Individual Quote by Walt Whitman
“An individual is as superb as a nation when he has the qualities which make a superb nation.”
About This Quote
Source Poetry: Leaves of Grass, 1855
A person reflects the greatness of their country when they embody its best traits.
In simple terms: A person is great when they have a nation's best qualities.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate national virtues within yourself.
Themes
character
patriotism
excellence
Mood
proud
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- leadership
- community service
- public speaking
- civic education
Key Concepts
civic virtue
identity
collective greatness
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you embody your nation's highest ideals?
- What traits define a 'superb' nation?
A Different Perspective
National ideals may be idealized and not reflect lived realities.
![“The qualities we have do not make us so ridiculous as those which we affect to have. [Fr., On n'est jamais si ridicule par les qualites que l'on a que par celles que l'on affecte d'avoir.]” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a3f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_character_the-qualities-we-have-do-not-make-us-so_550676.jpg)
![“[Sport officials] blocked their support of us. But those individuals [ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar ] were old enough, they were wise enough, and they knew their history and this is why they came out in support of us, because they knew that we had our finger…” quote by John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/13b/john-carlos-16923_bills_sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of_4987.jpg)
