--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is always a certain meanness in the…" description: "\"There is always a certain meanness in the argument of conservatism, joined with a certain superiority in its fact.\" — Ralph Waldo Emerson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dee/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_argument_there-is-always-a-certain-meanness-in-th_1752794.png" --- # There is always a certain meanness in the argument of… ![“There is always a certain meanness in the argument of conservatism, joined with a certain superiority in its fact.” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dee/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_argument_there-is-always-a-certain-meanness-in-th_1752794.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dee/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_argument_there-is-always-a-certain-meanness-in-th_1752794.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dee/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_argument_there-is-always-a-certain-meanness-in-th_1752794.png) > “There is always a certain meanness in the argument of conservatism, joined with a certain superiority in its fact.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Points out that conservative arguments often contain petty bias and an inflated sense of factual superiority. **In simple terms:** Conservatism can be petty and arrogant. Key Takeaway Question assumptions critically. Themes politics bias intellectual humility Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - political debate - academic discourse - media analysis Key Concepts Epistemology social critique Questions to Reflect On - What biases influence your own arguments? - How can we foster respectful dialogue? A Different Perspective Not all conservative views are dismissible; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Conservatism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatism/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Meanness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meanness/) ## Related quotes > [“How could they be so certain of the superiority of their truths when they knew so little, if anything at all, about other cultures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-shafak/how-could-they-be-so-certain-of-the-superiority-of-their-truths-when/) [Elif Shafak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-shafak/) > [But it is not at all certain that this superiority of the many over the sound few is possible in the case of every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/but-it-is-not-at-all-certain-that-this-superiority-of-the-many-over/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [People often imagine that being hard to please confers a certain superiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/people-often-imagine-that-being-hard-to-please-confers-a-certain/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Strange, that certain superiority the goer-away feels for the stayer-at-home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenora-mattingly-weber/strange-that-certain-superiority-the-goer-away-feels-for-the-stayer/) Lenora Mattingly Weber > [Lovers should guard their strangeness. 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