--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we're losing culturally the fastest…" description: "\"What we're losing culturally the fastest, aside from natural resources and oil and the idea of democracy and social justice, is the ability to concentr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg" --- # What we're losing culturally the fastest, aside from… ![“What we're losing culturally the fastest, aside from natural resources and oil and the idea of democracy and social justice, is the ability to concentrate.” quote by Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg) > “What we're losing culturally the fastest, aside from natural resources and oil and the idea of democracy and social justice, is the ability to concentrate.” [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that cultural loss includes dwindling attention spans. **In simple terms:** Society is losing focus. Key Takeaway Cultivate concentration. Themes culture attention technology Mood concerned urgent Type analytical critical When to use this quote - education - workplace - digital media Key Concepts cognitive overload media saturation Questions to Reflect On - How does attention loss affect democracy? - What practices restore focus? A Different Perspective May overlook benefits of multitasking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Natural resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-resources/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) ## Related quotes > [Philandering impedes, as everyone knows, the ability to concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec/philandering-impedes-as-everyone-knows-the-ability-to-concentrate/) [Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec/) > [“one of the worst features about worrying is that it destroys our ability to concentrate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/one-of-the-worst-features-about-worrying-is-that-it-destroys-our-2/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [My ability to concentrate and work toward that goal has been my greatest asset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-ability-to-concentrate-and-work-toward-that-goal-has-been-my/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Dance improves your ability to concentrate because your brain has to work in so many ways. You're being stretched physically and mentally. You've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-stone/dance-improves-your-ability-to-concentrate-because-your-brain-has-to/) [Andrew Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-stone/) > [The ability to concentrate and to use your time well is everything if you want to succeed in business--or almost anywhere else for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-ability-to-concentrate-and-to-use-your-time-well-is-everything-if/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [The ability to concentrate and to use time well is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/the-ability-to-concentrate-and-to-use-time-well-is-everything/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [One skill that separates good from almost-good runners is an ability to concentrate for an entire race, whether it is a mile or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-goucher/one-skill-that-separates-good-from-almost-good-runners-is-an-ability/) [Kara Goucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-goucher/) > [“The ability to concentrate intensely is a skill that must be trained. This idea might sound obvious once it’s pointed out, but it represents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-ability-to-concentrate-intensely-is-a-skill-that-must-be-trained/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [The one thing that I appear to have been given, bearing in mind that I am capable of being very, very scatty and extremely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/the-one-thing-that-i-appear-to-have-been-given-bearing-in-mind-that-i/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [I was born with an ability to concentrate very hard on a job for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-mountbatten/i-was-born-with-an-ability-to-concentrate-very-hard-on-a-job-for-a/) [Lord Mountbatten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-mountbatten/) > [Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyous words in the language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elise-m-boulding/frugality-is-one-of-the-most-beautiful-and-joyous-words-in-the/) [Elise M. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elise-m-boulding/) > [I'm interested in people who become culturally fluent. And when I meet young people I'm often amazed they don't quite seem to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-m-interested-in-people-who-become-culturally-fluent-and-when-i-meet/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [Regardless of the cultural system, social pressure to appear straight seems to be fairly intense cross-culturally. Indeed, one is inclined to wonder, if being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/regardless-of-the-cultural-system-social-pressure-to-appear-straight/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Things need shaking up politically, culturally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/things-need-shaking-up-politically-culturally/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [Being "Jewish" is way stronger culturally than it is religiously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/being-jewish-is-way-stronger-culturally-than-it-is-religiously/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) ## More by Art Spiegelman > [The book has very specific qualities. Let's say in 2300 they discover the physical book, after having lived with the digital book for several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/the-book-has-very-specific-qualities-let-s-say-in-2300-they-discover/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [Comics seem to be cooking these days. It's like being a rock star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/comics-seem-to-be-cooking-these-days-it-s-like-being-a-rock-star/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [In 1908, you could easily earn $20 to $200 as a cartoonist. What's amazing is that it's still true!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/in-1908-you-could-easily-earn-20-to-200-as-a-cartoonist-what-s/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [I wanted to create comics as soon as a I learned humans were behind them, that they were not natural phenomena like trees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-wanted-to-create-comics-as-soon-as-a-i-learned-humans-were-behind/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [I would say that, in the future, the book will be reserved for things that function best as a book. So, if I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-would-say-that-in-the-future-the-book-will-be-reserved-for-things/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [Sometimes I'm drawing onto a computer directly, sometimes I'm drawing on paper , so I can't really talk about drafts. It's just like having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/sometimes-i-m-drawing-onto-a-computer-directly-sometimes-i-m-drawing/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [I think as soon as I figured out - and this must have been incredibly young - that comic books were made by humans,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-think-as-soon-as-i-figured-out-and-this-must-have-been-incredibly/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [“I'm not talking about YOUR book now, but look at how many books have already been written about the Holocaust. What's the point? People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-m-not-talking-about-your-book-now-but-look-at-how-many-books-have/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [No matter what I accomplish, it doesn't seem like much compared to surviving Auschwitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/no-matter-what-i-accomplish-it-doesn-t-seem-like-much-compared-to/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [I'm supposed to be making comics, so I had to do it the best way I knew how, which is what those guys at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-m-supposed-to-be-making-comics-so-i-had-to-do-it-the-best-way-i/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [With any work worth its salt, you have to trust the author enough to take its measure. And if you apply too many preconceptions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/with-any-work-worth-its-salt-you-have-to-trust-the-author-enough-to/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [I always had more allergies toward the superhero comics than the others. I thought those were aimed more toward the people who would beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/i-always-had-more-allergies-toward-the-superhero-comics-than-the/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [“Anja? What is to tell? Everywhere I look I'm seeing Anja... From my good eye, from my glass eye, if they're open or they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/anja-what-is-to-tell-everywhere-i-look-i-m-seeing-anja-from-my-good/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [“DOWN THESE MEAN STREETS A MIDGET MUST GO!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/down-these-mean-streets-a-midget-must-go/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [To die, it's easy. But you have to struggle for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/to-die-it-s-easy-but-you-have-to-struggle-for-life/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) [Explore all 47 Art Spiegelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What we're losing culturally the fastest, aside from natural resources and oil and the idea of democracy and social justice, is the ability to concentrate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Art Spiegelman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest-aside-from-natural-resources/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest-aside-from-natural-resources/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/art-spiegelman-14058_ability_what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest_276087.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What we're losing culturally the fastest, aside from natural resources and oil and the idea of democracy and…” — Art Spiegelman", "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": "Art Spiegelman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What we're losing culturally the fastest,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest-aside-from-natural-resources/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/what-we-re-losing-culturally-the-fastest-aside-from-natural-resources/#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 } } ] } ```