To care for the quarrels of the past, to identify oneself passionately with a cause that became, politically speaking, a losing cause with the birth of the modern world, is to experience a kind of straining against reality, a rebellious nonconformity that, again, is rare in America, where children are instructed in the virtues of the system they live under, as though history had achieved a happy ending in American civics.

Summary

This quote reflects on the tendency of individuals to hold onto past conflicts and passionately align themselves with causes that may no longer hold political relevance in the modern world. It suggests that this refusal to accept reality and cling onto losing causes is uncommon in America, where there is an emphasis on instructing children in the virtues of the current political system. The quote seems to criticize the lack of critical reflection on history and the promotion of a narrative that paints American civics as having already achieved a perfect and final outcome.

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