---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you…"
description: "\"One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you grateful for,' and a surprising number of people can't name anyone beyond their mother.\" — Charles Best"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg"
---

#  One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you grateful for,' and…

![“One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you grateful for,' and a surprising number of people can't name anyone beyond their mother.” quote by Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg)

> “One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you grateful for,' and a surprising number of people can't name anyone beyond their mother.”

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

## About This Quote

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

People often struggle to recognize gratitude beyond immediate family, highlighting limited awareness of broader support networks.

**In simple terms:** Many can only name their mother when grateful.

Key Takeaway

Practice daily gratitude for all influences.

Themes

gratitude self‑awareness relationships

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

self‑help motivational

When to use this quote

- journaling
- counseling
- team meetings

Key Concepts

psychology social connection

Questions to Reflect On

- Who else contributes to your well‑being?
- How can you expand your gratitude circle?

A Different Perspective

May overlook cultural differences in gratitude expression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ask Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ask-grateful-3667523/) [Beyond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beyond/) [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Grateful Surprising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful-surprising-3667524/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Surprising Number](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprising-number-1230604/)

## Related quotes

> [When they give you things, ask yourself why. When you're grateful to them for giving you the things you should have anyway, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/when-they-give-you-things-ask-yourself-why-when-you-re-grateful-to/)

[Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/)

> [Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/examine-every-word-you-put-on-paper-you-ll-find-a-surprising-number/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [A surprising number of people - including many students of literature - will tell you they haven't really lived in a book since they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/a-surprising-number-of-people-including-many-students-of-literature-2/)

[A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/)

> [“He wore his medals. He had a surprising number of them, the real kind, not the ones you got for turning up. Although turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harkaway/he-wore-his-medals-he-had-a-surprising-number-of-them-the-real-kind/)

[Nick Harkaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harkaway/)

> [A surprising number of scientific advances have been made and masterpieces of art created by individuals just on the threshold of adulthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/a-surprising-number-of-scientific-advances-have-been-made-and/)

[Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/)

> [I have always been impressed by the fact that there are a surprising number of individuals who never use their minds if they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-have-always-been-impressed-by-the-fact-that-there-are-a-surprising/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [I've always said I want to have a book with my name on it in the shops one day, so to have that actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-hope-fletcher/i-ve-always-said-i-want-to-have-a-book-with-my-name-on-it-in-the/)

[Carrie Hope Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-hope-fletcher/)

> [Ballykissangel' made me a household name, and I am enormously grateful for that, but I don't feel it would ever have developed me into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-kirwan/ballykissangel-made-me-a-household-name-and-i-am-enormously-grateful/)

[Dervla Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-kirwan/)

> [I can tell you beyond any doubt, that my lady is able to control herself and stick to her values regardless of circumstance. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/i-can-tell-you-beyond-any-doubt-that-my-lady-is-able-to-control/)

[Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/)

> [Ranked Choice Voting is simple, empowers voters, and rewards candidates who broaden support beyond their base.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/ranked-choice-voting-is-simple-empowers-voters-and-rewards-candidates/)

[Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/)

> [The difficulty with poetry is that it doesn't have the life that Shakespeare or Jane Austen have beyond the page. You can't make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-difficulty-with-poetry-is-that-it-doesn-t-have-the-life-that/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [Beyond providing some level of scrutiny of Kenyan MPs, we built Mzalendo to demonstrate that there is only so much bemoaning you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ory-okolloh/beyond-providing-some-level-of-scrutiny-of-kenyan-mps-we-built/)

[Ory Okolloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ory-okolloh/)

> [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [If our species is to survive, our future will probably require outposts beyond our own planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-our-species-is-to-survive-our-future-will-probably-require/)

[Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/)

> [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

## More by Charles Best

> [Why is it that, when we want to think outside the proverbial box, we often put ourselves in one? We gather our team in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/why-is-it-that-when-we-want-to-think-outside-the-proverbial-box-we/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [Teachers are heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/teachers-are-heroes/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [My colleagues and I would spend a lot of our own money on copy, paper, and pencils. I just figured there are people out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/my-colleagues-and-i-would-spend-a-lot-of-our-own-money-on-copy-paper/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [Arianna Huffington is one of the greatest champions of this idea - that anyone can make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/arianna-huffington-is-one-of-the-greatest-champions-of-this-idea-that/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [People not only want to support public schools, but people warm to this idea of being a philanthropist, even if they might have only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/people-not-only-want-to-support-public-schools-but-people-warm-to/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [If anything, we hope that DonorsChoose.org is going to be a prompt, a nudge in the side of the public school system to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/if-anything-we-hope-that-donorschoose-org-is-going-to-be-a-prompt-a/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [If you track your organization's creativity by the number of brainstorms on your calendar, you're missing out. It's more important to capture those unplanned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/if-you-track-your-organization-s-creativity-by-the-number-of/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [Our ideological dilemmas won't ever be solved by machines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/our-ideological-dilemmas-won-t-ever-be-solved-by-machines/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [Our name is not great. It doesn't evoke anything about school or teachers. It doesn't roll off the tongue or stick in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/our-name-is-not-great-it-doesn-t-evoke-anything-about-school-or/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [To take on the jobs of tomorrow, students must become more than good test takers. They need to become makers who design, sketch, build,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/to-take-on-the-jobs-of-tomorrow-students-must-become-more-than-good/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [Donors are sick of writing that $200 check to the Red Cross and not knowing whether it goes for the executive director's salary or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/donors-are-sick-of-writing-that-200-check-to-the-red-cross-and-not/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [When I began teaching, my colleagues and I quickly realized that our students didn't have access to the same resources we had growing up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/when-i-began-teaching-my-colleagues-and-i-quickly-realized-that-our/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/public-school-teachers-from-every-corner-of-america-post-classroom/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [My colleagues and I would spend a lot of our own money on copy paper and pencils, and often we couldn't get the resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/my-colleagues-and-i-would-spend-a-lot-of-our-own-money-on-copy-paper-2/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

> [We aren't prescribing anything. We're not claiming to be the experts. We aren't advocating for or against any program. We are going to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/we-aren-t-prescribing-anything-we-re-not-claiming-to-be-the-experts/)

[Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

[Explore all 94 Charles Best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/)

## More Beyond quotes

> [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [If our species is to survive, our future will probably require outposts beyond our own planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-our-species-is-to-survive-our-future-will-probably-require/)

[Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/)

> [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/)

[Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/)

> [Beyond providing some level of scrutiny of Kenyan MPs, we built Mzalendo to demonstrate that there is only so much bemoaning you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ory-okolloh/beyond-providing-some-level-of-scrutiny-of-kenyan-mps-we-built/)

[Ory Okolloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ory-okolloh/)

> [The difficulty with poetry is that it doesn't have the life that Shakespeare or Jane Austen have beyond the page. You can't make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/the-difficulty-with-poetry-is-that-it-doesn-t-have-the-life-that/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [Ranked Choice Voting is simple, empowers voters, and rewards candidates who broaden support beyond their base.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-phillips/ranked-choice-voting-is-simple-empowers-voters-and-rewards-candidates/)

[Dean Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-phillips/)

> [I can tell you beyond any doubt, that my lady is able to control herself and stick to her values regardless of circumstance. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/i-can-tell-you-beyond-any-doubt-that-my-lady-is-able-to-control/)

[Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/)

> [“It is the kernel of truth in every story that makes its writing beautiful beyond standards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psyche-roxas-mendoza/it-is-the-kernel-of-truth-in-every-story-that-makes-its-writing/)

[psyche roxas-mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psyche-roxas-mendoza/)

> [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/)

[Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/)

> [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [A nuclear-weapons armed Iran is not in anyone's human-rights interests. That is a direct threat to the lives and the livelihoods and the stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/a-nuclear-weapons-armed-iran-is-not-in-anyone-s-human-rights/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [My beloved dog defied treatment from the best and most expensive veterinarians, holistic practitioners, trainers, and animal communicators. He was simply beyond my ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-katz/my-beloved-dog-defied-treatment-from-the-best-and-most-expensive/)

[Jon Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-katz/)

> [I miss Italy; that's beyond doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-conte/i-miss-italy-that-s-beyond-doubt/)

[Antonio Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-conte/)

> [Even beyond policy considerations, Romneycare was a horrible model to suggest for the federal government because the Constitution does not give Congress the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dewine/even-beyond-policy-considerations-romneycare-was-a-horrible-model-to/)

[Mike DeWine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dewine/)

> [When you're reaching out to people beyond the scientific community, image does matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-randall/when-you-re-reaching-out-to-people-beyond-the-scientific-community/)

[Lisa Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-randall/)

[Browse all 1,092 Beyond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beyond/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you grateful for,' and a surprising number of people can't name anyone beyond their mother.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Best"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-grateful-for-and-a-surprising/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beyond"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-grateful-for-and-a-surprising/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/charles-best-6989_beyond_one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-gr_411343.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One question we'll ask is, 'Who are you grateful for,' and a surprising number of people can't name anyone…” — Charles Best",
                "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": "Charles Best",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One question we'll ask is, 'Who...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-grateful-for-and-a-surprising/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/one-question-we-ll-ask-is-who-are-you-grateful-for-and-a-surprising/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
