United We Stand, Divided We Fall

By Arvind Dewangan

Unity is great quality of human beings. By this is meant the accord of different minds for a common end. There can be no concert if the different persons with their musical instruments are not of the same mind. If they play on their instruments as they like, there will be only chaos and confusion but no harmony.

As in the case of musical instruments so in the case of all other affairs, unity of purpose is indispensably necessary. This alone enable us to produce a result conducive to the common good.

We all know the story of the old man and his three sons. When the old man was dying, his sons began to quarrel. He asked them, one by one, to break a bundle of sticks tied together. They could not do it. He ordered the bundle to be united and then asked his sons to break each stick separately. They did it easily. This was a lesson for the sons; and they never afterwards quarreled or forgot to stand united.

Man is free but still he has to depend on others. One man cannot produce everything. He produces one thing and thousands of people produce other things for him. A teacher does teaching work. But who produces food and cloth and other things for him? It is an age of unity and co-operation. One cannot live without the help of others. Therefore, all men must work together. If they do not, every member of the society will become weak and poor. So, unity gives strength to every member of the society.

No home can be strong, happy and peaceful without unity. What will happen if everybody goes his own way? The family will break into pieces. One will not care for the other. They will not help each other in need. A divided house cannot face an enemy. A brother will cut the neck of his own brother. How horrible its result will be!

A society, too, cannot do without unity. Man is a social animal. He helps others, and others help him in turn. He has to depend upon his friends and neighbours. If they are united, the society will be strong. Even birds and animals show a wonderful sense of unity. Ants are very small. But when they unite, they form a strong army. You cannot break a bundle of sticks. But how easily you break them one by one!

Look at the history of India. The story of Prithviraj and Jaichand is known to everybody. They were brothers. But they lived like enemies. So, Jaichand helped the enemy of Prithviraj. What was the result? India lost her freedom. Rana Pratap, too, lost the battle of freedom in the same way. In those days, all the Indian kings fought among themselves. One did not help the other in case of attack. Therefore, they fell one after another. The history of India teaches us the lesson on the importance of unity.

Let’s take an example for easy understanding, a single finger cannot do any work alone but when all five fingers are combined they can lift heavy weight. A big manufacturing company also depend on the union of labour, they have the power to either enhance or reduce the success of that company. A single drop of water cannot quench a thirst of anyone but when lots of drops of water combined, it becomes a river or sea and can be useful for millions of people. Same like numbers of bricks are used to make a high building and uncountable molecules make this world. 

The maxim “United we stand, divided we fall” encapsulates a profound truth about the strength derived from unity and the perils of division. It serves as a moral and social principle that has guided human civilizations through centuries. Collective harmony, mutual cooperation, and shared purpose have always been the driving forces behind human progress, while internal discord and fragmentation have often led to decline and failure.

Unity is the foundation upon which the stability and advancement of any society are built. It fosters cooperation, mutual understanding, and resilience, allowing individuals and groups to achieve objectives that would be unattainable in isolation. Conversely, division—whether based on ideology, religion, race, or political interest—weakens the social fabric and hinders development. The power of unity lies in its ability to transform diversity into strength, promoting inclusivity and collective well-being.

Historical and contemporary events offer compelling evidence of this principle. The Indian freedom movement stands as a remarkable testament to the power of unity. People from diverse regions, languages, and religions came together under a common cause — the struggle for independence from British rule. Led by figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, this collective effort culminated in India’s independence in 1947. However, moments of internal division, such as communal strife, have occasionally threatened the nation’s peace and progress, demonstrating the fragility of disunity.

Similarly, the American Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century illustrates how unity can dismantle systemic injustice. Individuals of different races and social classes united under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., leading to significant legal and social reforms in the United States. Their solidarity not only secured civil rights for millions but also redefined the moral conscience of an entire nation.

Though we all know that at alone level we all are weak but if we come together and be unite we get more powerful. This power of unity has been proved since many years and by many ways. Various kings were defeated due to absence of unity and many were won due to presence of union. In fact In case of our country India, where India was under British Rule, British people follow the policy of “divide and rule” and ruled them for many years. And in 1947, India got independence when people of it came together and fought against British Rule. Thus many incidents were happened in history that realizes and teaches us the power of Union.

We can start describing the power or strength of union from our family. Having unity among family members, a family can handle any kind of situation whether good or bad. Unity in a family gives a person physical and financial security along with the mental support. Now we talk about the unity in nation, a country is safe and secure until the people living here are united and unanimous. A country with having unity among citizens of it can tackle any kind of national crises. And at international level the common problems of whole world like global warming and terrorism also needs the unity among all countries and people to solve it.

Unity has various examples like a big sea is made of countless single drops, a rope is made of number of single threads and a huge building consist of various single bricks. These examples show the strength of Unity. Even this whole world is made of uncounted molecules and atoms. Thus we can feel and experience the power of union. 

In this connection the story of old farmer and his quarrelling sons is very instructive. So long as the sticks were united in the bundle, none of the old man’s sons could break them. But when the bundle was united and the separate sticks were given to his sons, they could break them very easily. By this example the old man taught his sons that unity is strength. Nobody can do us any harm so long as we are united. But when we disunited, misfortunes befalls us.

A more recent example can be found in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The unprecedented health crisis revealed both the potential and limitations of human cooperation. Nations that collaborated by sharing research, medical expertise, and vaccines—through initiatives like COVAX—managed to mitigate the pandemic’s impact more effectively. In contrast, regions marked by political division, misinformation, or lack of coordination experienced greater suffering. This case highlights how unity, not only within nations but across borders, is essential to addressing global challenges.

In the modern era, issues such as climate change, poverty, terrorism, and inequality further underline the necessity of solidarity. No single nation, however powerful, can resolve these problems in isolation. Global cooperation through institutions such as the United Nations and international treaties demonstrates the continued relevance of this timeless adage.

In this way we may see that in every sphere of human life strength lies in unity and disunity leads to disaster and ruin. Once upon a time there lived three bulls in a forest. All of them were strong and hefty. They were good friends and kept almost always together. Wherever one of them went, the other two followed too. Thus they were very safe from enemies. Seeing them together, none—not even the lion himself dared come near them.

Let us consider and understand that, unity is the password which heals all bruises big and small. It is this that helps us enjoy few happy moments of life. In the good moments of a marriage, in the sad moments of sickness and death, it is the unity of the well wishers that makes the pleasure great and despair less. This is the unique power of unity. A lone individual or community can achieve nothing and neither can they enjoy the fruits of any achievement. The secret power of unity is strength, which is built up by mutual trust and faith and love for each other, and the oneness of a single well formulated goal.

At National level also it is proved that union is strength. This country is totally depends on the strength and power of unity. India is the country of different religions and different communities but at last all the people are Indians and have proud to be Indians. Any social issue that is standing in front of us can be solved by having unity in people of India whether it is case of terrorism, corruption, poverty, child labour or overpopulation. No issue is impossible to solve, just require a team support which is possible by having unity in their thoughts and efforts.

There are many bad effects of discord. A nation without unity is considered as a weak nation. A nation cannot stand upright without unity. To be united, personal and national selfishness must be abandoned. For living united, we have to take lesson from the history. In the past, many nation and community ruined due to discord. Unity saves us from thieving, robbery, smuggling, hoarding and mischief.

For the development of a country united efforts is must. Without unity a country cannot run. Therefore, for the betterment of the country and countrymen, we have to live united. Unity has always the power and strength to face or tackle any kind of worst situation. It is always our responsibility to walk together with other people in the journey of life. The dissension in the army can cause a revolt. Similarly, it is not possible to win a game without co-operation, team-spirit and unity. If the members of a family and the society are united they can reach the zenith of prosperity. In conclusion, the proverb “United we stand, divided we fall” embodies a universal truth that transcends time and culture. Unity strengthens societies, nurtures peace, and ensures collective progress, while division breeds weakness and decline. In a world increasingly characterized by diversity and interdependence, embracing unity—within nations and among them—remains the surest path toward sustainable development and global harmony.

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By Arvind Dewangan