Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, letter to Thomas Raikes (March 1, 1841); in Harriet Raikes, ed., Private Correspondence of Thomas Raikes (1861), p. 262–63.
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I have no confidence in the system of isolement [isolation]. It does not answer in social life for individuals, nor in politics for nations. Man is a social animal.

— Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington on Isolationism

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I have no confidence in the system of isolement [isolation]. It does not answer in social life for individuals, nor in politics for nations. Man is a social animal." in the context of "Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, letter to Thomas Raikes (March 1, 1841); in Harriet Raikes, ed., Private Correspondence of Thomas Raikes (1861), p. 262–63." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Isolationism" (Quotes, W) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

About Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was a British soldier and statesman. Rising to prominence during the Peninsular War, he became a national hero in Britain after the Napoleonic Wars during which he led the victorious Anglo-Allied forces at the Battle of Waterloo. He later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two separate occasions.