--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big divide in this country is not…" description: "\"The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers. Think about the things that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/thomas-sowell-247_bigs_the-big-divide-in-this-country-is-not-be_2587193.jpg" --- # The big divide in this country is not between Democrats… ![“The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers. Think about the things that have improved our lives the most over the past century - medical advances, the transportation revolution, huge increases in consumer goods, dramatic…” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/thomas-sowell-247_bigs_the-big-divide-in-this-country-is-not-be_2587193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/thomas-sowell-247_bigs_the-big-divide-in-this-country-is-not-be_2587193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1df/thomas-sowell-247_bigs_the-big-divide-in-this-country-is-not-be_2587193.jpg) > “The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers. Think about the things that have improved our lives the most over the past century - medical advances, the transportation revolution, huge increases in consumer goods, dramatic improvements in housing, the computer. The people who created these things - the doers - are not popular heroes. Our heroes are the talkers who complain about the doers.” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that the real division is between those who act and those who only talk, highlighting that doers create progress while talkers dominate public praise. **In simple terms:** Society splits between doers and talkers. Key Takeaway Value action over empty talk. Themes politics action talk culture progress Mood critical inspired Type analytical motivational When to use this quote - policy making - community projects - innovation - media commentary Key Concepts doers vs talkers social criticism hero worship Questions to Reflect On - How can we better recognize doers? - What steps can you take to become a doer? A Different Perspective Talkers often receive more visibility, marginalizing doers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Medical advances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-advances/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Transportation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transportation/) ## Related quotes > [The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-big-divide-in-this-country-is-not-between-democrats-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Development has been a dream in the third world countries because there are a lot of TALKERS and only few DOERS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marley/development-has-been-a-dream-in-the-third-world-countries-because/) [Peter Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marley/) > [In this world we have TALKERS and DOERS,so you better be assured that TALKERS many times are not good DOERS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marley/in-this-world-we-have-talkers-and-doers-so-you-better-be-assured-that/) [Peter Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marley/) > [Thinkers think and doers do. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/thinkers-think-and-doers-do-but-until-the-thinkers-do-and-the-doers/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The talkers and writers resent being left on the sidelines by the doers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-talkers-and-writers-resent-being-left-on-the-sidelines-by-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/talkers-are-usually-more-articulate-than-doers-since-talk-is-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Thanks to modern medical advances such as antibiotics, nasal spray, and Diet Coke, it has become routine for people in the civilized world to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/thanks-to-modern-medical-advances-such-as-antibiotics-nasal-spray-and/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I wouldn't be a very good hunter without these glasses. I'm not a very good hunter with these glasses, but I'd be even worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-zimmer/i-wouldn-t-be-a-very-good-hunter-without-these-glasses-i-m-not-a-very/) [Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-zimmer/) > [The science and technology which have advanced man safely into space have brought about startling medical advances for man on earth. Out of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubertus-strughold/the-science-and-technology-which-have-advanced-man-safely-into-space/) [Hubertus Strughold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubertus-strughold/) > [At some point, that risk-taking private capital can take over, and have patents and trade secrets and things that let them lead the way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/at-some-point-that-risk-taking-private-capital-can-take-over-and-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Although awareness of cancer's prevalence in the United States improves and medical advances in the field abound, pancreatic cancer has largely been absent from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/although-awareness-of-cancer-s-prevalence-in-the-united-states/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [The next wave of medical advances will be when we come to recognize the body as an energetic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-oz/the-next-wave-of-medical-advances-will-be-when-we-come-to-recognize/) Lisa Oz > [I believe often that death is good medical treatment because it can achieve what all the medical advances and technology cannot achieve today, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiaan-barnard/i-believe-often-that-death-is-good-medical-treatment-because-it-can/) [Christiaan Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiaan-barnard/) > [The evidence for indicting immunisations for SIDS is circumstantial, but compelling. However, the keepers of the keys to medical-research funds are not interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-evidence-for-indicting-immunisations-for-sids-is-circumstantial/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [In general, I think we should take advantage of all the wonderful medical advances designed to give us a longer and easier life, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/in-general-i-think-we-should-take-advantage-of-all-the-wonderful/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) ## More by Thomas Sowell > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? If not, then why should the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/do-all-children-have-some-inherent-right-to-live-in-america-if-they/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“those parts of the British Isles without the advantage of coal deposits or ports, industrialization was as handicapped as in other countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/those-parts-of-the-british-isles-without-the-advantage-of-coal/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The whole idea of equal justice under law is completely incompatible with the idea of judges deciding cases according to "empathy".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-whole-idea-of-equal-justice-under-law-is-completely-incompatible/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Explore all 823 Thomas Sowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers. 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