"It is remarkable that jealousy of individual property in land often goes along with very exaggerated doctrines of tribal or national property in land"

This quote by William Graham Sumner is referring to the paradoxical nature of human actions when it comes to land ownership. On one hand, individuals are frequently extremely possessive and also jealous of their very own land, intending to safeguard it from any outdoors disturbance. On the other hand, many individuals also have a solid feeling of tribal or nationwide ownership of land, thinking that the land belongs to the cumulative team rather than to any kind of one individual. This quote is highlighting the paradox of this scenario, as it is impressive that these two relatively inconsistent beliefs can exist side-by-side in the exact same person. Sumner is recommending that this paradoxical actions is something that ought to be taken into account when discussing land possession.