--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But of course it makes sense because we…" description: "\"“But of course it makes sense because we are Third Worlders and Third Worlders are forward-looking, we like things to be new, because our best is still..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_drink-milk_but-of-course-it-makes-sense-because-we_1532821.jpg" --- # But of course it makes sense because we are Third Worlders… ![“But of course it makes sense because we are Third Worlders and Third Worlders are forward-looking, we like things to be new, because our best is still ahead, while in the West their best is already past and so they have to make a fetish of that past.Remember this is our newly middle-class world…” quote by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_drink-milk_but-of-course-it-makes-sense-because-we_1532821.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_drink-milk_but-of-course-it-makes-sense-because-we_1532821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/100/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-505_drink-milk_but-of-course-it-makes-sense-because-we_1532821.jpg) > ““But of course it makes sense because we are Third Worlders and Third Worlders are forward-looking, we like things to be new, because our best is still ahead, while in the West their best is already past and so they have to make a fetish of that past.Remember this is our newly middle-class world. We haven’t completed the first cycle of prosperity, before going back to the beginning again, to drink milk from the cow’s udder.”” [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts emerging societies’ forward‑looking optimism with Western nostalgia, suggesting that newer economies view progress as future‑oriented while the West clings to past achievements. **In simple terms:** Emerging nations focus on future growth, while the West looks back. Key Takeaway Embrace forward‑looking ambition and avoid over‑valuing past glories. Themes development culture progress identity economics Mood reflective critical optimistic Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - policy planning - entrepreneurship - education reform - cross‑cultural dialogue Key Concepts modernization postcolonial perspective prosperity cycles Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance respect for tradition with forward progress? - What risks arise from assuming the West is stuck in the past? A Different Perspective Western nostalgia can overlook current challenges and innovation opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Past Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-remember/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Third world countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/third-world-countries/) ## Related quotes > [“are Third Worlders and Third Worlders are forward-looking, we like things to be new, because our best is still ahead, while in the West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/are-third-worlders-and-third-worlders-are-forward-looking-we-like/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [The only way government bureaucrats know of keeping prosperity going is to inflate some more - to increase the deficit or to pump more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-only-way-government-bureaucrats-know-of-keeping-prosperity-going/) [Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/) > [In China, you've got six people buying for one child. But the thing is, you've got the largest rising upper-middle class in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-ahrendts/in-china-you-ve-got-six-people-buying-for-one-child-but-the-thing-is/) [Angela Ahrendts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-ahrendts/) > [Behind the abstraction known as 'the markets' lurks a set of institutions designed to maximize the wealth and power of the most privileged group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-henwood/behind-the-abstraction-known-as-the-markets-lurks-a-set-of/) Doug Henwood > [Beauty is like a new class system. The world is so obsessed with beauty; it has been for the last 2,000 years. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/beauty-is-like-a-new-class-system-the-world-is-so-obsessed-with/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [It was clear to me that if I could get through Princeton at the top of my class, I could do anything in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-was-clear-to-me-that-if-i-could-get-through-princeton-at-the-top/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Chinais a world class if not the world class property bubble, primarily high-rise buildings, offices and condos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-chanos/chinais-a-world-class-if-not-the-world-class-property-bubble/) [James Chanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-chanos/) > [The wage-earning class the world over are the victims of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gurley-flynn/the-wage-earning-class-the-world-over-are-the-victims-of-society/) [Elizabeth Gurley Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gurley-flynn/) > [When one English person speaks, another one immediately classifies him. No class system in the world is so audible, which is also why it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-neil/when-one-english-person-speaks-another-one-immediately-classifies-him/) [Andrew Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-neil/) > [Most of my films are set in an upper-middle-class world of well-off people who may have all kinds of emotional problems, but they live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/most-of-my-films-are-set-in-an-upper-middle-class-world-of-well-off/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [We invent the past and remember the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/we-invent-the-past-and-remember-the-future/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [The opposite of esprit d'escalier is the way that life's embarrassments come back to haunt us even after they're long past. I could remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-opposite-of-esprit-d-escalier-is-the-way-that-life-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“I am suggesting is that the past, as we remember it, has little to do with causal or determining factos that have in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernesto-spinelli/i-am-suggesting-is-that-the-past-as-we-remember-it-has-little-to-do/) [Ernesto Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernesto-spinelli/) > [“Reach into the past and remember the reasons you fell in love. Hold on to that, son, and cherish it. Then you must start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-berg/reach-into-the-past-and-remember-the-reasons-you-fell-in-love-hold-on/) [J.L. Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-berg/) > [“…LondonLane: I’m sure I don’t remember everything. I remember the future the way you remember the past. You remember the really good and bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-patrick/londonlane-i-m-sure-i-don-t-remember-everything-i-remember-the-future/) [Cat Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-patrick/) ## More by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie > [“What I’ve noticed being here is that many English people are in awe of America but also deeply resent it,” Obinze added. “Perfectly true,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/what-i-ve-noticed-being-here-is-that-many-english-people-are-in-awe/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“Because human beings lived then in a world in which physical strength was the most important attribute for survival; the physically stronger person was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/because-human-beings-lived-then-in-a-world-in-which-physical-strength/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [To return to the books of my childhood is to yield to the strain of nostalgia that is curious about the self I once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/to-return-to-the-books-of-my-childhood-is-to-yield-to-the-strain-of/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I think white women need to wake up and say, 'Not all women are white,' three times in front of the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-think-white-women-need-to-wake-up-and-say-not-all-women-are-white/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. If we have sons, we don't mind knowing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/we-teach-girls-that-they-cannot-be-sexual-beings-in-the-way-that-boys/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“Alexa, and the other guests, and perhaps even Georgina, all understood the fleeing from war, from the kind of poverty that crushed human souls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/alexa-and-the-other-guests-and-perhaps-even-georgina-all-understood/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“I discovered race in America and it fascinated me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-discovered-race-in-america-and-it-fascinated-me/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“It was not as if he did not know what living in Lagos could do to a woman married to a young and wealthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/it-was-not-as-if-he-did-not-know-what-living-in-lagos-could-do-to-a/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“They have the kinds of things we can eat.' An unease crept up on Ifemelu. She was comfortable here, and she wished she were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/they-have-the-kinds-of-things-we-can-eat-an-unease-crept-up-on/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [If I were not African, I wonder whether it would be clear to me that Africa is a place where the people do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-i-were-not-african-i-wonder-whether-it-would-be-clear-to-me-that/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“But race is not biology; race is sociology. Race is not genotype; race is phenotype. Race matters because of racism. And racism is absurd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/but-race-is-not-biology-race-is-sociology-race-is-not-genotype-race/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I like the U.S. and feel gratitude towards it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-like-the-u-s-and-feel-gratitude-towards-it/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [I’m very feminist in the way I look at the world, and that worldview must somehow be part of my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-m-very-feminist-in-the-way-i-look-at-the-world-and-that-worldview/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [Perhaps it is time to debate culture. The common story is that in 'real' African culture, before it was tainted by the West, gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/perhaps-it-is-time-to-debate-culture-the-common-story-is-that-in-real/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) [Explore all 491 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## More Drink milk quotes > [I had a great job at school, St. Francis Elementary, where they asked for somebody to deliver milk, and they said you get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/i-had-a-great-job-at-school-st-francis-elementary-where-they-asked/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [They say some of my stars drink whiskey, but I have found that ones who drink milkshakes don't win many ball games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-stengel/they-say-some-of-my-stars-drink-whiskey-but-i-have-found-that-ones/) [Casey Stengel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-stengel/) > [My illness is due to my doctor's insistence that I drink milk, a whitish fluid they force down helpless babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/my-illness-is-due-to-my-doctor-s-insistence-that-i-drink-milk-a/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [“And here I was excited to get somewhere I could drink milk out of the carton while wearing my underwear.” “You drink milk out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-chase/and-here-i-was-excited-to-get-somewhere-i-could-drink-milk-out-of-the/) [Nichole Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-chase/) > [I sometimes think, would I drink the milk from the breast of a woman I don't know? No. So I think, why would I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-aoki/i-sometimes-think-would-i-drink-the-milk-from-the-breast-of-a-woman-i/) [Devon Aoki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-aoki/) > [“Well, now that we're on the subject, it's somewhat unhygienic for you to drink out of the milk jug." "Babe, I had my tongue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/well-now-that-we-re-on-the-subject-it-s-somewhat-unhygienic-for-you/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“Sam frowns at me, suddenly serious. "You know, I thought--for most of the first year we lived together--that you were going to kill me."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/sam-frowns-at-me-suddenly-serious-you-know-i-thought-for-most-of-the/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“All the same, there were some things they needed to learn. Do not drink milk after a thunderstorm, for it will certainly be sour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/all-the-same-there-were-some-things-they-needed-to-learn-do-not-drink/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“In the life of Moses, in Hebrew folklore, there is a remarkable passage. Moses finds a shepherd in the desert. He spends the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bloom/in-the-life-of-moses-in-hebrew-folklore-there-is-a-remarkable-passage/) [Anthony Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bloom/) > [“dairy foods are fine to eat if you like them, but they are not a nutritional requirement. Think of cows: they do not drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-weber/dairy-foods-are-fine-to-eat-if-you-like-them-but-they-are-not-a/) [Karl Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-weber/) > [Get off your horse and drink your milk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/get-off-your-horse-and-drink-your-milk/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I think of the chimp, the one with the talking hands. In the course of the experiment, that chimp had a baby. 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A serpent made to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/how-well-u-treat-the-wicked-people-they-do-nto-give-up-their/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) Browse all 42 Drink milk quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But of course it makes sense because we are Third Worlders and Third Worlders are forward-looking, we like things to be new, because our best is still ahead, while in the West their best is already past and so they have to make a fetish of that past.Remember this is our newly middle-class world. 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