--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I now know that to do a worthwhile family…" description: "\"I now know that to do a worthwhile family history I must interpret the past without falling into either demonizing or unquestioning acceptance. . . . A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/david-henry-hwang-12258_acceptance_i-now-know-that-to-do-a-worthwhile-famil_1560725.png" --- # I now know that to do a worthwhile family history I must… ![“I now know that to do a worthwhile family history I must interpret the past without falling into either demonizing or unquestioning acceptance. . . . As a playwright, what I object to right now is any form of fundamentalism, whether it's nationalistic, religious or ethnic. . . . I think it is…” quote by David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/david-henry-hwang-12258_acceptance_i-now-know-that-to-do-a-worthwhile-famil_1560725.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/david-henry-hwang-12258_acceptance_i-now-know-that-to-do-a-worthwhile-famil_1560725.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/david-henry-hwang-12258_acceptance_i-now-know-that-to-do-a-worthwhile-famil_1560725.png) > “I now know that to do a worthwhile family history I must interpret the past without falling into either demonizing or unquestioning acceptance. . . . As a playwright, what I object to right now is any form of fundamentalism, whether it's nationalistic, religious or ethnic. . . . I think it is ridiculous - and fundamentalist, by the way - to say that I am not changed by the culture around me.” [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding history requires balance, avoiding both demonization and blind acceptance, and rejecting fundamentalist views. **In simple terms:** Balance history, reject extremes. Key Takeaway Seek nuanced perspectives. Themes history balance fundamentalism Mood thoughtful critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family genealogy - historical research - playwriting - public discourse Key Concepts critical thinking interpretation bias cultural influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize bias in your own view? - What steps help you stay open‑minded? A Different Perspective Balancing perspectives can be emotionally challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) [Crafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafts/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-history/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-fundamentalism-5711012/) [Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/) [Fundamentalism Nationalistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism-nationalistic-5854340/) [Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist/) [Fundamentalist Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist-way-5854341/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Nationalistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalistic/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Playwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwright/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Ridiculous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridiculous/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthwhile/) ## Related quotes > [“Muslim, Jew, Hindu or Christian, you are that because of where and when you were born. 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As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-zweig/i-remember-when-the-cold-war-ended-how-quickly-the-united-states-was/) [Connie Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-zweig/) > [If one harbors anywhere in one's mind a nationalistic loyalty or hatred, certain facts, though in a sense known to be true, are inadmissable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-one-harbors-anywhere-in-one-s-mind-a-nationalistic-loyalty-or/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [All nationalistic distinctions - all claims to be better than somebody else because you have a different-shaped skull or speak a different dialect -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/all-nationalistic-distinctions-all-claims-to-be-better-than-somebody/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I don't feel like I have to be nationalistic French because I'm afraid of losing whatever. No, no, no, no. And also I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-reno/i-don-t-feel-like-i-have-to-be-nationalistic-french-because-i-m/) [Jean Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-reno/) > [“Goethe had long since remarked that nationalistic feelings ‘are at their strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/goethe-had-long-since-remarked-that-nationalistic-feelings-are-at/) [A.C. Grayling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-c-grayling/) > [The holiness of the kingdom of God must be preserved. If Jesus refused to acknowledge and fight for Israel as God's favored nation- even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-a-boyd/the-holiness-of-the-kingdom-of-god-must-be-preserved-if-jesus-refused/) [Gregory A. Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-a-boyd/) > [I've always been really nationalistic, and I had a brother killed in Korea. And I think the 'Star Spangled Banner,' even today - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/i-ve-always-been-really-nationalistic-and-i-had-a-brother-killed-in/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [I wasn’t like, boo hoo, Bin Laden’s dead, but I wasn’t jumping. America’s a very nationalistic country, and in episodes like that of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/i-wasn-t-like-boo-hoo-bin-laden-s-dead-but-i-wasn-t-jumping-america-s/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) ## More by David Henry Hwang > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I visited a new cultural center in Shanghai in 2005 that was pretty much perfect, except for the really badly translated Chinglish signs: a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-visited-a-new-cultural-center-in-shanghai-in-2005-that-was-pretty/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [My first plays were amazingly bad, but I had a teacher who thought I had promise, and he kept working with me. I finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/my-first-plays-were-amazingly-bad-but-i-had-a-teacher-who-thought-i/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I think that plays are probably the most personal, because it's just me in charge, but sometimes it's just really - I think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-think-that-plays-are-probably-the-most-personal-because-it-s-just/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [“And you wonder, what's wrong with me? Will anyone beautiful want me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/and-you-wonder-what-s-wrong-with-me-will-anyone-beautiful-want-me/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [As Asian-Americans, the charge that is often lobbed against us is sort of the least original: the idea that somehow we're perpetual foreigners, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/as-asian-americans-the-charge-that-is-often-lobbed-against-us-is-sort/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Death with honor is better than life... life with dishonor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/death-with-honor-is-better-than-life-life-with-dishonor/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Chinese culture in general is not very religious. Confucianism is more a code of ethics than a religion, and ancestor worship is a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/chinese-culture-in-general-is-not-very-religious-confucianism-is-more/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [My new play 'Chinglish,' which will go to Broadway, is about a white American businessman who goes to a provincial capital in China, hoping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/my-new-play-chinglish-which-will-go-to-broadway-is-about-a-white/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [. . . I felt I was finally in a position to affect not only the artistic content of the American theatre, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-i-was-finally-in-a-position-to-affect-not-only-the-artistic/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Yes, I am one of those people who feels that most of my work is adaptation of one sort or another. For me, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/yes-i-am-one-of-those-people-who-feels-that-most-of-my-work-is/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Time flies when you’re being stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/time-flies-when-you-re-being-stupid/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [If I do a play, it's my vision, and everybody else is working on the production to support that. If I do an opera,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/if-i-do-a-play-it-s-my-vision-and-everybody-else-is-working-on-the/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Why, in the Peking Opera, are women's roles played by men?...Because only a man knows how a woman is supposed to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/why-in-the-peking-opera-are-women-s-roles-played-by-men-because-only/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [There's something about China and its rush to capitalism that I find confusing. At the same time, we live in an America where capitalists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/there-s-something-about-china-and-its-rush-to-capitalism-that-i-find/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) [Explore all 55 David Henry Hwang quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [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/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I now know that to do a worthwhile family history I must interpret the past without falling into either demonizing or unquestioning acceptance. . . . As a playwright, what I object to right now is any form of fundamentalism, whether it's nationalistic, religious or ethnic. . . . 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