--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Latin Americans glorify their past so…" description: "\"Latin Americans glorify their past so ceaselessly that they make it almost impossible to advocate change.\" — Óscar Arias" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png" --- # Latin Americans glorify their past so ceaselessly that… ![“Latin Americans glorify their past so ceaselessly that they make it almost impossible to advocate change.” quote by Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png) > “Latin Americans glorify their past so ceaselessly that they make it almost impossible to advocate change.” [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nostalgia for a glorified past can hinder progress and make change seem impossible. **In simple terms:** Past nostalgia blocks change. Key Takeaway Balance history with future vision. Themes history politics change Mood critical hopeful Type political reflective When to use this quote - policy reform - education - public discourse Key Concepts collective memory national identity progress Questions to Reflect On - How can societies honor history while fostering change? - What steps break the cycle of nostalgic resistance? A Different Perspective Idealizing the past may overlook its flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advocate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocate/) [Americans Glorify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-glorify-5095961/) [Ceaselessly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceaselessly-1289979/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Glorify Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorify-past-411546/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Impossible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible/) [Latin america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-america/) [Latin Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-americans-784157/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Ceaselessly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-ceaselessly-5095960/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [One must always maintain one's connection to the past and yet ceaselessly pull away from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/one-must-always-maintain-one-s-connection-to-the-past-and-yet-2/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [Latin Americans hold on tight even to pain and suffering, preferring a certain present to an uncertain future. Some of this is only natural,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/latin-americans-hold-on-tight-even-to-pain-and-suffering-preferring-a/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [To glorify the past and paint the future is easy, to survey the present and emerge with some light and understanding is difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/to-glorify-the-past-and-paint-the-future-is-easy-to-survey-the/) [Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/) > [What we do with our past is my big question. Normally, people either glorify the past or want to forget about it. But these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/what-we-do-with-our-past-is-my-big-question-normally-people-either/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [The death knell for any enterprise is to glorify the past -- no matter how good it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-death-knell-for-any-enterprise-is-to-glorify-the-past-no-matter/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [You glorify the past when the future dries up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/u2/you-glorify-the-past-when-the-future-dries-up/) [U2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/u2/) > [Latin Americans are all too familiar with the boom and bust cycles associated with economic populism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arancha-gonzalez/latin-americans-are-all-too-familiar-with-the-boom-and-bust-cycles/) [Arancha Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arancha-gonzalez/) > [Don't Latin Americans have the right to ask why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported?.. Poverty and hardship in large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/don-t-latin-americans-have-the-right-to-ask-why-their-elected/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [There are stories that are by and for Latin Americans, where a certain amount of cultural fluency is expected, where we can delight in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/there-are-stories-that-are-by-and-for-latin-americans-where-a-certain/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [Latin Americans have gotten tired of the Washington consensus - a neoliberalism that has aggravated misery and poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/latin-americans-have-gotten-tired-of-the-washington-consensus-a/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [Today, everybody is more or less conscious of the total failure of the Cuban revolution to produce wealth, to produce a better standard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/today-everybody-is-more-or-less-conscious-of-the-total-failure-of-the/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [During the 1990s the United States sought to impose the 'Washington Consensus' on Latin American governments. It embodied what Latin Americans call 'neo-liberal' principles:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/during-the-1990s-the-united-states-sought-to-impose-the-washington/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-reznikoff/the-fingers-of-your-thoughts-are-molding-your-face-ceaselessly/) [Charles Reznikoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-reznikoff/) > [Good people strengthen themselves ceaselessly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/good-people-strengthen-themselves-ceaselessly/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“Each instant was different and new and unrepeatable. That was the very nature of time, ceaselessly realizing itself, in every life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-sar-aira/each-instant-was-different-and-new-and-unrepeatable-that-was-the-very/) [César Aira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-sar-aira/) ## More by Óscar Arias > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [War, and the preparation for war, are the two greatest obstacles to human progress, fostering a vicious cycle of arms buildups, violence and poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/war-and-the-preparation-for-war-are-the-two-greatest-obstacles-to/) [Oscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [On Dec. 1, 1948, after the triumph of the revolution, which insured the final victory of the will of the people expressed through elections,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/on-dec-1-1948-after-the-triumph-of-the-revolution-which-insured-the/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [“It is essential that justice be done, it is equally vital that justice not be confused with revenge, for the two are wholly different.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/it-is-essential-that-justice-be-done-it-is-equally-vital-that-justice/) [Oscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [The best way to perpetuate poverty is by spending on arms and military, and the best way to fight terrorism is by fighting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-best-way-to-perpetuate-poverty-is-by-spending-on-arms-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [India, Pakistan, China, Singapore and South Korea are heavily investing in nuclear arms. Since 21st century is the century of Asia, Asian countries should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/india-pakistan-china-singapore-and-south-korea-are-heavily-investing/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [Peace consists, very largely, in the fact of desiring it with all one's soul. The inhabitants of my small country, Costa Rica, have realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/peace-consists-very-largely-in-the-fact-of-desiring-it-with-all-one-s/) [Oscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [During my administration, our desire has been to strengthen the civilian spirit of our people. Thus, we have eliminated military ranks and salutes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/during-my-administration-our-desire-has-been-to-strengthen-the/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [Our world is certainly dangerous, but it is made more dangerous, not less, by those who value profits over peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/our-world-is-certainly-dangerous-but-it-is-made-more-dangerous-not/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [It's clear to me that many weapons sales are very short-sighted. The U.S. and other arms-producing countries sell weapons for a variety of reasons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/it-s-clear-to-me-that-many-weapons-sales-are-very-short-sighted-the-u/) [Oscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [To demilitarize the country means to make a profound decision. It is not enough to change the name of the armed forces. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/to-demilitarize-the-country-means-to-make-a-profound-decision-it-is/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [We seek in Central America not peace alone, not peace to be followed someday by political progress, but peace and democracy, together, indivisible, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/we-seek-in-central-america-not-peace-alone-not-peace-to-be-followed/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [Free trade will go a long way toward alleviating poverty in Central America. Yet trade alone is not enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/free-trade-will-go-a-long-way-toward-alleviating-poverty-in-central/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [Many developing countries continue to be burdened by high percentages of their population living in poverty. Yet, instead of addressing this root cause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/many-developing-countries-continue-to-be-burdened-by-high-percentages/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [If there is no peace in Central America, it will not be because Costa Rica, and myself as president, have not done what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/if-there-is-no-peace-in-central-america-it-will-not-be-because-costa/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) [Explore all 79 Óscar Arias quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) ## More Advocate quotes > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) [Elizabeth Tambascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-stayed-in-the-astronaut-program-until-1993-people-ask-me-why-i-left/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Throughout my career I have been an advocate for women, in all aspects of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/throughout-my-career-i-have-been-an-advocate-for-women-in-all-aspects/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I'm an advocate of 'it's not what you are, it's who you are.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sia-furler/i-m-an-advocate-of-it-s-not-what-you-are-it-s-who-you-are/) [Sia Furler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sia-furler/) > [I'm a big advocate of a work-for-pay setup rather than an allowance that isn't attached to chores - it's a great way to impart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-a-big-advocate-of-a-work-for-pay-setup-rather-than-an-allowance/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [It's very difficult to advocate for yourself while you're in excruciating pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandra-wilson/it-s-very-difficult-to-advocate-for-yourself-while-you-re-in/) [Chandra Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandra-wilson/) > [I'm, in general, an advocate of moderate ticket prices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jupp-heynckes/i-m-in-general-an-advocate-of-moderate-ticket-prices/) [Jupp Heynckes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jupp-heynckes/) > [“The judicial wheel is rounded with equality, oiled with honour and functions smoothly with honesty – principally when both members of the Bench and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/munindra-misra/the-judicial-wheel-is-rounded-with-equality-oiled-with-honour-and/) [Munindra Misra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/munindra-misra/) > [If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/if-i-m-an-advocate-for-anything-it-s-to-move-as-far-as-you-can-as/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [I'm such an advocate for animal rights and environmental rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-garrett/i-m-such-an-advocate-for-animal-rights-and-environmental-rights/) [Beau Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-garrett/) > [I am a big advocate of the role of the bookstore in the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/i-am-a-big-advocate-of-the-role-of-the-bookstore-in-the-community/) [Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/) > [I believe it is my responsibility to be the staunchest advocate for people out there that also have pre-existing conditions, and I will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/i-believe-it-is-my-responsibility-to-be-the-staunchest-advocate-for/) [Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/) > [I'm not a banner, I am an encourager and a persuader and an advocate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard/i-m-not-a-banner-i-am-an-encourager-and-a-persuader-and-an-advocate/) [John Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard/) > [“Just because you talk about it or advocate for one position doesn't mean you care more. Just because someone doesn't talk about it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/just-because-you-talk-about-it-or-advocate-for-one-position-doesn-t/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [It's nearly impossible to believe just how provincial the wine world was in 1978, the year I launched my journal, 'The Wine Advocate.' There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-parker-jr/it-s-nearly-impossible-to-believe-just-how-provincial-the-wine-world/) [Robert M. Parker, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-parker-jr/) [Browse all 306 Advocate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Latin Americans glorify their past so ceaselessly that they make it almost impossible to advocate change.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Óscar Arias" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ceaselessly-that-they-make-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advocate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ceaselessly-that-they-make-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/scar-arias-8677_advocate_latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ce_632783.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Latin Americans glorify their past so ceaselessly that they make it almost impossible to advocate change.” — Óscar Arias", "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": "Óscar Arias", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Latin Americans glorify their past so...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ceaselessly-that-they-make-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/latin-americans-glorify-their-past-so-ceaselessly-that-they-make-it/#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 } } ] } ```