had to be the happiest people on earth. To cut people up and get paid for it-that's happiness, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-was-thinking-that-surgeons-had-to-be-the-happiest-people-on-earth/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Movies are more likely than literature to reach deep feelings in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/movies-are-more-likely-than-literature-to-reach-deep-feelings-in/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [No physical activity is so vain as boxing. A man gets into the ring to attract admiration. In no sport, therefore, can you be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/no-physical-activity-is-so-vain-as-boxing-a-man-gets-into-the-ring-to/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) [Explore all 355 Norman Mailer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [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/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [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/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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