--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't read about it for school. It was…" description: "\"I didn't read about it for school. It was just for myself. I was interested in cults in general but Jonestown was the most interesting of all the cults..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/danzy-senna-19310_cult_i-didn-t-read-about-it-for-school-it-was_26396.jpg" --- # I didn't read about it for school. It was just for myself… ![“I didn't read about it for school. It was just for myself. I was interested in cults in general but Jonestown was the most interesting of all the cults I studied.” quote by Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/danzy-senna-19310_cult_i-didn-t-read-about-it-for-school-it-was_26396.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/danzy-senna-19310_cult_i-didn-t-read-about-it-for-school-it-was_26396.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/danzy-senna-19310_cult_i-didn-t-read-about-it-for-school-it-was_26396.jpg) > “I didn't read about it for school. It was just for myself. I was interested in cults in general but Jonestown was the most interesting of all the cults I studied.” [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker pursued personal curiosity about cults, focusing on Jonestown as a particularly compelling case, independent of formal education. **In simple terms:** Self-driven exploration of cult phenomena. Key Takeaway Personal interest can drive deep study beyond curricula. Themes curiosity cult studies independent learning historical analysis psychology Mood intrigued reflective Type personal anecdote educational reflection When to use this quote - researching niche topics - personal reading projects - informal education - self-study of historical events Key Concepts cult dynamics Jonestown motivation self-education Practical Applications - writing a blog post on cults - developing a documentary script Questions to Reflect On - What motivates individuals to study topics outside formal curricula? - How does personal interest shape the depth of understanding? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cult/) [Cults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cults/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I think cults never stop being interesting and I'm intrigued by how we all do a tiny bit of submitting to a larger group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-think-cults-never-stop-being-interesting-and-i-m-intrigued-by-how/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“Among other things Jonestown was an example of a definition well known to sociologists of religion: a cult is a religion with no political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/among-other-things-jonestown-was-an-example-of-a-definition-well/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [“Religion is the most powerful entity on earth. A phenomenon that has conscripted millions to give or sacrifice their lives without so much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-sarwar/religion-is-the-most-powerful-entity-on-earth-a-phenomenon-that-has/) Cal Sarwar > [It might seem perverse for honestly religious people to group their faiths with those of the sadists and megalomaniacs who run most cults, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/it-might-seem-perverse-for-honestly-religious-people-to-group-their/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [“I’m really starting to think the whole world is just a patchwork quilt of crazy little cults, all with their own secret spaces, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/i-m-really-starting-to-think-the-whole-world-is-just-a-patchwork/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [The Scooby gang doesn't travel because they are looking for crimes to solve. They travel because they're one step ahead of the deprogrammers. Somehow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scalzi/the-scooby-gang-doesn-t-travel-because-they-are-looking-for-crimes-to/) [John Scalzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scalzi/) > [Everything we do these days - our lust for ever more comfort, pleasure, and distraction, our refusal to engage with the mandates of reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/everything-we-do-these-days-our-lust-for-ever-more-comfort-pleasure/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [“FRACTURED FACTIONS Many cults are created by the uncontrollable egos of religious zealots”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/fractured-factions-many-cults-are-created-by-the-uncontrollable-egos/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [“This is the mentality of a cult, in which fantastical beliefs are flaunted as proof of one's piety. That mentality cannot coexist with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-pinker/this-is-the-mentality-of-a-cult-in-which-fantastical-beliefs-are/) [Stephen Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-pinker/) > [ \[Concerning monotheistic religions\] The only thing these hysterical cults have in common is the belief that this world will be consumed, and deservedly so,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/concerning-monotheistic-religions-the-only-thing-these-hysterical/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The Christless cults and deity-dishonoring mushroom religions of this midnight hour tempt the Lord God. Will no one sound the alarm?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/the-christless-cults-and-deity-dishonoring-mushroom-religions-of-this/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [“Cult (totalistic type): a group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-jolyon-west/cult-totalistic-type-a-group-or-movement-exhibiting-a-great-or/) Louis Jolyon West > [“Ritually abusive groups also convince children that something evil has been put inside them. For example, a child is made to believe he or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-miller/ritually-abusive-groups-also-convince-children-that-something-evil/) [Alison Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-miller/) > [“Those of us who work in the field of trauma and abuse, whether psychologists, psychoanalysts, social workers, doctors, counselors, or psychotherapists, have been provided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-sinason/those-of-us-who-work-in-the-field-of-trauma-and-abuse-whether/) [Valerie Sinason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-sinason/) > [Cults use our vocabulary, but they don't use our dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/cults-use-our-vocabulary-but-they-don-t-use-our-dictionary/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) ## More by Danzy Senna > [“My father's subject: the relationship between history and the individual. He believes everybody is an 'excretion' of his or her environment. That's the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/my-father-s-subject-the-relationship-between-history-and-the/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“much privilege leads to bad manners,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/much-privilege-leads-to-bad-manners/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [Writing New People I was thinking a lot about the era that I came of age - the 90's. Brooklyn, in particular, this moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/writing-new-people-i-was-thinking-a-lot-about-the-era-that-i-came-of/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“When there is a gap—between your face and your race, between the baby and the mother, between your body and yourself—you are expected, everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/when-there-is-a-gap-between-your-face-and-your-race-between-the-baby/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“It’s funny. When you leave your home and wander really far, you always think, ‘I want to go home.’ But then you come home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/it-s-funny-when-you-leave-your-home-and-wander-really-far-you-always/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I'm felt I was writing about love and desire and community and belonging and grief and a whole host of other issues. But race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-m-felt-i-was-writing-about-love-and-desire-and-community-and/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I don't like stories that are too neat and too resolved. I think resolutions can be deadening for the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-don-t-like-stories-that-are-too-neat-and-too-resolved-i-think/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“She has decided all university campuses are alike- the sense of possibility and stasis. She thinks this too: all graduate students, if you look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/she-has-decided-all-university-campuses-are-alike-the-sense-of/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“We were lying on our backs in the foothills, watching the sky and making a list called "Never." All the things we would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/we-were-lying-on-our-backs-in-the-foothills-watching-the-sky-and/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [It’s funny. When you leave your home and wander really far, you always think, ‘I want to go home.’ But then you come home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/it-s-funny-when-you-leave-your-home-and-wander-really-far-you-always-2/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [Motherhood. It was hard to get lost in anything else completely when children were 3 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/motherhood-it-was-hard-to-get-lost-in-anything-else-completely-when/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“My father tells me that the further you get away from an experience, the deeper it roots itself inside of you. Don't fool yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/my-father-tells-me-that-the-further-you-get-away-from-an-experience/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I'm increasingly less interested in classic storylines and that arc that we have come to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-m-increasingly-less-interested-in-classic-storylines-and-that-arc/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [“Looking at those photographs, I remembered how my parents had never said “I love you” to each other. How they had said only “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/looking-at-those-photographs-i-remembered-how-my-parents-had-never/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [I was influenced growing up by everything from Harlequin romances to Fedor Dostoyevsky and Albert Camus, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and later Lydia Davis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/i-was-influenced-growing-up-by-everything-from-harlequin-romances-to/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) [Explore all 33 Danzy Senna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) ## More Cult quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [he cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-popova/he-cult-of-productivity-has-its-place-but-worshipping-at-its-altar/) [Maria Popova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-popova/) > [Cults use our vocabulary, but they don't use our dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/cults-use-our-vocabulary-but-they-don-t-use-our-dictionary/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [“Koch believed that what the famed economist Joseph Schumpeter called "creative destruction" was so critical to the health of the capitalist system that empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/koch-believed-that-what-the-famed-economist-joseph-schumpeter-called/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [I really hate those Internet freaks who take each thirty minute bundle of joy and turn it into a cult game of Where's Wally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/i-really-hate-those-internet-freaks-who-take-each-thirty-minute/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [The star system, the idol, the cult of personality is not the only way to be in entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/the-star-system-the-idol-the-cult-of-personality-is-not-the-only-way/) [Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-manuel-de-homem-christo/) > [“since she would never have practised the cult of these things, she would take no impious delight in their profanation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/since-she-would-never-have-practised-the-cult-of-these-things-she/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [I don't think it takes much for a cult to be a cult. Many parts of our society are cultish, and you only need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-flynn/i-don-t-think-it-takes-much-for-a-cult-to-be-a-cult-many-parts-of-our/) [Jerome Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-flynn/) > [Zippers are primal and modern at the very same time. On the one hand, your zipper is primitive and reptilian, on the other, mechanical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/zippers-are-primal-and-modern-at-the-very-same-time-on-the-one-hand/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Once I knew what I was doing I was there and with it; I had the total knowing. I Googled God and orgasmed At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/initially-no/once-i-knew-what-i-was-doing-i-was-there-and-with-it-i-had-the-total/) Initially NO > [“Ms Brennan is telling the very few people who attended an educational event: "You are warriors against the cult of stupidity that is taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wunder/ms-brennan-is-telling-the-very-few-people-who-attended-an-educational/) [Wendy Wunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wunder/) > [Hinduism... gave itself no name, because it set itself no sectarian limits; it claimed no universal adhesion, asserted no sole infallible dogma, set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/hinduism-gave-itself-no-name-because-it-set-itself-no-sectarian/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [“You wanted the truth. Or are you afraid of it now?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-summers/you-wanted-the-truth-or-are-you-afraid-of-it-now/) [Courtney Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-summers/) [Browse all 750 Cult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cult/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I didn't read about it for school. It was just for myself. 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