--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It has been said that a country’s…" description: "\"It has been said that a country’s greatness can be measured by what it does for its unfortunates. By that criterion Canada certainly does not stand in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/tommy-douglas-17183_becoming_it-has-been-said-that-a-country-s-greatn_2573208.jpg" --- # It has been said that a country’s greatness can be… ![“It has been said that a country’s greatness can be measured by what it does for its unfortunates. By that criterion Canada certainly does not stand in the forefront of the nations of the world although there are signs that we are becoming conscious of our deficiencies and are determined to atone…” quote by Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/tommy-douglas-17183_becoming_it-has-been-said-that-a-country-s-greatn_2573208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/tommy-douglas-17183_becoming_it-has-been-said-that-a-country-s-greatn_2573208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d39/tommy-douglas-17183_becoming_it-has-been-said-that-a-country-s-greatn_2573208.jpg) > “It has been said that a country’s greatness can be measured by what it does for its unfortunates. By that criterion Canada certainly does not stand in the forefront of the nations of the world although there are signs that we are becoming conscious of our deficiencies and are determined to atone for lost time.” [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A nation's greatness is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable; Canada falls short but is becoming aware and seeking redemption. **In simple terms:** Greatness measured by care for the vulnerable. Key Takeaway Prioritize helping the disadvantaged. Themes social justice leadership redemption Mood inspirational thoughtful Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform - community outreach - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts Welfare policy national identity Questions to Reflect On - What actions can improve care for the vulnerable? - How can societies balance pride with humility? A Different Perspective Measuring greatness is subjective and can ignore other factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canada/) [Canada Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canada-certainly-1182782/) [Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Country Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country-greatness-316511/) [Criteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criteria/) [Deficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deficiency/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Greatness Measured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness-measured-839114/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Lost time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-time/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Nations World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations-world-328948/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Not so much in Canada, but certainly in the US, as I'm sure you know, money is all, and if they can get another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/not-so-much-in-canada-but-certainly-in-the-us-as-i-m-sure-you-know/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [ Thank God for Canada! In the context of this narrative \[in Underground\] and beyond, Canada was certainly an additional option for the many traveling… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha-hinds/thank-god-for-canada-in-the-context-of-this-narrative-in-underground/) [Aisha Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha-hinds/) > [A property that is this publicly viewed, which will host international dignitaries and be a symbol of Canada, certainly needs to have some grandeur.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-baeumler/a-property-that-is-this-publicly-viewed-which-will-host-international/) [Bryan Baeumler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-baeumler/) > [I believe in our country's greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/i-believe-in-our-country-s-greatness/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) > [The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in time of crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurgood-marshall/the-measure-of-a-country-s-greatness-is-its-ability-to-retain-2/) [Thurgood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurgood-marshall/) > [There is no such thing as a little country. The greatness of a people is no more determined by their numbers than the greatness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-little-country-the-greatness-of-a-people/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The measure of a country's greatness should be based on how well it cares for its most vulnerable populations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-measure-of-a-country-s-greatness-should-be-based-on-how-well-it/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurgood-marshall/the-measure-of-a-country-s-greatness-is-its-ability-to-retain/) [Thurgood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurgood-marshall/) > [True greatness is not measured by the headlines a person commands or the wealth he or she accumulates. The inner character of a person-the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/true-greatness-is-not-measured-by-the-headlines-a-person-commands-or/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“Greatness is measured by those who like to think. Success is measured by those who like to receive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-george-smithers/greatness-is-measured-by-those-who-like-to-think-success-is-measured/) [Christopher George Smithers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-george-smithers/) > [The character of greatness must be measured in two ways, else the measurement is flawed. First, and by far most popular of all, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/the-character-of-greatness-must-be-measured-in-two-ways-else-the/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [America's greatness rests on far more than the power of our arms. Our greatness is also measured by our goodness, it's in the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/america-s-greatness-rests-on-far-more-than-the-power-of-our-arms-our/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [“True greatness is measured by whether or not a man fulfils his purpose on earth. True greatness is not about money or fame. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-ogedegbe/true-greatness-is-measured-by-whether-or-not-a-man-fulfils-his/) [CLEMENT OGEDEGBE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-ogedegbe/) > [“Greatness is measured by how much you believe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-stenzel/greatness-is-measured-by-how-much-you-believe/) [Myron Stenzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myron-stenzel/) > [“Greatness must be measured by the transfer of success to future generations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mlungisi-simelane/greatness-must-be-measured-by-the-transfer-of-success-to-future/) [Mlungisi Simelane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mlungisi-simelane/) ## More by Tommy Douglas > [I am proud that my daughter believes, as I do, that hungry children should be fed whether they are Black Panthers or White Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-proud-that-my-daughter-believes-as-i-do-that-hungry-children/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [In Washington they have their hawks and doves and in Ottawa we have our parrots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/in-washington-they-have-their-hawks-and-doves-and-in-ottawa-we-have/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [My dream is for people around the world to look up and to see Canada like a little jewel sitting at the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/my-dream-is-for-people-around-the-world-to-look-up-and-to-see-canada/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [A recession is when your neighbour has to tighten his belt. A depression is when you have to tighten your own belt. And a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/a-recession-is-when-your-neighbour-has-to-tighten-his-belt-a/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [To accept the principal that "all power proceeds from the barrel of a gun" is to accept a society which will be dominated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/to-accept-the-principal-that-all-power-proceeds-from-the-barrel-of-a/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [We are all in this world together, and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-are-all-in-this-world-together-and-the-only-test-of-our-character/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is-not-the-way-to-protect-freedom/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [If ever we needed in this country to adopt a new attitude towards homosexuality, this is the time. Instead of treating it as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/if-ever-we-needed-in-this-country-to-adopt-a-new-attitude-towards/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [I am sure that hon. members will realize that I am not drawing on my imagination when I state that last fall there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-sure-that-hon-members-will-realize-that-i-am-not-drawing-on-my/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [He was the only man I ever knew who could get money from the rich and votes from the poor with the promise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/he-was-the-only-man-i-ever-knew-who-could-get-money-from-the-rich-and/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [ The \[Liberal\] federal government's trouble is that they have a wishbone where they should have a backbone. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/the-liberal-federal-government-s-trouble-is-that-they-have-a-wishbone/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [Courage, my friends; 'tis not too late to build a better world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/courage-my-friends-tis-not-too-late-to-build-a-better-world/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [We agree with the statement contained in the encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, written by Pope Leo XIII, that "anything which dominates the life of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-agree-with-the-statement-contained-in-the-encyclical-quadragesimo/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [The greatest way to defend democracy is to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/the-greatest-way-to-defend-democracy-is-to-make-it-work/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price tag on them, and that people should be able to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-came-to-believe-that-health-services-ought-not-to-have-a-price-tag/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) [Explore all 38 Tommy Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) ## More Becoming quotes > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/) [Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) [Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It has been said that a country’s greatness can be measured by what it does for its unfortunates. 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