--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American individualism, much celebrated…" description: "\"American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has developed without its essential corrective, which is belonging.\" — Wallace Stegner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png" --- # American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has… ![“American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has developed without its essential corrective, which is belonging.” quote by Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png) > “American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has developed without its essential corrective, which is belonging.” [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American individualism thrives but lacks the balancing force of community belonging, leading to social isolation. **In simple terms:** Individualism needs community to stay healthy. Key Takeaway Foster connections to balance independence. Themes individualism community social health Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - urban planning - workplace culture - family dynamics Key Concepts social theory philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance self-reliance with community? - What structures support both? A Different Perspective Too much emphasis on belonging may limit personal freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belonging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonging/) [Individualism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individualism/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ## Related quotes > [“The French visitor to America Alexis de Tocqueville, writing in the 1830s, described the connection between American individualism and historical amnesia: Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fea/the-french-visitor-to-america-alexis-de-tocqueville-writing-in-the/) [John Fea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fea/) > [“We Filipinos are individualistic in a different way from American individualism. Our individualism is selfish. And individualism ng Americans, iba-- iyong liberty, iyong freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/we-filipinos-are-individualistic-in-a-different-way-from-american/) [Teodoro A. 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Mine is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/some-people-i-am-told-have-memories-like-computers-nothing-to-do-but/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [ “\[Y\]ou were too alert to the figurative possibilities of words not to see the phrase \[angle of repose\] as descriptive of human as well… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/y-ou-were-too-alert-to-the-figurative-possibilities-of-words-not-to/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) [Explore all 251 Wallace Stegner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) ## More Belonging quotes > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [I always think the best way of motivating yourself is to put yourself in a situation where you feel like you're belonging to something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-jackson/i-always-think-the-best-way-of-motivating-yourself-is-to-put-yourself/) [Colin Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-jackson/) > [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [The region belonging to the pure intellect is straitened: the imagination labours to extend its territories, to give it room. She sweeps across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-region-belonging-to-the-pure-intellect-is-straitened-the/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [I am convinced that human nature is basically affectionate and good. If our behavior follows our kind and loving nature, immense benefits will result,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/i-am-convinced-that-human-nature-is-basically-affectionate-and-good/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“The reason “belonging” was so potent, so attractive, so much a part of the human yearning, was that it also meant safety, and loyalty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-reason-belonging-was-so-potent-so-attractive-so-much-a-part-of/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [If some student belonging to weaker section of society suffers distress, humanity says it must be addressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-jaitley/if-some-student-belonging-to-weaker-section-of-society-suffers/) [Arun Jaitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-jaitley/) > [Connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/connection-gives-purpose-and-meaning-to-our-lives/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [My father was a man of great charity towards the poor, and compassion for the sick, and also for servants; so much so, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-father-was-a-man-of-great-charity-towards-the-poor-and-compassion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Maybe the problem with the world is, that people are too quick to judge. 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I think there would be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-have-become-this-very-fear-based-culture-especially-post-9-11-fear/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) [Browse all 876 Belonging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has developed without its essential corrective, which is belonging.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wallace Stegner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/american-individualism-much-celebrated-and-cherished-has-developed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belonging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/american-individualism-much-celebrated-and-cherished-has-developed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/683/wallace-stegner-1352_belonging_american-individualism-much-celebrated-a_2239449.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“American individualism, much celebrated and cherished, has developed without its essential corrective, which…” — Wallace Stegner", "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": "Wallace Stegner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "American individualism, much celebrated and cherished,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/american-individualism-much-celebrated-and-cherished-has-developed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/american-individualism-much-celebrated-and-cherished-has-developed/#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 } } ] } ```