The research probes the ability of the state to impose a specific national identity, pursuing the following questions with qualitative fieldwork in Oman: Can a regime encourage the salience of specific elements of a national identity in order to shore up support and legitimacy? Are citizens susceptible to state efforts to mold them into obedient loyal citizens? If so, can an imposed identity have a lasting impact on citizens’ behavior? The paper argues that while a regime may try to cultivate a specific type of citizen, individuals will perceive the identity as extrinsic; although they may imitate the official narrative, will not in fact identify with it to an extent that modifies their behavior. The research draws on Darden’s investigation of the state’s ability to cultivate a unifying national narrative once a population achieves 50 percent literacy, as occurred in Oman in the early 1990s. The central question focuses on the official encouragement of a peaceful national identity, analyzing official statements in addition to educational materials. It then explores the effects of the initiative on citizens’ identity, finding that interviewees mimic the language of the regime in regards to a peaceful national identity. Results indicate however that interviewees exhibit awareness of the government’s motives—perceived as desire for legitimacy and citizen quiescence—and although citizens may present as obedient and loyal subjects, they do not in fact identify with the imposed narrative of peacefulness. Protests in 2011 represent a fracture in the cultivated image of Omani obedience, a further indication that the state’s desired narrative has failed to “stick”, although Darden’s connection between literacy and national unity appears confirmed. Therefore a state can unify a nation, but cannot necessarily dictate the identity citizens adopt. The implications of the Omani context contribute to our understanding of the citizen-state dynamic: the ability of powerful states to institute a national narrative, and citizens’ choice to reject elements of a narrative they perceive as imposed or inauthentic.