--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have said that there is no \"average\"…" description: "\"“I have said that there is no \"average\" American. That is due to the circumstance that the people of the United States differ from each as widely as th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/alexander-berkman-24501_american_i-have-said-that-there-is-no-average-ame_1925574.png" --- # I have said that there is no "average" American. That is… ![“I have said that there is no "average" American. That is due to the circumstance that the people of the United States differ from each as widely as the parts they live in. The New Yorker is a different specimen of man from the Westerner; the latter is entirely different again from the people of…” quote by Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/alexander-berkman-24501_american_i-have-said-that-there-is-no-average-ame_1925574.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/alexander-berkman-24501_american_i-have-said-that-there-is-no-average-ame_1925574.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/alexander-berkman-24501_american_i-have-said-that-there-is-no-average-ame_1925574.png) > ““I have said that there is no "average" American. That is due to the circumstance that the people of the United States differ from each as widely as the parts they live in. The New Yorker is a different specimen of man from the Westerner; the latter is entirely different again from the people of Texas. The Middle West, such States for instance as Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska or Iowa, have an entirely different psychology from that of Florida or Lower California. Their habits of life, their modes of thought, even their language is different. Still further, it must also be considered that millions of foreigners and descendants of foreign born people live in the United States and are part of the entire population that is known as "American". Add to this more than 10 million negroes, not to mention the score of different Indian (red-skin) tribes, who are the real, indigenous Americans. In this conglomeration of races it is impossible to speak of the "average" American, nor can any adequate estimate of American psychology be made on such a basis.”” [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America’s diversity makes a single “average” impossible; regional and cultural differences shape distinct mindsets. **In simple terms:** America is too varied for an average. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect regional diversity. Themes diversity culture regionalism identity psychology Mood analytical thoughtful Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - education curricula - media representation - community building Key Concepts social heterogeneity cultural geography national identity Questions to Reflect On - How does regional culture affect national policy? - In what ways can we honor diverse identities? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizing can erase minority experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Average american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-american/) ## Related quotes > [We all have a dark side, and we have to confront our dark side. That's pop American psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kraftsow/we-all-have-a-dark-side-and-we-have-to-confront-our-dark-side-that-s/) [Gary Kraftsow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kraftsow/) > [“...American psychology effectively guaranteed its place as a cultural icon by helping to create the pathologies it simultaneously promised to treat. (p. 37)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-dueck/american-psychology-effectively-guaranteed-its-place-as-a-cultural/) Alvin Dueck > [It is the 'zoomorphic' or 'rattomorphic' fallacy - the expressed or implicit contention that there is no essential difference between rat and man -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/it-is-the-zoomorphic-or-rattomorphic-fallacy-the-expressed-or/) [Ludwig von Bertalanffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-bertalanffy/) > [My degree was in Depth Psychology and Religion, so I can really speak directly about pop American psychology masquerading as Yoga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kraftsow/my-degree-was-in-depth-psychology-and-religion-so-i-can-really-speak/) [Gary Kraftsow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kraftsow/) > [I don’t fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-don-t-fit-into-the-bad-side-of-american-psychology-the-british-are/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [“Journal of Personality and Social Psychology of American Psychology Students.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/journal-of-personality-and-social-psychology-of-american-psychology/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [The average American is nothing if not patriotic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-croly/the-average-american-is-nothing-if-not-patriotic/) [Herbert Croly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-croly/) > [Americans get it. They're ready for some opportunities to have greener communities, to have cleaner communities, and to have transportation options that perhaps they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-abbott/americans-get-it-they-re-ready-for-some-opportunities-to-have-greener/) [Greg Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-abbott/) > [We Americans love our Constitution so much that we can't bear to change even the stupid parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/we-americans-love-our-constitution-so-much-that-we-can-t-bear-to/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [Americans, the eyes of the world are upon you. How can you expect the world to believe in you and respect your preaching of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-baker/americans-the-eyes-of-the-world-are-upon-you-how-can-you-expect-the/) [Josephine Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-baker/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Americans assume all British people have at least one servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/americans-assume-all-british-people-have-at-least-one-servant/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [“What constitutes an American? Not color nor race nor religion. Not the pedigree of his family nor the place of his birth. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ickes/what-constitutes-an-american-not-color-nor-race-nor-religion-not-the/) Harold Ickes > [Americans are not afraid of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasso-plattner/americans-are-not-afraid-of-the-future/) [Hasso Plattner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasso-plattner/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) ## More by Alexander Berkman > [Anarchism means voluntary co-operation instead of forced participation. It means harmony and order in place of interference and disorder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/anarchism-means-voluntary-co-operation-instead-of-forced/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [When the highwayman holds his gun to your head, you turn your valuables over to him. You 'consent' alright, but you do so because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/when-the-highwayman-holds-his-gun-to-your-head-you-turn-your/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [War means blind obedience, unthinking stupidity, brutish callousness, wanton destruction, and irresponsible murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/war-means-blind-obedience-unthinking-stupidity-brutish-callousness/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [“In an absolutism, the autocrat is visible and tangible. The real despotism of republican institutions is far deeper, more insidious, because it rests on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/in-an-absolutism-the-autocrat-is-visible-and-tangible-the-real/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [It is the system, rather than individuals, that is the source of pollution and degradation. My prison-house environment is but another manifestation of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/it-is-the-system-rather-than-individuals-that-is-the-source-of/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [...existence has become an unreasoning, wild dance around the golden calf, a mad worship of God Mammon. In that dance and in that worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/existence-has-become-an-unreasoning-wild-dance-around-the-golden-calf/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [Man's inhumanity to man is not the last word. The truth lies deeper. It is economic slavery, the savage struggle for a crumb, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/man-s-inhumanity-to-man-is-not-the-last-word-the-truth-lies-deeper-it/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [“No intelligent radical can fail to realize the need of the rational education of the young. The rearing of the child must become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/no-intelligent-radical-can-fail-to-realize-the-need-of-the-rational/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [War paralyzes your courage and deadens the spirit of true manhood. It degrades and stupefies with the sense that you are not responsible, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/war-paralyzes-your-courage-and-deadens-the-spirit-of-true-manhood-it/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [War paralyzes your courage and deadens the spirit of true manhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/war-paralyzes-your-courage-and-deadens-the-spirit-of-true-manhood/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [Socialism, like Christianity destroyed itself to gain power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/socialism-like-christianity-destroyed-itself-to-gain-power/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [If you can see, hear, feel, and think, you should know that King Dollar rules the United States, and that the workers are robbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/if-you-can-see-hear-feel-and-think-you-should-know-that-king-dollar/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [In short, Anarchism means a condition or society where all men and women are free, and where all enjoy equally the benefits of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/in-short-anarchism-means-a-condition-or-society-where-all-men-and/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [“Violence is the method of ignorance, the weapon of the weak. The strong of heart and brain need no violence, for they are irresistible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/violence-is-the-method-of-ignorance-the-weapon-of-the-weak-the-strong/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) > [Inhumanity is the keynote of stupidity in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-berkman/inhumanity-is-the-keynote-of-stupidity-in-power/) [Alexander Berkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) [Explore all 24 Alexander Berkman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-berkman/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have said that there is no \"average\" American. That is due to the circumstance that the people of the United States differ from each as widely as the parts they live in. The New Yorker is a different specimen of man from the Westerner; the latter is entirely different again from the people of Texas. The Middle West, such States for instance as Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska or Iowa, have an entirely different psychology from that of Florida or Lower California. Their habits of life, their modes of thought, even their language is different. 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