--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a unifying person, I think first…" description: "\"To be a unifying person, I think first you must have acceptance.\" — Tan Cheng Bock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg" --- # To be a unifying person, I think first you must have… ![“To be a unifying person, I think first you must have acceptance.” quote by Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg) > “To be a unifying person, I think first you must have acceptance.” [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unifying others requires first accepting them. **In simple terms:** To unite, you must first accept. Key Takeaway Practice acceptance first. Themes unity acceptance leadership Mood thoughtful inspirational Type social philosophical When to use this quote - team building - community outreach - conflict resolution - policy making Key Concepts social cohesion empathy inclusive governance Questions to Reflect On - How can acceptance lead to action? - What barriers exist to acceptance? A Different Perspective Acceptance alone may not resolve deep divisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Unifying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unifying/) ## Related quotes > [I'm trying to make people more alert that mere acceptance isn't a good enough indicator that something is ethical. You actually need to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-jasanoff/i-m-trying-to-make-people-more-alert-that-mere-acceptance-isn-t-a/) [Sheila Jasanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jasanoff/) > [It think acceptance levels sort of swings back and forth. Like in the 60's there was a lot more freedom with sex that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/it-think-acceptance-levels-sort-of-swings-back-and-forth-like-in-the/) [Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/) > [Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, that's been our unifying cry, 'More light.' Sunlight. Torchlight. Candlelight. Neon, incandescent lights that banish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-frolov/ever-since-we-crawled-out-of-that-primordial-slime-that-s-been-our/) [Diane Frolov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-frolov/) > [Unifying the legacy SAG and AFTRA contracts was essential, and I am very pleased that we were able to achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-howard/unifying-the-legacy-sag-and-aftra-contracts-was-essential-and-i-am/) [Ken Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-howard/) > [But the people of the disaster area fundamentally needed to understand that the rest of Australia had noticed their misery and their stoicism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cosgrove/but-the-people-of-the-disaster-area-fundamentally-needed-to/) [Peter Cosgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cosgrove/) > [“All blood runs red.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phrase-painted-on-the-side-of-the-plane-flown-by-eugene-bullard-in-world-war-i-the-first-black-comba/all-blood-runs-red/) Phrase painted on the side of the plane flown by Eugene Bullard in World War I the first black comba > [Pure love is the best medicine for the modern world. This is what is lacking in all societies. The root cause of all problems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/pure-love-is-the-best-medicine-for-the-modern-world-this-is-what-is/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [Now the power of the imagination is a unifying power, hence the force of metaphor; and the poet is the supreme manipulator of metaphor...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-thomas/now-the-power-of-the-imagination-is-a-unifying-power-hence-the-force/) [R. S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas/) > [McCain is the most unifying figure in the Senate. Barack Obama is so far left. Turning to her co-host, Joy Behar, an Obama supporter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-hasselbeck/mccain-is-the-most-unifying-figure-in-the-senate-barack-obama-is-so/) [Elisabeth Hasselbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-hasselbeck/) > [Dance, like music, knows no geographical boundaries, no linguistic barriers and no racial divisions. All walls crumble where art is concerned. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vempati-chinna-satyam/dance-like-music-knows-no-geographical-boundaries-no-linguistic/) Vempati Chinna Satyam > [Language is a unifying instrument which binds people together. When people speak one language they become as one, they become a society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/language-is-a-unifying-instrument-which-binds-people-together-when/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [“Commonalities, which need to be celebrated, exist among creative people – as they do in the sciences, the sports or in many other professions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-palestrant/commonalities-which-need-to-be-celebrated-exist-among-creative-people/) Ellen Palestrant > [Psychosynthesis brings the matter to a point of extreme simplicity, seeing the self as the most elementary and distinctive part of our beings -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-ferrucci/psychosynthesis-brings-the-matter-to-a-point-of-extreme-simplicity/) [Piero Ferrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-ferrucci/) > [People say to me all the time, "Oh, you do such a good job unifying the House Democrats." I say, "I don't. Our values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/people-say-to-me-all-the-time-oh-you-do-such-a-good-job-unifying-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Global is a unifying bond for people. Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/) [Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/) ## More by Tan Cheng Bock > [We should not live in fear, we should all enjoy being able to express our views freely and openly, challenge each other on issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/we-should-not-live-in-fear-we-should-all-enjoy-being-able-to-express/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [I was only a village doctor with a rebellious streak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/i-was-only-a-village-doctor-with-a-rebellious-streak/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [We are not starting a revolution. We are starting an evolution of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/we-are-not-starting-a-revolution-we-are-starting-an-evolution-of/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [I want to make sure my candidates have my support. We are a family, we always go together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/i-want-to-make-sure-my-candidates-have-my-support-we-are-a-family-we/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [The key message is I'm always trying to hope the Singaporeans will understand, is a question of every government must be... examined based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/the-key-message-is-i-m-always-trying-to-hope-the-singaporeans-will/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [At 18, they're old enough to drive. The girls enter university, and the boys enter into National Service. Since they have a duty to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/at-18-they-re-old-enough-to-drive-the-girls-enter-university-and-the/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [I think you can fool people once but you can't fool the people all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/i-think-you-can-fool-people-once-but-you-can-t-fool-the-people-all/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [Any of us who wants to go to Parliament must have that responsibility to represent the people who voted us in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/any-of-us-who-wants-to-go-to-parliament-must-have-that-responsibility/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [Timing is very important in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/timing-is-very-important-in-politics/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [If it's of help to my candidates, I would like to go anywhere to give my candidates a boost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/if-it-s-of-help-to-my-candidates-i-would-like-to-go-anywhere-to-give/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [If the PAP has a two-third majority, they will have the power to change important laws like the Constitution at will, whenever they wish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/if-the-pap-has-a-two-third-majority-they-will-have-the-power-to/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [Sometimes I do my walkabouts, all the young fellows will come and call me 'hypebeast Ah Gong.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/sometimes-i-do-my-walkabouts-all-the-young-fellows-will-come-and-call/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [Selling and telling are two different things. In politics, we sell ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/selling-and-telling-are-two-different-things-in-politics-we-sell-ideas/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [I was previously the chairman of the Jurong East Town Council and South West CDC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/i-was-previously-the-chairman-of-the-jurong-east-town-council-and/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [I'm not sponsored by anybody but myself... I'm not sponsored by the PAP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/i-m-not-sponsored-by-anybody-but-myself-i-m-not-sponsored-by-the-pap/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) [Explore all 79 Tan Cheng Bock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be a unifying person, I think first you must have acceptance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tan Cheng Bock" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-you-must-have-acceptance/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-you-must-have-acceptance/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/tan-cheng-bock-8629_acceptance_to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-yo_1360957.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be a unifying person, I think first you must have acceptance.” — Tan Cheng Bock", "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": "Tan Cheng Bock", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be a unifying person, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-you-must-have-acceptance/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/to-be-a-unifying-person-i-think-first-you-must-have-acceptance/#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 } } ] } ```