--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a nation starts to hug its own…" description: "\"“When a nation starts to hug its own particularities to itself it is showing fear and it will soon cease having any characteristics worth saving.”\" — R..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/r-a-macavoy-58166_fear_when-a-nation-starts-to-hug-its-own-part_1182454.jpg" --- # When a nation starts to hug its own particularities to… ![“When a nation starts to hug its own particularities to itself it is showing fear and it will soon cease having any characteristics worth saving.” quote by R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/r-a-macavoy-58166_fear_when-a-nation-starts-to-hug-its-own-part_1182454.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/r-a-macavoy-58166_fear_when-a-nation-starts-to-hug-its-own-part_1182454.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f6/r-a-macavoy-58166_fear_when-a-nation-starts-to-hug-its-own-part_1182454.jpg) > ““When a nation starts to hug its own particularities to itself it is showing fear and it will soon cease having any characteristics worth saving.”” [R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a nation clings to its own quirks out of fear, it loses the distinctive qualities worth preserving. **In simple terms:** Fearful self‑preservation erodes a nation’s unique traits. Key Takeaway Encourage open cultural exchange. Themes nationalism fear identity preservation Mood critical analytical Type political reflective When to use this quote - immigration debates - cultural festivals - policy making Key Concepts political science culture sociology Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape cultural identity? - What balances preservation and openness? A Different Perspective Uniformity can also protect minorities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ## Related quotes > [We have fear as soon as we are born, we are born into a state of physical helplessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/we-have-fear-as-soon-as-we-are-born-we-are-born-into-a-state-of/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [“Unutterable are the things we fear, but soon our fears will be exceeded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucan/unutterable-are-the-things-we-fear-but-soon-our-fears-will-be-exceeded/) [Lucan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucan/) > [My fear is that, as soon as I get married and have kids that I'll kind of do what a lot of people do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-parker/my-fear-is-that-as-soon-as-i-get-married-and-have-kids-that-i-ll-kind/) [Trey Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-parker/) > [Showing weakness and showing fear and letting people in was a huge part of my comeback.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-fish/showing-weakness-and-showing-fear-and-letting-people-in-was-a-huge/) [Mardy Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-fish/) > [“Her father said there was no shame in being afraid, only in showing your fear. 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Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/) [Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/) > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) ## More by R.A. MacAvoy > [“Behind the church lot stood a hedge of yew. He passed through the omen of its furry branches and found himself beside a noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-macavoy/behind-the-church-lot-stood-a-hedge-of-yew-he-passed-through-the-omen/) [R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) > [“We’re not allowed miracles,” she told John. “We traded them in for technology some years ago and now we’re stuck with finding out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-macavoy/we-re-not-allowed-miracles-she-told-john-we-traded-them-in-for/) [R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) > [“no man is as offended at doubt as is the habitual liar who has for once told the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-macavoy/no-man-is-as-offended-at-doubt-as-is-the-habitual-liar-who-has-for/) [R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) > [“Grabbed in the ass by fate," his father used to say about coincidences like this. If there were coincidences like this. If there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-macavoy/grabbed-in-the-ass-by-fate-his-father-used-to-say-about-coincidences/) [R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) > [“What was she, after all, except the memory of all she had done, telling her the sort of person she was and guiding her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-macavoy/what-was-she-after-all-except-the-memory-of-all-she-had-done-telling/) [R.A. MacAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) [Explore all 6 R.A. MacAvoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-macavoy/) ## More Fear quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. 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Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/) > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) [Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When a nation starts to hug its own particularities to itself it is showing fear and it will soon cease having any characteristics worth saving.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R.A. 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