--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He made a good salary but he did not…" description: "\"“He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been raised in Chicago proper by a Lithuanian Jewish mother who had grown up in poverty, telling ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png" --- # He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been… ![“He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been raised in Chicago proper by a Lithuanian Jewish mother who had grown up in poverty, telling stories, often, of extending a chicken to its fullest capacity, so as soon as a restaurant served his dish, he would promptly cut it in half and ask…” quote by Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png) > ““He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been raised in Chicago proper by a Lithuanian Jewish mother who had grown up in poverty, telling stories, often, of extending a chicken to its fullest capacity, so as soon as a restaurant served his dish, he would promptly cut it in half and ask for a to-go container. Portions are too big anyway, he’d grumble, patting his waistline. He’d only give away his food if the corners were cleanly cut, as he believed a homeless person would just feel worse eating food with ragged bitemarks at the edges – as if, he said, they are dogs, or bacteria. Dignity, he said, lifting his half-lasagna into its box, is no detail.”” [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values dignity and modesty over excess, believing even the poor deserve neat, respectable portions. **In simple terms:** Respect and modesty matter more than abundance. Key Takeaway Offer food neatly, even to those in need. Themes modesty dignity class empathy humility Mood reflective empathetic Type ethical social commentary When to use this quote - restaurant service - charitable giving - personal budgeting - social interactions Key Concepts social norms psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does presentation affect perceived dignity? - Is it more important to give food or to give it neatly? A Different Perspective His view may overlook the urgency of hunger, focusing on presentation over immediate need. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Jewish mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jewish-mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“For the mentally disturbed, Marie knew these sandwich visits might be the only dependable moments in their lives. She also knew she delivered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/for-the-mentally-disturbed-marie-knew-these-sandwich-visits-might-be/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“I couldn't shake the impulse to help him. It seemed that the older I got the more I believed that everyone, homeless or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-karr/i-couldn-t-shake-the-impulse-to-help-him-it-seemed-that-the-older-i/) [Julia Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-karr/) > [I was raised in Chicago, born in St. Louis. My family's from Mississippi. A lot of places have ownership over me, but Chicago's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-redd/i-was-raised-in-chicago-born-in-st-louis-my-family-s-from-mississippi/) [Chris Redd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-redd/) > [I was raised in Chicago, so always used Latina. It's what my Father and brothers called ourselves, when we meant the entire Spanish-speaking community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-was-raised-in-chicago-so-always-used-latina-it-s-what-my-father-and/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I grew up in Glen Ellyn, which is about 20 miles west of Chicago. I attended Glenbard South High School and University of Illinois.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-mcpartlin/i-grew-up-in-glen-ellyn-which-is-about-20-miles-west-of-chicago-i/) [Ryan McPartlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-mcpartlin/) > [I was born and raised in Chicago and I kind of wanted to go home to where I'm from, where my roots are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-santino/i-was-born-and-raised-in-chicago-and-i-kind-of-wanted-to-go-home-to/) [Andrew Santino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-santino/) > [I was born and raised in Chicago, but lived for a while in Mexico, the son of immigrants. We lived in Mexico, part time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-was-born-and-raised-in-chicago-but-lived-for-a-while-in-mexico-the/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [Being born and raised in Chicago made me tough. It made me strong. I feel like I can deal with anything. I truly believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shani-davis/being-born-and-raised-in-chicago-made-me-tough-it-made-me-strong-i/) [Shani Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shani-davis/) > [As scary as it was being raised by one Jewish mother, I have to feel for my kids because they have two Jewish mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-gold/as-scary-as-it-was-being-raised-by-one-jewish-mother-i-have-to-feel/) [Judy Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-gold/) > [Since writing 'Secrets Of A Jewish Mother' I have received hundreds and hundreds of questions asking for advice about all kinds of subjects such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-zarin/since-writing-secrets-of-a-jewish-mother-i-have-received-hundreds-and/) [Jill Zarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-zarin/) > [ We don't like to say that \[my wife was Jewish\] because her mother was Jewish, which means she was Jewish. So don't imply that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/we-don-t-like-to-say-that-my-wife-was-jewish-because-her-mother-was/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [“-"What's that for?" -"Have a little bread with your ice cream," she told me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-amara/what-s-that-for-have-a-little-bread-with-your-ice-cream-she-told-me/) Astrid Amara > [My identity has always been confused. Born in Edinburgh of a Scottish/Russian/Jewish mother and an English/Irish/Catholic father, there is no form of guilt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/my-identity-has-always-been-confused-born-in-edinburgh-of-a-scottish/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [“My mother is the antithesis of a typical Jewish mother, she is very soft-spoken and takes more naps that a cat. As a result,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/my-mother-is-the-antithesis-of-a-typical-jewish-mother-she-is-very/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [over protective? a butler in a grade- B movie? someones jewish mother? you got it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-weis/over-protective-a-butler-in-a-grade-b-movie-someones-jewish-mother/) [Margaret Weis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-weis/) ## More by Aimee Bender > [“Does it work with sandwiches? he asked. I didn't move. He handed it over. George was watching with a kind of neutral curiosity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/does-it-work-with-sandwiches-he-asked-i-didn-t-move-he-handed-it-over/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [There's a spectrum of those moments of connection and the moments we fail to connect, going from super-large successes to failures. Success would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/there-s-a-spectrum-of-those-moments-of-connection-and-the-moments-we/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [I did plays in college, and I have half of a play. But I'm kind of stuck. I keep revisiting it so maybe it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-did-plays-in-college-and-i-have-half-of-a-play-but-i-m-kind-of/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“My genes, my love, are rubber bands and rope - make yourself a structure you can live inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/my-genes-my-love-are-rubber-bands-and-rope-make-yourself-a-structure/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [One thing I don't want to feel is marketplace pressure, so I'm really glad I enjoy teaching because I can rely on that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/one-thing-i-don-t-want-to-feel-is-marketplace-pressure-so-i-m-really/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [Language is the ticket to plot and character, after all, because both are built out of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/language-is-the-ticket-to-plot-and-character-after-all-because-both/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [I give boring people something to discuss over corn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-give-boring-people-something-to-discuss-over-corn/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“The sensor did not seem to be restricted to my mother's food, and there was so much to sort through, a torrent of information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/the-sensor-did-not-seem-to-be-restricted-to-my-mother-s-food-and/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [I peeled the skin off a grape in slippery little triangles, and I understood then that I would be undressing every item of food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-peeled-the-skin-off-a-grape-in-slippery-little-triangles-and-i/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [It was like we were exchanging codes, on how to be a father and a daughter, like we'd read about it in a manual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/it-was-like-we-were-exchanging-codes-on-how-to-be-a-father-and-a/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“I started in our neighborhood, buying a pastrami burrito at Oki Dog and a deluxe gardenburger at Astro Burger and matzoh-ball soup at Greenblatt's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-started-in-our-neighborhood-buying-a-pastrami-burrito-at-oki-dog/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“I loved my dish towel. This one was two-toned, and had, on one side, stitchings of fat purple roses on a lavender background, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-loved-my-dish-towel-this-one-was-two-toned-and-had-on-one-side/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > […kissing George was a little like rolling in caramel after spending years surviving off rice sticks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/kissing-george-was-a-little-like-rolling-in-caramel-after-spending/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“And in it all, the sensation of shaking my fists at the sky, shaking my fists high up to the sky, because that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/and-in-it-all-the-sensation-of-shaking-my-fists-at-the-sky-shaking-my/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [“I felt her come by later, as I was dozing off. Her standing, by my bed. The depth of shadow of a person felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/i-felt-her-come-by-later-as-i-was-dozing-off-her-standing-by-my-bed/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) [Explore all 172 Aimee Bender quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) ## More Dignity quotes > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I take the responsibility of playing another ethnicity very, very seriously, and I promise myself and those people that I will represent them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/i-take-the-responsibility-of-playing-another-ethnicity-very-very/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [Use every man according to his desert and who should 'scape whipping? Use them after your own honor and dignity, the less they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/use-every-man-according-to-his-desert-and-who-should-scape-whipping/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The dignity of man is in free choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-frisch/the-dignity-of-man-is-in-free-choice/) [Max Frisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-frisch/) > [One of the things I love about Africa is the amount of dignity and respect and humility you see all the time. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-africa-is-the-amount-of-dignity-and/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > [It is well for a man when he has learned to endure what he cannot change, and to give up with dignity what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/it-is-well-for-a-man-when-he-has-learned-to-endure-what-he-cannot/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [There is something to be said for anyone who sits alone with dignity and silently begs for God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/there-is-something-to-be-said-for-anyone-who-sits-alone-with-dignity/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [I just remember that disturbing feeling of walking into that prison, the complete loss of privacy, the complete loss of stimulation, dignity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/i-just-remember-that-disturbing-feeling-of-walking-into-that-prison/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [Henry Kissinger may have wished I had presented him as a combination of Charles DeGaulle and Disraeli, but I didn't…out of respect for DeGaulle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/henry-kissinger-may-have-wished-i-had-presented-him-as-a-combination/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [The dignity of a woman's life is infinite, her status immeasurable, her capacity unbounded, her role divine...In the fast changing world of today her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/the-dignity-of-a-woman-s-life-is-infinite-her-status-immeasurable-her/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) [Browse all 3,116 Dignity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been raised in Chicago proper by a Lithuanian Jewish mother who had grown up in poverty, telling stories, often, of extending a chicken to its fullest capacity, so as soon as a restaurant served his dish, he would promptly cut it in half and ask for a to-go container. Portions are too big anyway, he’d grumble, patting his waistline. He’d only give away his food if the corners were cleanly cut, as he believed a homeless person would just feel worse eating food with ragged bitemarks at the edges – as if, he said, they are dogs, or bacteria. Dignity, he said, lifting his half-lasagna into its box, is no detail.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aimee Bender" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-flaunt-it-he-d-been-raised-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dignity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-flaunt-it-he-d-been-raised-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/aimee-bender-2250_dignity_he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-fla_276390.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He made a good salary but he did not flaunt it. He’d been raised in Chicago proper by a Lithuanian Jewish…” — Aimee Bender", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aimee Bender", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He made a good salary but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-flaunt-it-he-d-been-raised-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/he-made-a-good-salary-but-he-did-not-flaunt-it-he-d-been-raised-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```