--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Commons is one of the most depressing…" description: "\"The Commons is one of the most depressing and intellectually unstimulating places in the country. [On the state of British politics\" — Clare Short" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg" --- # The Commons is one of the most depressing and… ![“The Commons is one of the most depressing and intellectually unstimulating places in the country. [On the state of British politics” quote by Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg) > “The Commons is one of the most depressing and intellectually unstimulating places in the country. \[On the state of British politics” [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A critique of a public space as lacking intellectual stimulation and causing gloom. **In simple terms:** The Commons feels dull and unstimulating. Key Takeaway Seek environments that inspire thought. Themes politics public spaces culture Mood critical concerned Type political observational When to use this quote - parliamentary sessions - public forums - community meetings Key Concepts civic engagement social atmosphere Questions to Reflect On - What makes a space intellectually stimulating? - How can public places be improved for engagement? A Different Perspective The statement reflects personal bias and may overlook positive aspects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-politics/) [Commons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commons/) [Commons Depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commons-depressing-2887314/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressing/) [Depressing Intellectually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressing-intellectually-2887315/) [Intellectually Unstimulating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectually-unstimulating-2887316/) [Most depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most-depressing/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) ## Related quotes > [Listening to the radio every day for an entire year was a prison sentence. It was the most depressing, annoying, debilitating project I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/listening-to-the-radio-every-day-for-an-entire-year-was-a-prison/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [The most depressing thing is the political slogan: there is no alternative. But there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/the-most-depressing-thing-is-the-political-slogan-there-is-no/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [The most depressing thing about blogging is watching so-called 'citizen journalists' turn in to little more than easily offended partisan hacks. Any remark that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cole/the-most-depressing-thing-about-blogging-is-watching-so-called/) [John Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cole/) > [Indeed, as any one who has ever worked among the poor knows only too well, the brotherhood of man is no mere poet's dream,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/indeed-as-any-one-who-has-ever-worked-among-the-poor-knows-only-too/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I know of no American who starts from a higher level of aspiration than the journalist. . . . He plans to be both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-of-no-american-who-starts-from-a-higher-level-of-aspiration/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Bob Dylan will be thirty years old this month..." "That's the most depressing thing I've ever heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/bob-dylan-will-be-thirty-years-old-this-month-that-s-the-most/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [My parents signed me up for classical guitar lessons, which made for two years of the most depressing Wednesday evenings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-garfield/my-parents-signed-me-up-for-classical-guitar-lessons-which-made-for/) [Andrew Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-garfield/) > [Have you ever Googled yourself? I did, most depressing thing ever. People have websites hoping I die at 38.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artie-lange/have-you-ever-googled-yourself-i-did-most-depressing-thing-ever/) [Artie Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artie-lange/) > [Gore Vidal, Glenn Greenwald, Noam Chomsky, talk about how the U.S. became a national security state after World War II. Essentially there's this bipartisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/gore-vidal-glenn-greenwald-noam-chomsky-talk-about-how-the-u-s-became/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [I saw the most frightening, most depressing sight I had ever seen - a row of stores with Stars of David and the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/i-saw-the-most-frightening-most-depressing-sight-i-had-ever-seen-a/) [Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/) > [I always find the most depressing stuff most interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/i-always-find-the-most-depressing-stuff-most-interesting/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [When I was 6 I thought that I wanted to be a musician - like a singer-songwriter. That's what I romantically envisioned for myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-garfield/when-i-was-6-i-thought-that-i-wanted-to-be-a-musician-like-a-singer/) [Andrew Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-garfield/) > [I go once a year to the Serengeti to see the wildebeest migrations because that means a lot to me, but I avoid Olduvai…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-go-once-a-year-to-the-serengeti-to-see-the-wildebeest-migrations/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [It is sad to witness the persistence in our society of the racism and xenophobia that seems to be a permanent part of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-sad-to-witness-the-persistence-in-our-society-of-the-racism-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Luckily, my limited attention span is well suited to the velocity of the news cycles. There's an assault of stories coming at you on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-blitt/luckily-my-limited-attention-span-is-well-suited-to-the-velocity-of/) [Barry Blitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-blitt/) ## More by Clare Short > [I think the suffering, violence and cruelty and Guantanamo and the rest is going to go on and on in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/i-think-the-suffering-violence-and-cruelty-and-guantanamo-and-the/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [I think the good old British democracy should keep scrutinising and pressing to get the truth out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/i-think-the-good-old-british-democracy-should-keep-scrutinising-and/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [But then Iraq happened after September 2001 and America claimed that Al Qaeda was there, and we all know that was a lie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/but-then-iraq-happened-after-september-2001-and-america-claimed-that/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [But they were going to war anyway and they were going to bully and pressure countries to vote for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/but-they-were-going-to-war-anyway-and-they-were-going-to-bully-and/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [Political correctness is a concept invented by hard-rightwing forces to defend their right to be racist, to treat women in a degrading way and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/political-correctness-is-a-concept-invented-by-hard-rightwing-forces/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [That feeds anger, and I mean when we went and at last thank heavens got towards peace in Northern Ireland we went for justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/that-feeds-anger-and-i-mean-when-we-went-and-at-last-thank-heavens/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [ \[Israel\] undermines the international community's reaction to global warming. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/israel-undermines-the-international-community-s-reaction-to-global/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [The Middle East is more angry than ever. I'm afraid that the sort of deceit on the route to war was linked to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/the-middle-east-is-more-angry-than-ever-i-m-afraid-that-the-sort-of/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [I have set out to change the language of the international system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/i-have-set-out-to-change-the-language-of-the-international-system/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [For the first time ever we are capable of removing abject poverty, illiteracy and the diseases of poverty from the human condition. The current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/for-the-first-time-ever-we-are-capable-of-removing-abject-poverty/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [We all understand that America feels so angry, they want to get somebody, but you can't just have lots of planes and guns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/we-all-understand-that-america-feels-so-angry-they-want-to-get/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [Israel is much worse than the original apartheid state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/israel-is-much-worse-than-the-original-apartheid-state/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [The Liberals have been pressing for the brief on the basis of which he said there was authority for war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/the-liberals-have-been-pressing-for-the-brief-on-the-basis-of-which/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [And we know there has been horrendous loss of life and suffering and we know that there is anger. Anyone who came anywhere near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/and-we-know-there-has-been-horrendous-loss-of-life-and-suffering-and/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) > [Of course we need action, but it should be Just action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/of-course-we-need-action-but-it-should-be-just-action/) [Clare Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) [Explore all 30 Clare Short quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [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/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/) [Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) [Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Commons is one of the most depressing and intellectually unstimulating places in the country. [On the state of British politics", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clare Short" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressing-and-intellectually/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "British" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressing-and-intellectually/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/clare-short-20744_british_the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressin_2721810.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Commons is one of the most depressing and intellectually unstimulating places in the country. [On the…” — Clare Short", "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": "Clare Short", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-short/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Commons is one of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressing-and-intellectually/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-short/the-commons-is-one-of-the-most-depressing-and-intellectually/#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 } } ] } ```