--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve got nothing against outsiders, per…" description: "\"“I’ve got nothing against outsiders, per se, you understand. It’s just that you have to love a town before you can live in it right, and you have to li..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de4/russell-banks-7660_outsiders_i-ve-got-nothing-against-outsiders-per-s_2435598.jpg" --- # I’ve got nothing against outsiders, per se, you… ![“I’ve got nothing against outsiders, per se, you understand. It’s just that you have to love a town before you can live in it right, and you have to live in it before you can love it right. Otherwise, you’re a parasite of sorts.” quote by Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de4/russell-banks-7660_outsiders_i-ve-got-nothing-against-outsiders-per-s_2435598.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de4/russell-banks-7660_outsiders_i-ve-got-nothing-against-outsiders-per-s_2435598.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de4/russell-banks-7660_outsiders_i-ve-got-nothing-against-outsiders-per-s_2435598.jpg) > ““I’ve got nothing against outsiders, per se, you understand. It’s just that you have to love a town before you can live in it right, and you have to live in it before you can love it right. Otherwise, you’re a parasite of sorts.”” [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To truly belong, you must first love a place, then live in it, and finally love it correctly; otherwise you remain an outsider. **In simple terms:** Love and live in a town to belong. Key Takeaway Engage deeply with a community before claiming ownership. Themes belonging community identity Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - moving to a new city - joining a neighborhood - long‑term residency Key Concepts place attachment social integration Questions to Reflect On - How does love change your perception of a place? - What steps foster genuine community ties? A Different Perspective Rapid relocation without integration can feel alienating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) ## Related quotes > [There's a reason that I love this town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-plaskett/there-s-a-reason-that-i-love-this-town/) [Joel Plaskett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-plaskett/) > [You have to love a town where you can both smoke and gamble in a pharmacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/you-have-to-love-a-town-where-you-can-both-smoke-and-gamble-in-a/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [ \[On Las Vegas:\] I love that town. No clocks. No locks. No restrictions. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/on-las-vegas-i-love-that-town-no-clocks-no-locks-no-restrictions/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [After the show, Micheal Cole is going to chase after some boy bands. Tazz, you need to calm down your man. He's got those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/after-the-show-micheal-cole-is-going-to-chase-after-some-boy-bands/) [John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/) > [“Being an immigrant is not a status but a state of mind. It doesn’t stop when you “assimilate” or “integrate” or when you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/being-an-immigrant-is-not-a-status-but-a-state-of-mind-it-doesn-t/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [“My dream is to create something so beautiful that it encourages people to present the best version of themselves to me everywhere I go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/my-dream-is-to-create-something-so-beautiful-that-it-encourages/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [The endeavor of being a foreign correspondent means that you will never be their equal. And that has its pros and cons. Were you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjan-sundaram/the-endeavor-of-being-a-foreign-correspondent-means-that-you-will/) [Anjan Sundaram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjan-sundaram/) > [There is no place on earth, no day or night, no hour or minute, when one is not a Jew or a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/there-is-no-place-on-earth-no-day-or-night-no-hour-or-minute-when-one/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [I've always been an outsider kid. But I had always wanted to be in a group - growing up, I loved bands like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-angelique/i-ve-always-been-an-outsider-kid-but-i-had-always-wanted-to-be-in-a/) [Dawn Angelique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-angelique/) > [“Try to think of it as though we are rewriting history––the first time this experience occurred you and I never kissed in this Dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/try-to-think-of-it-as-though-we-are-rewriting-history-the-first-time/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [Anything that I'm doing I think I always come at it from an outsider perspective. The first like real front page story that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-polgreen/anything-that-i-m-doing-i-think-i-always-come-at-it-from-an-outsider/) [Lydia Polgreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-polgreen/) > [I always felt like something of an outsider. But I identified with people up on the screen. That made me feel like I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-perry/i-always-felt-like-something-of-an-outsider-but-i-identified-with/) [Luke Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-perry/) > [Each of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God's hands. And God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-of-us-is-precious-to-god-because-each-of-us-has-their-name/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [“I like men and women who don't fit well in the dominant culture, or, as Alvar de Campos calls them, strangers in this place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabih-alameddine/i-like-men-and-women-who-don-t-fit-well-in-the-dominant-culture-or-as/) [Rabih Alameddine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabih-alameddine/) > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Russell Banks > [The best thing about writing programs is that it rationalized the apprenticeship of a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/the-best-thing-about-writing-programs-is-that-it-rationalized-the/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“The received truth of history is shot through and falsified by unknown secrets carried to the grave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/the-received-truth-of-history-is-shot-through-and-falsified-by/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“Secrets and lies, they eat your insides until all you have left is a hard thin skin that covers you like the shell of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/secrets-and-lies-they-eat-your-insides-until-all-you-have-left-is-a/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [But really, it was reading that led me to writing. And in particular, reading the American classics like Twain who taught me at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/but-really-it-was-reading-that-led-me-to-writing-and-in-particular/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“Let the truth take care of itself, I decided. It's done all right on its own so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/let-the-truth-take-care-of-itself-i-decided-it-s-done-all-right-on/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [What you believe matters, however. It’s all anyone has to act on. And since what you do is who you are, your actions define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/what-you-believe-matters-however-it-s-all-anyone-has-to-act-on-and/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [Although I still occasionally paint and draw, my life has now been shaped by my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/although-i-still-occasionally-paint-and-draw-my-life-has-now-been/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“my blue eyes peering into their brown eyes and seeing there some essential part of myself, some irreducible aspect of my being, which in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/my-blue-eyes-peering-into-their-brown-eyes-and-seeing-there-some/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [If you dedicate your attention to discipline in your life you become smarter while you are writing than while you are hanging out with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/if-you-dedicate-your-attention-to-discipline-in-your-life-you-become/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [So the same cultural and political issues that divided us in 1968 are still dividing us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/so-the-same-cultural-and-political-issues-that-divided-us-in-1968-are/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“They were the only three people I'd chosen on my own to love, and they were gone. But still, that morning in Mobay when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/they-were-the-only-three-people-i-d-chosen-on-my-own-to-love-and-they/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“Lists of books we re-read and books we can't finish tell more about us than about the relative worth of the books themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/lists-of-books-we-re-read-and-books-we-can-t-finish-tell-more-about/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [First of all it's usually women who run these higher primate sanctuaries, rarely men. They are white. They come from privileged backgrounds. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/first-of-all-it-s-usually-women-who-run-these-higher-primate/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [The United States particularly abandoned Liberia after the end of the Cold War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/the-united-states-particularly-abandoned-liberia-after-the-end-of-the/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [Storytelling is an ancient and honorable act. An essential role to play in the community or tribe. It's one that I embrace wholeheartedly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/storytelling-is-an-ancient-and-honorable-act-an-essential-role-to/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) [Explore all 85 Russell Banks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) ## More Outsiders quotes > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I like men and women who don't fit well in the dominant culture, or, as Alvar de Campos calls them, strangers in this place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabih-alameddine/i-like-men-and-women-who-don-t-fit-well-in-the-dominant-culture-or-as/) [Rabih Alameddine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabih-alameddine/) > [Each of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God's hands. And God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-of-us-is-precious-to-god-because-each-of-us-has-their-name/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I always felt like something of an outsider. But I identified with people up on the screen. That made me feel like I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-perry/i-always-felt-like-something-of-an-outsider-but-i-identified-with/) [Luke Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-perry/) > [Anything that I'm doing I think I always come at it from an outsider perspective. The first like real front page story that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-polgreen/anything-that-i-m-doing-i-think-i-always-come-at-it-from-an-outsider/) [Lydia Polgreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-polgreen/) > [“Try to think of it as though we are rewriting history––the first time this experience occurred you and I never kissed in this Dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/try-to-think-of-it-as-though-we-are-rewriting-history-the-first-time/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [I've always been an outsider kid. But I had always wanted to be in a group - growing up, I loved bands like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-angelique/i-ve-always-been-an-outsider-kid-but-i-had-always-wanted-to-be-in-a/) [Dawn Angelique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-angelique/) > [There is no place on earth, no day or night, no hour or minute, when one is not a Jew or a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/there-is-no-place-on-earth-no-day-or-night-no-hour-or-minute-when-one/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [The endeavor of being a foreign correspondent means that you will never be their equal. And that has its pros and cons. Were you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjan-sundaram/the-endeavor-of-being-a-foreign-correspondent-means-that-you-will/) [Anjan Sundaram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjan-sundaram/) > [“My dream is to create something so beautiful that it encourages people to present the best version of themselves to me everywhere I go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-caligiuri/my-dream-is-to-create-something-so-beautiful-that-it-encourages/) [Ross Caligiuri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-caligiuri/) > [“Being an immigrant is not a status but a state of mind. It doesn’t stop when you “assimilate” or “integrate” or when you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/being-an-immigrant-is-not-a-status-but-a-state-of-mind-it-doesn-t/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Donald Trump's staffing up a pretty traditional, very conservative Republican government, not a populist outsider government, at least not yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-liasson/donald-trump-s-staffing-up-a-pretty-traditional-very-conservative/) [Mara Liasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-liasson/) > [ That's what we \[outsiders\] feel America is really about - the kind of crazed ravings of the Christian right - when it's probably something… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/that-s-what-we-outsiders-feel-america-is-really-about-the-kind-of/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I was always an outsider, proud of being an outsider. I always reveled in the outsiders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-was-always-an-outsider-proud-of-being-an-outsider-i-always-reveled/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [We must protect each other against the attacks of those self-appointed watchdogs of patriotism now abroad in the land who irresponsibly pin red labels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-henry-hildebrand/we-must-protect-each-other-against-the-attacks-of-those-self/) [Joel Henry Hildebrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-henry-hildebrand/) [Browse all 716 Outsiders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’ve got nothing against outsiders, per se, you understand. It’s just that you have to love a town before you can live in it right, and you have to live in it before you can love it right. 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