---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the most interesting parts of…"
description: "\"I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of chipping flint of cultures rubbing against each ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg"
---

#  I think the most interesting parts of human experience…

![“I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of chipping flint of cultures rubbing against each other. And living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. for so many years gave me a lot of insight into that.” quote by Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg)

> “I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of chipping flint of cultures rubbing against each other. And living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. for so many years gave me a lot of insight into that.”

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Cultural clashes spark insight; living at borders deepens understanding.

**In simple terms:** Cross‑cultural contact fuels insight.

Key Takeaway

Embrace diverse perspectives.

Themes

culture border insight

Mood

curious hopeful

Type

reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

- immigration policy
- artistic collaboration
- community building

Key Concepts

anthropology identity social interaction

Questions to Reflect On

- How have you learned from cultural differences?
- What borders in your life could be bridges?

A Different Perspective

Prejudice can block learning.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Against](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against/) [Between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/between/) [Border](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/border/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Cultures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultures/) [Each](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/each/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Experience Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-sparks-5441636/) [Flint Cultures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flint-cultures-5441637/) [Gave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-experience/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Insight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insight/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting Parts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-parts-971272/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Mexico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexico/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Parts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parts/) [Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sort/) [Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sparks/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/)

## Related quotes

> [I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of chipping flint of cultures rubbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-human-experience-might-be-the-2/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [I want to work on interesting parts that I can believe in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laetitia-casta/i-want-to-work-on-interesting-parts-that-i-can-believe-in/)

[Laetitia Casta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laetitia-casta/)

> [Moving around a lot allows you to experience many different cultures and learn about the ways that different people in different parts of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-g-poindexter/moving-around-a-lot-allows-you-to-experience-many-different-cultures/)

[Alan G. Poindexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-g-poindexter/)

> [“But I will take a page from the book of the Snow Scout leader, and skip ahead to the next interesting thing that happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/but-i-will-take-a-page-from-the-book-of-the-snow-scout-leader-and/)

[Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/)

> [My life hasn't been the norm. The most interesting parts are before I got into show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-nabors/my-life-hasn-t-been-the-norm-the-most-interesting-parts-are-before-i/)

[Jim Nabors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-nabors/)

> [As an actor, the second and last ones were interesting for me. Because those parts had the most change in playing someone who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/as-an-actor-the-second-and-last-ones-were-interesting-for-me-because/)

[Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/)

> [“She had still been learning how to live with the hard truth that the most interesting parts of her thoughts usually got left behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/she-had-still-been-learning-how-to-live-with-the-hard-truth-that-the/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [I have literally played the most interesting parts since I turned 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-burton/i-have-literally-played-the-most-interesting-parts-since-i-turned-40/)

[Kate Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-burton/)

> [I don't mind playing older characters. I find it interesting. There are parts I couldn't have got when I was 30 years old. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-don-t-mind-playing-older-characters-i-find-it-interesting-there-are/)

[Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/)

> [I don't have to work just to work anymore. More interesting parts come my way, so I can afford to say, 'I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-kruger/i-don-t-have-to-work-just-to-work-anymore-more-interesting-parts-come/)

[Diane Kruger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-kruger/)

> [I think in any movie really the two most interesting parts are the protagonist and the antagonist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cung-le/i-think-in-any-movie-really-the-two-most-interesting-parts-are-the/)

[Cung Le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cung-le/)

> [On the robot kit, I can choose very boring parts or I can choose exciting and interesting parts. That is a reflection of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-budge/on-the-robot-kit-i-can-choose-very-boring-parts-or-i-can-choose/)

[Bill Budge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-budge/)

> [One of the interesting parts of being on a television show is you often don't know the fate of your character until you're reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-messina/one-of-the-interesting-parts-of-being-on-a-television-show-is-you/)

[Chris Messina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-messina/)

> [To me the work is so much more interesting, the parts that don't require you just to take your shirt off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-chestnut/to-me-the-work-is-so-much-more-interesting-the-parts-that-don-t/)

[Morris Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-chestnut/)

> [If you watch wrestling, you now know the hip-hop culture is being represented with wrestling. For the longest time, the cultures have almost been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cena/if-you-watch-wrestling-you-now-know-the-hip-hop-culture-is-being/)

[John Cena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cena/)

## More by Barbara Kingsolver

> [“Jesus was a more reliable backer, evidently, less likely to drink himself unconscious or get liver cancer. No wonder people chose Him as their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/jesus-was-a-more-reliable-backer-evidently-less-likely-to-drink/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [Now I'm starting to think he wasn't supposed to be my whole life, he was just this doorway to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/now-i-m-starting-to-think-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-my-whole-life-he/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/cooking-is-80-percent-confidence-a-skill-best-acquired-starting-from/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“In Bobby Ogle's version of heaven everyone would wind up in one place, criminals and Muslims included.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/in-bobby-ogle-s-version-of-heaven-everyone-would-wind-up-in-one-place/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“Weeds are job security for the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/weeds-are-job-security-for-the-gardener/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/it-s-what-you-do-that-makes-your-soul-not-the-other-way-around/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“Lusa turned to Crys, her eyes shining. "That was a luna." Crys shrugged. "So?" "So? So what? You want it should sing, too?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/lusa-turned-to-crys-her-eyes-shining-that-was-a-luna-crys-shrugged-so/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-strength-of-motherhood-is-greater-than-natural-laws/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“An imperfectly remembered life is a useless treachery. Every day, more fragments of the past roll around heavily in the chambers of an empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/an-imperfectly-remembered-life-is-a-useless-treachery-every-day-more/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [Respecting the dignity of a spectacular food means enjoying it at its best. Europeans celebrate the short season of abundant asparagus as a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/respecting-the-dignity-of-a-spectacular-food-means-enjoying-it-at-its/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [“Somehow it had come to pass that this man was her whole world, and she had failed to take his measure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/somehow-it-had-come-to-pass-that-this-man-was-her-whole-world-and-she/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [After 'The Poisonwood Bible' was published, several people believed that my parents were missionaries, which could not be further from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/after-the-poisonwood-bible-was-published-several-people-believed-that/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [I can count all the ways in which being a mother has enriched my understanding of the world, of character, my sense of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-can-count-all-the-ways-in-which-being-a-mother-has-enriched-my/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [But we've all ended up giving body and soul to Africa, one way or another. Even Adah, who's becoming an expert in tropical epidemiology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/but-we-ve-all-ended-up-giving-body-and-soul-to-africa-one-way-or/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

> [If the Lord hasn't got a boyfriend lined up for me to marry, that's his business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/if-the-lord-hasn-t-got-a-boyfriend-lined-up-for-me-to-marry-that-s/)

[Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

[Explore all 939 Barbara Kingsolver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/)

## More Against quotes

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/)

[Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/)

> [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/)

[Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/)

> [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/)

[Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/)

> [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/)

[Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/)

> [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/)

> [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

> [I don't have any regrets or hold any grudge against anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-don-t-have-any-regrets-or-hold-any-grudge-against-anyone/)

[Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/)

> [Ronaldo will always score against everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-chiellini/ronaldo-will-always-score-against-everyone/)

[Giorgio Chiellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-chiellini/)

> [Well, just that there would be somebody in the office and the voters - it was more or less an understanding in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/well-just-that-there-would-be-somebody-in-the-office-and-the-voters/)

[Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/)

> [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/)

[Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/)

> [It goes way, way back when we were under Sweden's rule. We always think they are better than us. We played against them so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saku-koivu/it-goes-way-way-back-when-we-were-under-sweden-s-rule-we-always-think/)

[Saku Koivu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saku-koivu/)

> [I'm against unanswerable concentrations of power, whether that be government or private industry or religious figures - anybody who is not accountable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-m-against-unanswerable-concentrations-of-power-whether-that-be/)

[Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/)

> [I'm an Indian and I shall not do anything that goes against my ethos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-m-an-indian-and-i-shall-not-do-anything-that-goes-against-my-ethos/)

[Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/)

[Browse all 2,190 Against quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of chipping flint of cultures rubbing against each other. And living on the border between Mexico and the U.S. for so many years gave me a lot of insight into that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barbara Kingsolver"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-human-experience-might-be-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Against"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-human-experience-might-be-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aac/barbara-kingsolver-200_against_i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-hu_775775.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of…” — Barbara Kingsolver",
                "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": "Barbara Kingsolver",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the most interesting parts...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-human-experience-might-be-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/i-think-the-most-interesting-parts-of-human-experience-might-be-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
