--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A nation orients itself by its own…" description: "\"A nation orients itself by its own geniuses, and derives from them its ideas of its own ideals, but the guiding star serves also as a light to other na..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/otto-weininger-11319_ardent_a-nation-orients-itself-by-its-own-geniu_741343.png" --- # A nation orients itself by its own geniuses, and derives… ![“A nation orients itself by its own geniuses, and derives from them its ideas of its own ideals, but the guiding star serves also as a light to other nations. As speech has been created by a few great men, the most extraordinary wisdom lies concealed in it, a wisdom which reveals itself to a few…” quote by Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/otto-weininger-11319_ardent_a-nation-orients-itself-by-its-own-geniu_741343.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/otto-weininger-11319_ardent_a-nation-orients-itself-by-its-own-geniu_741343.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/otto-weininger-11319_ardent_a-nation-orients-itself-by-its-own-geniu_741343.png) > “A nation orients itself by its own geniuses, and derives from them its ideas of its own ideals, but the guiding star serves also as a light to other nations. As speech has been created by a few great men, the most extraordinary wisdom lies concealed in it, a wisdom which reveals itself to a few ardent explorers but which is usually overlooked by the stupid professional philologists.” [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests that a nation's identity is shaped by its great thinkers, whose ideas illuminate both their own people and others, though many overlook this hidden wisdom. **In simple terms:** Great minds guide nations and inspire others. Key Takeaway Study and share the insights of visionary thinkers. Themes nation identity genius wisdom influence Mood thoughtful analytical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - education - leadership - policy making Key Concepts philosophy intellectual heritage cultural diffusion Questions to Reflect On - Who are the unsung thinkers shaping our world? - How can we make hidden wisdom accessible? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on elites can marginalize broader contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ardent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ardent/) [Explorers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explorers/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Guiding stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guiding-stars/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [How can a world be good in which Money is the moving power, and Self-interest the guiding star?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rider-haggard/how-can-a-world-be-good-in-which-money-is-the-moving-power-and-self/) [H. Rider Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rider-haggard/) > [My guiding star always is, Get hold of portable property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/my-guiding-star-always-is-get-hold-of-portable-property/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Whatever road I take, the guiding star is within me; the guiding star and the loadstone which point the way. They point in but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/whatever-road-i-take-the-guiding-star-is-within-me-the-guiding-star/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“You are the guiding star of someone's existence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/you-are-the-guiding-star-of-someone-s-existence/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [“The traveler who crosses a mountain in the direction of a star runs the risk of forgetting which is his guiding star if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/the-traveler-who-crosses-a-mountain-in-the-direction-of-a-star-runs/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“If we lift one weary hand which hangs down, if we bring peace to one struggling soul, if we give as did the Master,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/if-we-lift-one-weary-hand-which-hangs-down-if-we-bring-peace-to-one/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“The next time that you find yourself surrounded by darkness, I hope that you will consider that you need not necessarily look to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mishi-mccoy/the-next-time-that-you-find-yourself-surrounded-by-darkness-i-hope/) [Mishi McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mishi-mccoy/) > [Look at my horoscope! '...a new love in your life...' Well, gotta follow my guiding star...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/look-at-my-horoscope-a-new-love-in-your-life-well-gotta-follow-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Look for me in sleepless nights, among the stars, I’ll be your guiding star... Look for me in the moments of happiness, on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zorica-savron/look-for-me-in-sleepless-nights-among-the-stars-i-ll-be-your-guiding/) [Zorica Savron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zorica-savron/) > [If the road ahead is not so easy,, our Love will lead the way for us. Like a guiding star.. I,ll be there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-road-ahead-is-not-so-easy-our-love-will-lead-the-way-for-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always try to be the {guiding star of a mans life, but never make the mistake of fancying that you are his whole planetary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvie/always-try-to-be-the-guiding-star-of-a-mans-life-but-never-make-the/) [Arvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvie/) > [The romantic chivalric tradition takes, or at any rate has in the past taken, the young man's eye off women as they are, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-romantic-chivalric-tradition-takes-or-at-any-rate-has-in-the-past/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You're the first, the last, and my everything and the answer to all my dreams. You're my sun, my moon, my guiding star, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-white/you-re-the-first-the-last-and-my-everything-and-the-answer-to-all-my/) [Barry White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-white/) > [Happy are they who live in the dream of their own existence, and see all things in the light of their own minds; who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/happy-are-they-who-live-in-the-dream-of-their-own-existence-and-see/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [If, while hurrying ostensibly to the temple of truth, we hand the reins over to our personal interests which look aside at very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/if-while-hurrying-ostensibly-to-the-temple-of-truth-we-hand-the-reins/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## More by Otto Weininger > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Only from within himself can a person know the depth of the world: in him lie the interconnections of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/only-from-within-himself-can-a-person-know-the-depth-of-the-world-in/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-men-who-really-think-deeply-about-women-retain-a-high-opinion-of/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [The number of different aspects that the face of a man has assumed may be taken almost as a physiognomical measure of his ... genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/the-number-of-different-aspects-that-the-face-of-a-man-has-assumed/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Man is alone in the world, in tremendous eternal isolation. He has no object outside himself; lives for nothing else; he is far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/man-is-alone-in-the-world-in-tremendous-eternal-isolation-he-has-no/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-men-who-really-think-deeply-about-women-retain-a-high-opinion-of-2/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [All genius is a conquering of chaos and mystery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/all-genius-is-a-conquering-of-chaos-and-mystery/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [With ordinary men the moments which are united in a close continuity out of the original discrete multiplicity are very few, and the course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/with-ordinary-men-the-moments-which-are-united-in-a-close-continuity/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Napoleon, the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and therefore, not geniuses. One can understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/napoleon-the-greatest-of-the-conquerors-is-a-sufficient-proof-that-2/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Not only virtue, but also insight, not only sanctity but also wisdom, are the duties and tasks of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/not-only-virtue-but-also-insight-not-only-sanctity-but-also-wisdom/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [Everything evil is revenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/everything-evil-is-revenge/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [The fixed stars signify the angel in man. That is why man orients himself by them; and that is why women have no appreciation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/the-fixed-stars-signify-the-angel-in-man-that-is-why-man-orients/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [To understand a man is really to be that man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/to-understand-a-man-is-really-to-be-that-man/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) [Explore all 59 Otto Weininger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) ## More Ardent quotes > [There are courageous and honest men enough in both sections to fight. There is no question of courage involved. The people of both sections…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-toombs/there-are-courageous-and-honest-men-enough-in-both-sections-to-fight/) [Robert Toombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-toombs/) > [I am a Zionist, an ardent supporter of Israel, its defender when I deem Israel to be right and its critic when I deem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-bikel/i-am-a-zionist-an-ardent-supporter-of-israel-its-defender-when-i-deem/) [Theodore Bikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-bikel/) > [Ardent desire for knowledge, in fact, is the one motive attracting and supporting investigators in their efforts; and just this knowledge, really grasped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/ardent-desire-for-knowledge-in-fact-is-the-one-motive-attracting-and/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [I am an ardent supporter of Israel in all situations and in all circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mulcair/i-am-an-ardent-supporter-of-israel-in-all-situations-and-in-all/) [Thomas Mulcair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mulcair/) > [Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans, but I have some friends who are NASCAR team owners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/not-as-closely-as-some-of-the-most-ardent-fans-but-i-have-some/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The person who inspired me the most was a friend of mine, Anita Roddick. I know that Anita wasn't known to be an ardent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/the-person-who-inspired-me-the-most-was-a-friend-of-mine-anita/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [I rejoice that liberty . . . now finds an asylum in the bosom of a regularly organized government; a government, which, being formed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/i-rejoice-that-liberty-now-finds-an-asylum-in-the-bosom-of-a/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [A sick man, surrounded by those who love him, nursed by those who wish earnestly that he should live, will recover (all other things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-sick-man-surrounded-by-those-who-love-him-nursed-by-those-who-wish/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [If a man has a very decided character, has a strongly accentuated career, it is normally the case of course that he makes ardent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/if-a-man-has-a-very-decided-character-has-a-strongly-accentuated/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The idea of restraining the legislative authority, in the means of providing for the national defense, is one of those refinements which owe their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-idea-of-restraining-the-legislative-authority-in-the-means-of/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Love is not a mere emotion or sentiment. It is the lucid and ardent responses of the whole person to a value that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-is-not-a-mere-emotion-or-sentiment-it-is-the-lucid-and-ardent/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The Battle for the Philippines was the greatest naval battle in history, judged in terms of the number of ships taking part, the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hough/the-battle-for-the-philippines-was-the-greatest-naval-battle-in/) Richard Hough > [From the day I started to think politically and to develop my own moral values, from my earliest youth, I have been an ardent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/from-the-day-i-started-to-think-politically-and-to-develop-my-own/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [The saddest thing in the world was that human beings, for all their ardent striving and desire, could never achieve physical, emotional, or intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/the-saddest-thing-in-the-world-was-that-human-beings-for-all-their/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“He was young and ardent in a hundred happy ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/he-was-young-and-ardent-in-a-hundred-happy-ways/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) [Browse all 183 Ardent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ardent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A nation orients itself by its own geniuses, and derives from them its ideas of its own ideals, but the guiding star serves also as a light to other nations. 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