--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So we might say that the most important…" description: "\"So we might say that the most important thing one can acquire in college is a well-functioning bullshit meter.\" — Andrew Delbanco" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png" --- # So we might say that the most important thing one can… ![“So we might say that the most important thing one can acquire in college is a well-functioning bullshit meter.” quote by Andrew Delbanco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png) > “So we might say that the most important thing one can acquire in college is a well-functioning bullshit meter.” Andrew Delbanco ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critical thinking includes detecting nonsense and questioning credibility. **In simple terms:** Develop a bullshit detector. Key Takeaway Question information critically. Themes education critical thinking skepticism Mood analytical skeptical Type educational practical When to use this quote - academic research - news consumption - debate clubs Key Concepts media literacy intellectual rigor Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance skepticism? - What tools sharpen your judgment? A Different Perspective Over‑skepticism can breed cynicism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bullshit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bullshit/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Liberal arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal-arts/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [My bullshit meter is reading that as 'false'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/my-bullshit-meter-is-reading-that-as-false/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [It's sad but it seems the world these days are made up of Liars and Cheaters.We still must trust but the way it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hutchinson/it-s-sad-but-it-seems-the-world-these-days-are-made-up-of-liars-and/) [David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hutchinson/) > [Flavio, he has the bloody crystal ball...he's so bloody sharp, he knows. He has a great bullshit meter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-webber/flavio-he-has-the-bloody-crystal-ball-he-s-so-bloody-sharp-he-knows/) [Mark Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-webber/) > [“Moscow State University.”4 MGU was to the USSR what Harvard is to the United States—except that in the Soviet Union there was almost nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-taubman/moscow-state-university-4-mgu-was-to-the-ussr-what-harvard-is-to-the/) William Taubman > [“They were and are children of privilege... the privilege taught, learned, and imbibed, in a "liberal arts education" is the privilege to indict. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/they-were-and-are-children-of-privilege-the-privilege-taught-learned/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“Almost everything on Craigslist paid more than I was making, but my qualifications were sketchy. I had a college degree in liberal arts. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/almost-everything-on-craigslist-paid-more-than-i-was-making-but-my/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [I wasn't using college as a stepping stone to law school or some other career. I just wanted a liberal-arts education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-trotter/i-wasn-t-using-college-as-a-stepping-stone-to-law-school-or-some/) [Charlie Trotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-trotter/) > [Community colleges are great bargains. They avoid the fancy amenities four-year liberal arts colleges need in order to lure the children of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/community-colleges-are-great-bargains-they-avoid-the-fancy-amenities/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [“I'd attended a selective liberal arts college, trained at respectable research institutions, and even completed a dissertation for a doctoral degree. In our shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kudera/i-d-attended-a-selective-liberal-arts-college-trained-at-respectable/) [Alex Kudera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kudera/) > [For some students, especially in the sciences, the knowledge gained in college may be directly relevant to graduate study. For almost all students, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/for-some-students-especially-in-the-sciences-the-knowledge-gained-in/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [I think liberal art faculties at major universities have views that are not very sound, at least on public policy issues - they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-think-liberal-art-faculties-at-major-universities-have-views-that/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [We are lucky in the United States to have our liberal arts system. In most countries, if you go to university, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-c-nussbaum/we-are-lucky-in-the-united-states-to-have-our-liberal-arts-system-in/) [Martha C. Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-c-nussbaum/) > [Josh Radnor is that rare thing: a writer-director who thinks like an actor but still knows how to create a comedy with shape and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-gleiberman/josh-radnor-is-that-rare-thing-a-writer-director-who-thinks-like-an/) Owen Gleiberman > [I'm a liberal arts junkie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-chapin-carpenter/i-m-a-liberal-arts-junkie/) [Mary Chapin Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-chapin-carpenter/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by Andrew Delbanco > [The most striking feature of contemporary culture is the unslaked craving for transcendence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-delbanco/the-most-striking-feature-of-contemporary-culture-is-the-unslaked/) Andrew Delbanco > [As people spin faster and faster in the pursuit of merely personal happiness, they become exhausted in the futile effort of chasing themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-delbanco/as-people-spin-faster-and-faster-in-the-pursuit-of-merely-personal/) Andrew Delbanco Explore all 3 Andrew Delbanco quotes ## More Acquire quotes > [Most people seek after what they do not possess and are enslaved by the very things they want to acquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-sadat/most-people-seek-after-what-they-do-not-possess-and-are-enslaved-by/) [Anwar Sadat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-sadat/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Humility is an elusive virtue. The more we pursue it - and the more we seem to acquire it - the more we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-aquilina/humility-is-an-elusive-virtue-the-more-we-pursue-it-and-the-more-we/) [Mike Aquilina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-aquilina/) > [Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/acquire-worldly-wisdom-and-adjust-your-behavior-accordingly-if-your/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [This was Shakespeare's form ; Who walk'd in every path of human life, Felt every passion ; and to all mankind Doth now, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-akenside/this-was-shakespeare-s-form-who-walk-d-in-every-path-of-human-life/) [Mark Akenside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-akenside/) > [Wasn't Saddam destroyed? Wasn't Gaddafi liquidated? Didn't Milosevic go to the Hague? All true. But Stalin survived. Kim Jong-un isn't doing too badly, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/wasn-t-saddam-destroyed-wasn-t-gaddafi-liquidated-didn-t-milosevic-go/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [The best way for women to acquire knowledge is from conversation with a father, a brother, or a friend, in the way of family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/the-best-way-for-women-to-acquire-knowledge-is-from-conversation-with/) [Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/) > [Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything, believe anything in order to acquire it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/have-you-ever-wanted-something-so-badly-that-you-would-do-anything/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [Ballet is pure and demands that you serve something larger than yourself, whether it be beauty or art, or a combination of both. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-martins/ballet-is-pure-and-demands-that-you-serve-something-larger-than/) Peter Martins > [You can't know it all. No matter how smart you are, no matter how comprehensive your education, no matter how wide ranging your experience,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-can-t-know-it-all-no-matter-how-smart-you-are-no-matter-how/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [A better distribution of incomes would increase that efficiency by diverting a great fund of wealth from the useless to the useful members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/a-better-distribution-of-incomes-would-increase-that-efficiency-by/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/the-enemy-s-spies-who-have-come-to-spy-on-us-must-be-sought-out/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [In the late 1950s a major topic under discussion was whether Canada should acquire nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/in-the-late-1950s-a-major-topic-under-discussion-was-whether-canada/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [Shamanism is a path of knowledge, not of faith, and that knowledge cannot come from me or anyone else in this reality. To acquire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-harner/shamanism-is-a-path-of-knowledge-not-of-faith-and-that-knowledge/) [Michael Harner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-harner/) Browse all 1,020 Acquire quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So we might say that the most important thing one can acquire in college is a well-functioning bullshit meter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Delbanco" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-delbanco/so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important-thing-one-can-acquire-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acquire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-delbanco/so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important-thing-one-can-acquire-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/294/andrew-delbanco-87745_acquire_so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important_2683960.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So we might say that the most important thing one can acquire in college is a well-functioning bullshit meter.” — Andrew Delbanco", "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": "Andrew Delbanco", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-delbanco/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "So we might say that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-delbanco/so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important-thing-one-can-acquire-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-delbanco/so-we-might-say-that-the-most-important-thing-one-can-acquire-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 } } ] } ```