Meaning: ‘Unity is strength’ is a very profound proverb. This proverb means that ‘sticking together is a source of strength’.
It might be used to refer to families, marriages, countries, communities, and even classrooms at school or university. This proverb suggests, moreover, that we are stronger together than we are alone.
Expansion of Idea: The principle of ‘unity is strength’ or ‘union is strength’ is the primary basis of peace and happiness of a society and the nation.
At first, a man making their own families lives separately. The peace and happiness of a family would depend on the unity among the members of the family. Observance of the principle of “Unity is Strength” is required every member to stand by the other in time of real need. This would require some sacrifice which would affect their personal interest and this loss of interest resulted in constant clash and quarrel among themselves. So a number of families in small groups were formed to avoid such unpleasant situation. There were also clash and fights among themselves and the small groups failed to protect themselves against more powerful groups. So they united themselves and a nation was built for greater security. This is the history of the formation of a nation. But a weak nation began to be tortured by the stronger one. So nations began to unite themselves for their safety and security.
Below, you will find some ways in which this proverb is applicable to everyday life.
- Family life. Mutual support is much better than arguments.
- Marriages. Caring for each other is better than divisiveness.
- Communities. Helping out our neighbors, and letting them help us in turn, makes our communities stronger.
- In school. Supporting each other rather than being competitive helps us to all do well.
The story of the farmer and his quarrelling sons is well-known to everybody. The sons could easily break each stick separately. But when the sticks were tied into a bundle, nobody could break the bundle. From such an example, they learnt the lesson, that union is strength.
We should follow this principle in our personal lives. We should never indulge in quarrel with our friends and relatives. Nobody can take our advantage if we stay united.