We must, however, acknowledge, as it seems to me, that man with all his noble qualities still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.  
"The writer's job is to get the main character up a tree, and then throw rocks at him."
The stranger is close to us, insofar as we feel between him and ourselves common features of a national, social, occupational, or generally human, nature. He is far from us, insofar as these common features extend beyond him or us, and connect us only because they connect a great many people.
The rise of China and the resurgence of Russia have challenged the idea that liberal democracy is the only viable form of government.
I think the most important thing is to be true to yourself.