--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nations touch at their summits." description: "\"Nations touch at their summits.\" — Walter Bagehot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/walter-bagehot-3686_nations_nations-touch-at-their-summits-2338457_2338457.png" --- # Nations touch at their summits. ![“Nations touch at their summits.” quote by Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/walter-bagehot-3686_nations_nations-touch-at-their-summits-2338457_2338457.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/walter-bagehot-3686_nations_nations-touch-at-their-summits-2338457_2338457.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/walter-bagehot-3686_nations_nations-touch-at-their-summits-2338457_2338457.png) > “Nations touch at their summits.” [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People meet at high points of influence, suggesting that power concentrates interactions among elites. **In simple terms:** Leaders often interact at the top. Key Takeaway Seek connections with those in influential positions. Themes power networking leadership Mood analytical strategic Type observational insightful When to use this quote - business conferences - political summits - industry panels Key Concepts political science social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Who are the influential people you need to meet? - What value do summit‑level interactions bring? A Different Perspective Focusing only on elites can ignore grassroots perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Nations Touch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations-touch-5651740/) [Summit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summit/) [Summits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summits/) [Touch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touch/) [Touch Summits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touch-summits-5651739/) ## Related quotes > [Who would attain to summits still and fair,Must nerve himself through valleys of despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/who-would-attain-to-summits-still-and-fair-must-nerve-himself-through/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [Those who found nothing on the plains will find nothing on the summits of mountains!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/those-who-found-nothing-on-the-plains-will-find-nothing-on-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The use of EU summits to frame political victories or defeats is an annoying habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/the-use-of-eu-summits-to-frame-political-victories-or-defeats-is-an/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [Happiness is the struggle towards a summit and, when it is attained, it is happiness to glimpse new summits on the other side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fridtjof-nansen/happiness-is-the-struggle-towards-a-summit-and-when-it-is-attained-it/) [Fridtjof Nansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fridtjof-nansen/) > [The world can no more have two summits than a circumference can have two centres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/the-world-can-no-more-have-two-summits-than-a-circumference-can-have/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [“To reach the top you don’t have to climb up to the top; just define a height as the top, that’s’ it, very simple!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/to-reach-the-top-you-don-t-have-to-climb-up-to-the-top-just-define-a/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [ Summits \[World Summit on the Information Society\] are meant to help governments reach a global consensus on major issues which has proved elusive in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/summits-world-summit-on-the-information-society-are-meant-to-help/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [Summits are best at dealing with problems, where the need for action is urgent and the range of possible actions limited. They are less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-souter/summits-are-best-at-dealing-with-problems-where-the-need-for-action/) [David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-souter/) > [I don't think more mega-summits is the way to secure effective implementation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-don-t-think-more-mega-summits-is-the-way-to-secure-effective/) [Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/) > [People think this is easy to be a football player. They only see the summit but they don't see the ascent, which is far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pires/people-think-this-is-easy-to-be-a-football-player-they-only-see-the/) [Robert Pires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pires/) > [It's no use crying over spilt summits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-macmillan/it-s-no-use-crying-over-spilt-summits/) [Harold MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-macmillan/) > [The most important thing I would do is to try to institutionalize U.S.-Soviet summits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-f-mondale/the-most-important-thing-i-would-do-is-to-try-to-institutionalize-u-s/) [Walter F. Mondale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-f-mondale/) > [I've participated at summits where I was the only chef. I was surrounded with thinkers and writers and innovators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-crenn/i-ve-participated-at-summits-where-i-was-the-only-chef-i-was/) [Dominique Crenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-crenn/) > [“The paths to mountain peaks are ever rugged, but men reach the summits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-james-brebner/the-paths-to-mountain-peaks-are-ever-rugged-but-men-reach-the-summits/) [Percy James Brebner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-james-brebner/) > [I compliment President Obama on having these summits each year in Washington in which people have talked about ridding the world of materials of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lugar/i-compliment-president-obama-on-having-these-summits-each-year-in/) [Richard Lugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lugar/) ## More by Walter Bagehot > [But of all nations in the world the English are perhaps the least a nation of pure philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/but-of-all-nations-in-the-world-the-english-are-perhaps-the-least-a/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights - the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-sovereign-has-under-a-constitutional-monarchy-such-as-ours-three/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-most-essential-mental-quality-for-a-free-people-whose-liberty-is/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Adventure is the life of commerce, but caution is the life of banking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/adventure-is-the-life-of-commerce-but-caution-is-the-life-of-banking/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [A severe though not unfriendly critic of our institutions said that the cure for admiring the House of Lords was to go and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/a-severe-though-not-unfriendly-critic-of-our-institutions-said-that/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Nothing is more unpleasant than a virtuous person with a mean mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/nothing-is-more-unpleasant-than-a-virtuous-person-with-a-mean-mind/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [What impresses men is not mind, but the result of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/what-impresses-men-is-not-mind-but-the-result-of-mind/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [An inability to stay quiet is one of the conspicuous failings of mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/an-inability-to-stay-quiet-is-one-of-the-conspicuous-failings-of/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Most men of business think "Anyhow this system will probably last my time. It has gone on a long time, and is likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/most-men-of-business-think-anyhow-this-system-will-probably-last-my/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Life is a school of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/life-is-a-school-of-probability/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [When great questions end, little parties begin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/when-great-questions-end-little-parties-begin/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The peculiar essence of our banking system is an unprecedented trust between man and man. And when that trust is much weakened by hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-peculiar-essence-of-our-banking-system-is-an-unprecedented-trust/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [The habit of common and continuous speech is a symptom of mental deficiency. It proceeds from not knowing what is going on in other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-habit-of-common-and-continuous-speech-is-a-symptom-of-mental/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [Not only does a bureaucracy tend to under-government in point of quality; it tends to over-government in point of quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/not-only-does-a-bureaucracy-tend-to-under-government-in-point-of/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [In early times every sort of advantage tends to become a military advantage; such is the best way, then, to keep it alive. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/in-early-times-every-sort-of-advantage-tends-to-become-a-military/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) [Explore all 123 Walter Bagehot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) ## More Nations quotes > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“Is there any holy beings like human beings?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/is-there-any-holy-beings-like-human-beings/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [ When the fountains of government \[borrowing\] abundance began to dry up, when through lack of funds and the impossibility of negotiating fresh loans the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-flynn/when-the-fountains-of-government-borrowing-abundance-began-to-dry-up/) [John T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-flynn/) > [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. 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