If you get down about the state of American culture, just remember there are still more public libraries in this country than there are McDonalds.
David McculloughRead
I just thank my father and mother, my lucky stars, that I had the advantage of an education in the humanities.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker expresses gratitude for receiving a humanities education from their parents.
David McCullough reflects on the importance of his upbringing and the educational opportunities he was afforded through the humanities. He acknowledges the role of his parents and fate in shaping his appreciation for the arts and humanities, suggesting that such education provides valuable insights into human nature and society.
Themes
EducationHumanitiesGratitudeParentsAdvantage
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to celebrate the achievements of students in the humanities, this quote highlights the value of their education.
More from David Mccullough
All quotes βThere is only one person who can measure your success. That person is you.
David McculloughRead
Napoleon could never imagine that some people loved their country as much as he loved his own.
David McculloughRead
When the founders wrote about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they didn't mean longer vacations and more comfortable hammocks. They meant the pursuit of learning. The pursuit of improvement and excellence. In hard work is happiness.
David McculloughRead
Any nation that expects to be ignorant and free," Jefferson said, "expects what never was and never will be." And if the gap between the educated and the uneducated in America continues to grow as it is in our time, as fast as or faster than the gap between the rich and the poor, the gap between the educated and the uneducated is going to be of greater consequence and the more serious threat to our way of life. We must not, by any means, misunderstand that.
David McculloughRead
Read. Read every chance you get. Read to keep growing. Read history. Read poetry. Read for pure enjoyment. Read a book called Life on a Little Known Planet. It's about insects. It will make you feel better.
David McculloughRead
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'Charlotte's Web,' which I read sitting on my mother's lap, was the most emotional experience: that was when I made the leap from seeing how to untangle words to realizing how books both contain and convey strong feelings.
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Students and scholars of all kinds and of every age aim, as a rule, only at information, not insight. They make it a point of honour to have information about everything, every stone, plant, battle, or experiment and about all books, collectively and individually. It never occurs to them that information is merely a means to insight, but in itself is of little or no value.
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My parents would say to me, 'You can teach yourself anything better than someone else can teach it to you.' That was the whole ethos of my family.
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