Timothy D. Snyder Quotes

I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.

American cinema tends to express a patriotic relationship to national identity on a regular basis.

I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in in Greek exceptionalism.

Beyond institutional amnesia, a rejection of causal analysis is the existential rock on which American Exceptionalism sits. The United States unique sense of itself depends on an ambiguous relationship to the past. History is affirmed, since it is America's unprecedented historical success that justifies the exceptionalism.

In general, American life is more easy-going. And civic pride, national pride in a cultural sense, is great in America. I think what they esteem in America is character and energy, and being different and superior to other peoples. Of course, every nation feels itself to be superior, but in America it's a jaunty feeling, and in some cases a rather ominous one among the super-patriots.

You never can say too much in praise of your country and its inhabitants. Two nations in Europe are really almost ridiculous in their own exaggerated praises of themselves; these are the English and the French.

Americans generally regard themselves as belonging to an exceptional nation. And in terms of living in a religiously tolerant and enormously diverse country, Americans can certainly take some justified pride.

The problem with some of our noisier exponents of 'American exceptionalism' is that they lack Reagan's moral maturity.

I've always had a complex relationship towards my identity as an American.

The British are special. The world knows it. In our innermost thoughts we know it. This is the greatest nation on earth.

This notion that Americans have. . . that they don't have to do anything other than be American in order to lead - that's very pervasive in the culture, it goes very deep into how they see themselves here.

All nations have present, or past, or future reasons for thinking themselves incomparable.

There is a fuzzy but real distinction that can and I believe should be made, between patriotism, which is attachment to a way of life, and nationalism, which is the insistence that your way of life deserves to rule over other ways of life.

American exceptionalism is the recurring character in the nation's narrative.

I don't know whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, but I have no such thing as national pride. I don't feel proud that I am Iranian. I happen to be who I am.

France will always be France no matter what, but America involves striving toward an ideal.

It seems to me psychologically I'm a Canadian.

It's a deft trick to turn American exceptionalism into an exceptional political tactic.

If a man is going to be an American at all let him be so without any qualifying adjectives, and if he is going to be something else, let him drop the word American from his personal description.

Every nation feels itself to be superior, but in America it's a jaunty feeling, and in some cases a rather ominous one among the super-patriots.

Affirming belief that America is an exceptional nation has become a test of patriotism in American politics.

This self-congratulatory notion Americans have that their country is Number One is borne of ignorance and bad manners.

There's intense national feeling in America that could be called patriotism.

I am an American in every fiber of my body and in every heartbeat.

Americans' great and secret fear is that America may turn out to be a phenomenon rather than a civilization.