So to be patriots as not to forget we are gentlemen.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Patriotism should not override basic civility and respect for others.
- In plain terms
- Be loyal to your country but still treat people with dignity.
- What can you take from it?
- Maintain decency even when acting for your nation.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does loyalty require setting aside politeness?
- Who defines gentlemanly behavior?
Another view
It assumes a shared standard of what constitutes a gentleman.
More from Edmund Burke
When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.
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