"A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by common hatred of its neighbours"

In this thought-provoking quote, theorist William Ralph Inge suggests that a country's sense of unity is established upon two shared components: a collective false belief in its ancestral heritage and a mutual bitterness towards surrounding nations. It suggests that a country's identity is built upon a certain level of self-deception regarding its origins and history. Furthermore, the notion of a typical enemy serves as a unifying force, reinforcing the bonds among the members of that society. This quote emphasizes the role of beliefs, whether grounded in reality or not, and the power of shared hatred in forming nationwide identity and social cohesion.