"The people of England are the most enthusiastic in the world"
About this Quote
The subtext is as shrewd as it is patriotic. Disraeli knew England’s self-image ran on a tension between restraint (stiff upper lip, common sense) and sudden collective fervor (royal pageantry, wartime unity, moral crusades). Calling the English “the most enthusiastic” reframes national identity away from mere sobriety toward a kind of moral vigor: not the hot blood of revolution, but the respectable heat of conviction. That distinction matters in Victorian Britain, where mass politics was expanding and parties were learning to speak not just to elites but to crowds.
Contextually, Disraeli’s era was one of industrial turbulence, widening franchise, and the packaging of “the nation” as a coherent audience. The line works because it invites ordinary people into a shared story of greatness while gently implying an obligation: if you are the world’s most enthusiastic people, you should prove it - at the polls, in civic life, and in the grand projects of the state.
Quote Details
| Topic | Excitement |
|---|---|
| Source | Later attribution: Wit and wisdom of Benjamin Disraeli, collected from his w... (Benjamin Disraeli (earl of Beaconsfie..., 1881) modern compilationID: DTACAAAAQAAJ
Evidence:
Benjamin Disraeli (earl of Beaconsfield.) ENGLAND . England is a domestic country . Here the home is revered ... The people of England are the most enthusiastic in the world . There are others more excitable , but there are none ... |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Disraeli, Benjamin. (2026, February 12). The people of England are the most enthusiastic in the world. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-people-of-england-are-the-most-enthusiastic-4680/
Chicago Style
Disraeli, Benjamin. "The people of England are the most enthusiastic in the world." FixQuotes. February 12, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-people-of-england-are-the-most-enthusiastic-4680/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The people of England are the most enthusiastic in the world." FixQuotes, 12 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-people-of-england-are-the-most-enthusiastic-4680/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.









