--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes she thought that the people…" description: "\"“Sometimes she thought that the people overseas had no room in their heart for Africa, because nobody had ever told them that African people were just ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png" --- # Sometimes she thought that the people overseas had no room… ![“Sometimes she thought that the people overseas had no room in their heart for Africa, because nobody had ever told them that African people were just the same as they were” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png) > ““Sometimes she thought that the people overseas had no room in their heart for Africa, because nobody had ever told them that African people were just the same as they were”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on the misconception that people abroad think Africa lacks humanity, noting that this belief stems from a lack of exposure to African commonalities. **In simple terms:** People think Africa lacks humanity because they never learn Africans are just like everyone else. Key Takeaway Challenge stereotypes by sharing authentic stories. Themes stereotypes culture empathy Mood thoughtful hopeful Type reflective social When to use this quote - education - cross‑cultural dialogue - media storytelling Key Concepts global perception human commonality media representation Questions to Reflect On - What stories can you tell to humanize distant cultures? - How does exposure change perception? A Different Perspective Overcoming deep‑seated biases requires sustained effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [When I lived in South Africa, someone told me what the longest road in Africa is. It's not the road from Cairo to Capetown,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-hellinger/when-i-lived-in-south-africa-someone-told-me-what-the-longest-road-in/) [Bert Hellinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-hellinger/) > [I meet people overseas that know five languages - that the only language I'm comfortable in is English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-meet-people-overseas-that-know-five-languages-that-the-only/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“If the heart of Africa remained elusive, my search for it had brought me closer to understanding myself and other human beings. The ache…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-the-heart-of-africa-remained-elusive-my-search-for-it-had-brought/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“In six harrowing weeks of travel I felt I had touched the heart of Africa and found it broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-butcher/in-six-harrowing-weeks-of-travel-i-felt-i-had-touched-the-heart-of/) [Tim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-butcher/) > [“Someone is pounding on a door within you and hoping for an answer. They want to tell us the secret tale of ourselves. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hawke/someone-is-pounding-on-a-door-within-you-and-hoping-for-an-answer/) [Christopher Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hawke/) > [The model today is that as much as 70 percent of the financing of the picture would come from overseas. Now we're beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bart/the-model-today-is-that-as-much-as-70-percent-of-the-financing-of-the/) [Peter Bart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bart/) > [While he was in the service, in the South and in Oklahoma, he was refused service at a couple of places where he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/while-he-was-in-the-service-in-the-south-and-in-oklahoma-he-was/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I don't think there's enough breadth to the stories told about African-Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-s-fletcher/i-don-t-think-there-s-enough-breadth-to-the-stories-told-about/) [Geoffrey S. Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-s-fletcher/) > [We have a big heart for Africa and also for just raising awareness about the water crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chyler-leigh/we-have-a-big-heart-for-africa-and-also-for-just-raising-awareness/) [Chyler Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chyler-leigh/) > [People go overseas and say, 'Wow, it's so beautiful.' When they see the actual India, where I have filmed some of my key scenes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/people-go-overseas-and-say-wow-it-s-so-beautiful-when-they-see-the/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [“Only the poorest of African people did not wear an upper garment, but this small number became representative in the European mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/only-the-poorest-of-african-people-did-not-wear-an-upper-garment-but/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [Brazilian people and South African people are very similar in all respects. They are very warm and friendly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cafu/brazilian-people-and-south-african-people-are-very-similar-in-all/) [Cafu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cafu/) > [The African people and tribal chiefs are hospitable, and African music and dances are invigorating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-keqiang/the-african-people-and-tribal-chiefs-are-hospitable-and-african-music/) [Li Keqiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-keqiang/) > [All through the ages the African people have made efforts to deliver themselves from oppressive forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/all-through-the-ages-the-african-people-have-made-efforts-to-deliver/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [The population of African people in the United States is far in excess of six small European nations. Where we are going? We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/the-population-of-african-people-in-the-united-states-is-far-in/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More African People quotes > [All through the ages the African people have made efforts to deliver themselves from oppressive forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/all-through-the-ages-the-african-people-have-made-efforts-to-deliver/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [The African people and tribal chiefs are hospitable, and African music and dances are invigorating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-keqiang/the-african-people-and-tribal-chiefs-are-hospitable-and-african-music/) [Li Keqiang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-keqiang/) > [“Only the poorest of African people did not wear an upper garment, but this small number became representative in the European mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/only-the-poorest-of-african-people-did-not-wear-an-upper-garment-but/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [The population of African people in the United States is far in excess of six small European nations. Where we are going? We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/the-population-of-african-people-in-the-united-states-is-far-in/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [Brazilian people and South African people are very similar in all respects. They are very warm and friendly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cafu/brazilian-people-and-south-african-people-are-very-similar-in-all/) [Cafu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cafu/) > [Therefore, we must not look at the African people, even before they met whites, as if they had something unique, which was not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/therefore-we-must-not-look-at-the-african-people-even-before-they-met/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“Christianity,” Jones wrote, “encourages and orders” African people “to become more humble and better servants.” They should not learn to read and write, though.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/christianity-jones-wrote-encourages-and-orders-african-people-to/) [Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/) > [Football gives the African people hope, a true motivation for their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-desailly/football-gives-the-african-people-hope-a-true-motivation-for-their/) [Marcel Desailly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-desailly/) > [Many African people are smarter than me - kids who could have been better. I have no claim for genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-ibrahim/many-african-people-are-smarter-than-me-kids-who-could-have-been/) [Mo Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-ibrahim/) > [African people worldwide are known to be welcoming and open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/african-people-worldwide-are-known-to-be-welcoming-and-open-minded/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > [African people need to stop shouting 'nationtime' until they are clear about the responsibilities of running a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/african-people-need-to-stop-shouting-nationtime-until-they-are-clear/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [I saw no African people in the printed and illustrated Sunday school lessons. I began to suspect at this early age that someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/i-saw-no-african-people-in-the-printed-and-illustrated-sunday-school/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [But the hard facts were that fifty years of non-violence had brought the African people nothing but more and more repressive legislation, and fewer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/but-the-hard-facts-were-that-fifty-years-of-non-violence-had-brought/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [So often, literature about African people is conflated with literature about African politics, as if the state were somehow of greater import or interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiye-selasi/so-often-literature-about-african-people-is-conflated-with-literature/) [Taiye Selasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiye-selasi/) Browse all 15 African People quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes she thought that the people overseas had no room in their heart for Africa, because nobody had ever told them that African people were just the same as they were”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander McCall Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-overseas-had-no-room-in-their/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "African People" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-overseas-had-no-room-in-their/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c69/alexander-mccall-smith-372_african-people_sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-ov_3022408.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes she thought that the people overseas had no room in their heart for Africa, because nobody had…” — Alexander McCall Smith", "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": "Alexander McCall Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sometimes she thought that the people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-overseas-had-no-room-in-their/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/sometimes-she-thought-that-the-people-overseas-had-no-room-in-their/#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 } } ] } ```