--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think my work is very American because…" description: "\"I think my work is very American because I'm American. But I found that Europeans like uncertainty and doubt.\" — Carl Andre" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/carl-andre-12004_american_i-think-my-work-is-very-american-because_2627123.jpg" --- # I think my work is very American because I'm American. But… ![“I think my work is very American because I'm American. But I found that Europeans like uncertainty and doubt.” quote by Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/carl-andre-12004_american_i-think-my-work-is-very-american-because_2627123.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/carl-andre-12004_american_i-think-my-work-is-very-american-because_2627123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/carl-andre-12004_american_i-think-my-work-is-very-american-because_2627123.jpg) > “I think my work is very American because I'm American. But I found that Europeans like uncertainty and doubt.” [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American identity can coexist with European appreciation for ambiguity and doubt. **In simple terms:** American work can be both confident and open to uncertainty. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty alongside confidence. Themes identity culture art philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - art criticism - cross‑cultural collaboration - creative brainstorming - teaching Key Concepts cultural studies aesthetics Questions to Reflect On - How does uncertainty influence creativity? - Can confidence and doubt coexist productively? A Different Perspective Cultural stereotypes may oversimplify individual views. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-american-2159235/) [American Europeans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-europeans-2159234/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Europeans Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europeans-like-1468923/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) [Uncertainty and doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty-and-doubt/) [Work American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-american-405068/) ## Related quotes > [A hero is also someone who, in their day to day interactions with the world, despite all the pain, uncertainty and doubt that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/a-hero-is-also-someone-who-in-their-day-to-day-interactions-with-the/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [An educated man must have a "curiosity in exploring the unfamiliar and unexpected, an open-mindedness in entertaining opposing points of view, tolerance for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/an-educated-man-must-have-a-curiosity-in-exploring-the-unfamiliar-and/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [For how shall we fill people with blind faith in the correctness of a doctrine, if we ourselves spread uncertainty and doubt by constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/for-how-shall-we-fill-people-with-blind-faith-in-the-correctness-of-a/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“Europeans would like to escape from their history, a "great" history written in letters of blood. But others, by the hundreds of millions, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-aron/europeans-would-like-to-escape-from-their-history-a-great-history/) [Raymond Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-aron/) > [Europeans, like some Americans, drive on the right side of the road, except in England, where they drive on both sides of the road;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/europeans-like-some-americans-drive-on-the-right-side-of-the-road/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Playing in New York, there's a lot of pressure, but me and some Europeans like the pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristaps-porzingis/playing-in-new-york-there-s-a-lot-of-pressure-but-me-and-some/) [Kristaps Porzingis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristaps-porzingis/) > [Most Europeans like the American manner of living. They've been exposed to the U.S. through American television shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wolders/most-europeans-like-the-american-manner-of-living-they-ve-been/) [Robert Wolders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wolders/) > [“Europeans like to think they play games with others, but the truth is that for years Russia has been pulling strings inside the European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/europeans-like-to-think-they-play-games-with-others-but-the-truth-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/you-see-one-thing-is-i-can-live-with-doubt-and-uncertainty-and-not/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [When a scientist doesn't know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/when-a-scientist-doesn-t-know-the-answer-to-a-problem-he-is-ignorant/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I don't feel frightened by not knowing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-don-t-feel-frightened-by-not-knowing-things/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers, and possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/i-think-it-s-much-more-interesting-to-live-not-knowing-than-to-have-3/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [When a scientist doesn't know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/when-a-scientist-doesn-t-know-the-answer-to-a-problem-he-is-ignorant-2/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/this-is-my-prayer-for-all-of-us-lord-increase-our-faith-increase-our/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [We have found it of paramount importance that in order to progress, we must recognize our ignorance and leave room for doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/we-have-found-it-of-paramount-importance-that-in-order-to-progress-we/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) ## More by Carl Andre > [The girls you picked up from the bars were not the girls you took home to mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/the-girls-you-picked-up-from-the-bars-were-not-the-girls-you-took/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [I think it was Henry Moore who was asked where he got his ideas for his sculptures, and he said something like, "I continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/i-think-it-was-henry-moore-who-was-asked-where-he-got-his-ideas-for/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [I didn't like men because they were so physically competitive. Men are always making a pecking order. "I can beat you up and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/i-didn-t-like-men-because-they-were-so-physically-competitive-men-are/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [An artist, to achieve anything in art, has to finally do the thing that nobody else wants to do and nobody else has thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/an-artist-to-achieve-anything-in-art-has-to-finally-do-the-thing-that/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [What I made depended on what I found on the street. At least in the beginning, my materials came from the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/what-i-made-depended-on-what-i-found-on-the-street-at-least-in-the/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [Americans understand better than the Europeans and the English that any publicity is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/americans-understand-better-than-the-europeans-and-the-english-that/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [When I came to New York, it was cheap!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/when-i-came-to-new-york-it-was-cheap/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [The wood was better before I cut it, than after. I did not improve it in any way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/the-wood-was-better-before-i-cut-it-than-after-i-did-not-improve-it/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [Lenin thought abstract art was a conspiracy by the bourgeois to demoralize the proletariat. Yeah, socialist realism!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/lenin-thought-abstract-art-was-a-conspiracy-by-the-bourgeois-to/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [Money is a very complicated problem. The history of money is very curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/money-is-a-very-complicated-problem-the-history-of-money-is-very/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [I grew up in a brick house. What's wrong with bricks? An Englishman took me aside and said, "You have to understand, all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/i-grew-up-in-a-brick-house-what-s-wrong-with-bricks-an-englishman/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [I never stopped doing what I did as a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/i-never-stopped-doing-what-i-did-as-a-child/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [Every time you work, you have to do it all over again, to rid yourself of this dross. I suppose for a person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/every-time-you-work-you-have-to-do-it-all-over-again-to-rid-yourself/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [A place is an area within an environment that has been altered in such a way to make the general environment more conspicuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/a-place-is-an-area-within-an-environment-that-has-been-altered-in/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) > [I'm a feminist. I've always been in favor of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-andre/i-m-a-feminist-i-ve-always-been-in-favor-of-women/) [Carl Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) [Explore all 57 Carl Andre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-andre/) ## 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. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. 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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think my work is very American because I'm American. 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