--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My responsibility, our responsibility as…" description: "\"My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given us, as we continue our America..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg" --- # My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans… ![“My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given us, as we continue our American journey together.” quote by Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg) > “My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given us, as we continue our American journey together.” [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans should give back to the nation proportionally to what they've received, fostering collective progress. **In simple terms:** Give back to the country that helped you. Key Takeaway Commit to service and shared prosperity. Themes patriotism service gratitude community national identity Mood hopeful proud Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - public service - philanthropy - community building Key Concepts civic duty reciprocity social contract Questions to Reflect On - How can you contribute within your means? - What systemic support enhances collective responsibility? A Different Perspective May assume all citizens have equal capacity to give. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-back/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Journey together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey-together/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) ## Related quotes > [We are so lucky Americans are impressive with what they're willing to give. We get bashed too much. And, so many young people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-gertz/we-are-so-lucky-americans-are-impressive-with-what-they-re-willing-to/) [Jami Gertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-gertz/) > [I really care about this stuff, I care about movies, and you just have to be strong and don't be stupid; freedom of choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-hill/i-really-care-about-this-stuff-i-care-about-movies-and-you-just-have/) [Jonah Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-hill/) > [The left think that this special place in the world, the United States of America, it just happened. It just is. And it's our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-left-think-that-this-special-place-in-the-world-the-united-states/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I believe that with great wealth comes great responsibility, a responsibility to give back to society and a responsibility to see that those resources…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/i-believe-that-with-great-wealth-comes-great-responsibility-a/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Giving back involves a certain amount of giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/giving-back-involves-a-certain-amount-of-giving-up/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I feel that anybody who addresses himself to children has a responsibility, and that responsibility is to make available to children the very best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-clarke-sayers/i-feel-that-anybody-who-addresses-himself-to-children-has-a/) [Frances Clarke Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-clarke-sayers/) > [All real difficulty stems from no responsibility. Full responsibility is not fault; it is recognition of being cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/all-real-difficulty-stems-from-no-responsibility-full-responsibility/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [There can be no true response without responsibility; there can be no responsibility without response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-vogel/there-can-be-no-true-response-without-responsibility-there-can-be-no/) Arthur Vogel > [I feel I have a responsibility to myself, a responsibility to explain where we're coming from. Because a song or the performance of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axl-rose/i-feel-i-have-a-responsibility-to-myself-a-responsibility-to-explain/) [Axl Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axl-rose/) > [To me, its seems necessary to rediscover - and the energy to do so exists - that even the political and economic spheres need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/to-me-its-seems-necessary-to-rediscover-and-the-energy-to-do-so/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [As footballers we have a certain responsibility. We have the responsibility to talk about things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-kimmich/as-footballers-we-have-a-certain-responsibility-we-have-the/) [Joshua Kimmich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-kimmich/) > [By imposing too great a responsibility, or rather, all responsibility, on yourself, you crush yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/by-imposing-too-great-a-responsibility-or-rather-all-responsibility/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Blaming is so much easier than taking responsibility, because if you take responsibility...then you might be the one to blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/blaming-is-so-much-easier-than-taking-responsibility-because-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You have to be doing things that matter - responsibility, but also responsibility with epic and beautiful and noble tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/you-have-to-be-doing-things-that-matter-responsibility-but-also/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) > [I was much happier when I had less responsibility... when my only responsibility was to my work and to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rauschenberg/i-was-much-happier-when-i-had-less-responsibility-when-my-only/) [Robert Rauschenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rauschenberg/) ## More by Colin Powell > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Effective leaders are made, not born. They learn from trial and error, and from experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/effective-leaders-are-made-not-born-they-learn-from-trial-and-error/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Decision-making is lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/decision-making-is-lonely/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The purposes of the United States should not be doubted. The Security Council resolutions will be enforced - the just demands of peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-purposes-of-the-united-states-should-not-be-doubted-the-security/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [I always like to take my time and examine the two candidates, see not only the two candidates but the policies they will bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-always-like-to-take-my-time-and-examine-the-two-candidates-see-not/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We can seldom get our children to do what we tell them, but they almost never fail to imitate us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-can-seldom-get-our-children-to-do-what-we-tell-them-but-they/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Politics is not bean bags. It's serious, tough stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/politics-is-not-bean-bags-it-s-serious-tough-stuff/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [There are no secrets to success: don't waste time looking for them, success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/there-are-no-secrets-to-success-don-t-waste-time-looking-for-them/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [So like any football or basketball coach, you always always believe you're going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/so-like-any-football-or-basketball-coach-you-always-always-believe/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [We hope that more assistance will be available to the nations of the region, to include Egypt, on the three pillars that I discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/we-hope-that-more-assistance-will-be-available-to-the-nations-of-the/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [One of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/one-of-the-most-worrisome-things-that-emerges-from-the-thick/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Pissing people off doesn't mean you're doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably piss people off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/pissing-people-off-doesn-t-mean-you-re-doing-the-right-things-but/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/the-less-you-associate-with-some-people-the-more-your-life-will/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [Be careful what you choose: You may get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/be-careful-what-you-choose-you-may-get-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) [Explore all 408 Colin Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) [Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as it has given us, as we continue our American journey together.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Colin Powell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as-lucky-americans-is-to-try-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Country" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as-lucky-americans-is-to-try-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f16/colin-powell-691_country_my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as_1296904.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky Americans, is to try to give back to this country as much as…” — Colin Powell", "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": "Colin Powell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My responsibility, our responsibility as lucky...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as-lucky-americans-is-to-try-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/my-responsibility-our-responsibility-as-lucky-americans-is-to-try-to/#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 } } ] } ```