Let us grasp our shared history and destiny on this Malaysia Day

THERE are many wise and insightful quotes about patriotism and national pride. They can strike a chord so sweetly that you find yourself nodding even before you have decided that you agree.

Some are so incisive that they spark lightbulb moments. And almost always, these quotes stir up all kinds of emotions.

We can, for example, turn to Adlai Stevenson, a major figure in American politics in the 1950s who twice went up against Dwight D. Eisenhower in the race for the White House, and lost.

In August 1952, during his first presidential election campaign, Stevenson gave a speech on the nature of patriotism. In it, he boldly spoke out against the anti-communist hysteria of the day.

The speech is studded with memorable lines, but here is one for the ages: “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”

Writer Mark Twain was another American who had plenty to say about patriotism, but often in a cynical and dismissive tone.

He was, however, less cutting when he wrote this in a 1905 article in a literary magazine: “The modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to the nation ALL the time, loyalty to the government when it deserves it.”

Clever statements on how people feel about their homeland do not come only from the United States, of course.

Seneca the Younger, the ancient Roman philosopher, supposedly said, “Men love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own.”

But not all countries are equal. Why do some prosper economically and socially when some others are basket cases?

Myriad factors determine the fate of a country but Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset offered this conclusion: “What makes a nation great is not primarily its great men, but the stature of its innumerable mediocre ones.”

It is Malaysia Day today. What better time to ponder the quotes above and others of that ilk?

At 55, Malaysia is relatively young and a work in progress. There is much to learn from the experiences of other countries and from the illuminating thoughts of the illustrious men and women who came before us.