---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We make artificial divisions everywhere…"
description: "\"We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats and Republicans, black and white, millennials and baby boomers. Even those of us who are against bui..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg"
---

#  We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats and…

![“We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats and Republicans, black and white, millennials and baby boomers. Even those of us who are against building walls find ourselves pointing accusing fingers at those wall-builders.” quote by Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg)

> “We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats and Republicans, black and white, millennials and baby boomers. Even those of us who are against building walls find ourselves pointing accusing fingers at those wall-builders.”

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People create binary categories that separate groups, even when they oppose literal walls.

**In simple terms:** We label others to simplify complex societies.

Key Takeaway

Recognize shared humanity beyond labels.

Themes

division identity politics social psychology conflict resolution

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

- political debates
- community building
- media consumption
- education curricula

Key Concepts

binary thinking in-group/out-group bias social categorization

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you personally contribute to or challenge these divisions?
- What steps can reduce binary thinking in your community?

A Different Perspective

Labels can reinforce stereotypes and hinder empathy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Baby boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby-boom/) [Baby boomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby-boomer/) [Black and white](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-and-white/) [Building walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-walls/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/)

## Related quotes

> [Let's cast aside notions of red counties or blue counties and recognize that these are artificial divisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/let-s-cast-aside-notions-of-red-counties-or-blue-counties-and/)

[Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/)

> [Be careful when building walls to protect yourself. Those same walls may cage you in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-careful-when-building-walls-to-protect-yourself-those-same-walls/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We need to maybe think a little less about the science of building walls and that waste of time and energy and start to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/we-need-to-maybe-think-a-little-less-about-the-science-of-building/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [What I do is the opposite of building walls. I build bridges. A bridge is something that connects instead of separating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/what-i-do-is-the-opposite-of-building-walls-i-build-bridges-a-bridge/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [It's no surprise that whether by blocking visas or building walls, there are parts of the country desperate to hang on to a vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asha-rangappa/it-s-no-surprise-that-whether-by-blocking-visas-or-building-walls/)

[Asha Rangappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asha-rangappa/)

> [We have to Build Bridges of Peace Instead of building Walls of Wars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/widad-akrawi/we-have-to-build-bridges-of-peace-instead-of-building-walls-of-wars/)

[Widad Akrawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/widad-akrawi/)

> [We are not going to build a pressure in Mexico. We're not building walls to retain our people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-fox/we-are-not-going-to-build-a-pressure-in-mexico-we-re-not-building/)

[Vicente Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-fox/)

> [Every job is important because each one represents an American's livelihood and ability to raise a family. Yet spending our time building walls around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/every-job-is-important-because-each-one-represents-an-american-s/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [“Everything I want to say and everything I've wished to say begins to take shape, falling to the floor and scrambling upright. Paragraphs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/everything-i-want-to-say-and-everything-i-ve-wished-to-say-begins-to/)

[Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/)

> [“These times are hard, but I won't walk away jaded, darker, different. I feel. I cry to heal. If you saw me in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/these-times-are-hard-but-i-won-t-walk-away-jaded-darker-different-i/)

[Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/)

> [A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/a-person-who-thinks-only-about-building-walls-wherever-they-may-be/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [We have to remember, when we forgive we're not doing it just for the other person, we're doing it for our own good. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/we-have-to-remember-when-we-forgive-we-re-not-doing-it-just-for-the/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [In an atmosphere of uniform density the most distant things seen through it, such as the mountains, in consequence of the great quantity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/in-an-atmosphere-of-uniform-density-the-most-distant-things-seen/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [For years I was so busy building walls I did not see I was imprisoning myself behind them, and did not recognize this pattern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-l-jampolsky/for-years-i-was-so-busy-building-walls-i-did-not-see-i-was/)

[Lee L Jampolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-l-jampolsky/)

> [“He spent so long building walls to protect his privacy that I think he forgot to build a door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenner/he-spent-so-long-building-walls-to-protect-his-privacy-that-i-think/)

[J. Kenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenner/)

## More by Robert J. Waldinger

> [The good life is built with good relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/the-good-life-is-built-with-good-relationships/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [Most of what we know about human life we know from asking people to remember the past, and as we know, hindsight is anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/most-of-what-we-know-about-human-life-we-know-from-asking-people-to/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [Poor parenting may be reflected in poor sibling relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/poor-parenting-may-be-reflected-in-poor-sibling-relationships/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [People who are more isolated than they want to be from others find that they are less happy, their health declines earlier in midlife,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/people-who-are-more-isolated-than-they-want-to-be-from-others-find/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [It's the quality of your relationships that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/it-s-the-quality-of-your-relationships-that-matters/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [Putting labels on entire groups of people makes things much simpler. If all New Yorkers are pushy, or all politicians are dishonest, we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/putting-labels-on-entire-groups-of-people-makes-things-much-simpler/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [The fact remains that many of the most creative and innovative hypotheses that are eventually verified by empirical research are born in the consulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/the-fact-remains-that-many-of-the-most-creative-and-innovative/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [An essential question regarding treatment is whether psychodynamic therapy is effective for specific disorders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/an-essential-question-regarding-treatment-is-whether-psychodynamic/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [Sibling relationships have been underemphasised in learning about child development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/sibling-relationships-have-been-underemphasised-in-learning-about/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [A troubled marriage can be as hazardous to physical health as cigarette smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/a-troubled-marriage-can-be-as-hazardous-to-physical-health-as/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [As we grow up, we're constantly defining ourselves. In my case: Caucasian, male, born in Iowa, live in Boston, Zen Buddhist, good at learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/as-we-grow-up-we-re-constantly-defining-ourselves-in-my-case/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [In medicine, we spend billions each year on doing and a fraction of that amount on listening and reflecting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/in-medicine-we-spend-billions-each-year-on-doing-and-a-fraction-of/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [It's not just the number of friends you have, and it's not whether or not you're in a committed relationship. It's the quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/it-s-not-just-the-number-of-friends-you-have-and-it-s-not-whether-or/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [Marriage is actually one of the things that keeps you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/marriage-is-actually-one-of-the-things-that-keeps-you-happy/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

> [Far from the stereotype that psychodynamic treatments are appropriate only for the 'worried well,' a growing body of evidence points to their efficacy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/far-from-the-stereotype-that-psychodynamic-treatments-are-appropriate/)

[Robert J. Waldinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

[Explore all 25 Robert J. Waldinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/)

## More Baby boom quotes

> [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [We live in an age of generational turmoil. Baby-boom parents are accused of clinging on to jobs and houses which they should be freeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ridley/we-live-in-an-age-of-generational-turmoil-baby-boom-parents-are/)

[Jane Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ridley/)

> [I don't know if the idea of a career in show business or in the arts in general was looked down upon as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-sudeikis/i-don-t-know-if-the-idea-of-a-career-in-show-business-or-in-the-arts/)

[Jason Sudeikis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-sudeikis/)

> [Jews took it very seriously to marry other Jews and repopulate the Jewish bloodline, and my father's generation gets very serious in my household…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-lerman/jews-took-it-very-seriously-to-marry-other-jews-and-repopulate-the/)

[Logan Lerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-lerman/)

> [The baby boom is about to become a patient boom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-mcguinty/the-baby-boom-is-about-to-become-a-patient-boom/)

[Dalton McGuinty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-mcguinty/)

> [Every generation trash-talks younger generations. Baby boomers labeled Generation X a group of tattooed slackers and materialists; Generation Xers have branded millennials as iPhone-addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-blumenthal/every-generation-trash-talks-younger-generations-baby-boomers-labeled/)

[Neil Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-blumenthal/)

> [Packed with fascinating personal perspective and testimony, Michael Takiffs A Complicated Man wholly justifies its title. The book is far more than a kaleidoscopic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-hamilton/packed-with-fascinating-personal-perspective-and-testimony-michael/)

[Nigel Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-hamilton/)

> [One of the hallmarks of the baby boomer generation is that it doesnt live like the previous generation. It hasnt yet given up jeans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-klugman/one-of-the-hallmarks-of-the-baby-boomer-generation-is-that-it-doesnt/)

Ron Klugman

> [“For those readers who are Boomers, or have parents or grandparents who are Boomers, it may be of small comfort that this book does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cannon-gibney/for-those-readers-who-are-boomers-or-have-parents-or-grandparents-who/)

[Bruce Cannon Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cannon-gibney/)

> [Maybe it will be a great thing when the Baby Boomers finally die out. In real life, it's not a matter of the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bowman/maybe-it-will-be-a-great-thing-when-the-baby-boomers-finally-die-out/)

[Jack Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-bowman/)

> [Baby boomer media like 'The Times' is a laughingstock, and we should do whatever we can to ridicule it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/baby-boomer-media-like-the-times-is-a-laughingstock-and-we-should-do/)

[Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/)

> [A masterwork. A particularly American magic realism that touches the heart of race and childhood in our country; it's 100 Years of Solitude for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-kushner/a-masterwork-a-particularly-american-magic-realism-that-touches-the/)

[Ellen Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-kushner/)

> [The well-heeled Baby Boomer demographic, which has discretionary money to spend on gambling, has long been a primary target for casinos ...And given yesterday's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-ross/the-well-heeled-baby-boomer-demographic-which-has-discretionary-money/)

[Ryan Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-ross/)

> [I think the Baby Boom has enjoyed itself, maybe sometimes a little too much, and we're continuing to enjoy ourselves, maybe a little too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-think-the-baby-boom-has-enjoyed-itself-maybe-sometimes-a-little-too/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [While I do occasionally order items on the Internet, it's hard to teach an old shopper new tricks. I'm convinced that the catalogue will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/while-i-do-occasionally-order-items-on-the-internet-it-s-hard-to/)

[Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/)

[Browse all 141 Baby boom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby-boom/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats and Republicans, black and white, millennials and baby boomers. Even those of us who are against building walls find ourselves pointing accusing fingers at those wall-builders.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert J. Waldinger"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere-democrats-and-republicans/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Baby boom"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere-democrats-and-republicans/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/robert-j-waldinger-23715_baby-boom_we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere_2972426.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats and Republicans, black and white, millennials and baby…” — Robert J. Waldinger",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert J. Waldinger",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-waldinger/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We make artificial divisions everywhere: Democrats...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere-democrats-and-republicans/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-waldinger/we-make-artificial-divisions-everywhere-democrats-and-republicans/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```