--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...My dad, may he rest in peace, taught…" description: "\"“...My dad, may he rest in peace, taught me many wonderful things. And one of the things he taught me was never ask a guy what you do for a living. He ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg" --- # ...My dad, may he rest in peace, taught me many wonderful… ![“...My dad, may he rest in peace, taught me many wonderful things. And one of the things he taught me was never ask a guy what you do for a living. He said "If you think about it, when you ask a guy, what do you do you do for a living," you’re saying "how may I gauge the rest of your utterances."…” quote by David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg) > ““...My dad, may he rest in peace, taught me many wonderful things. And one of the things he taught me was never ask a guy what you do for a living. He said "If you think about it, when you ask a guy, what do you do you do for a living," you’re saying "how may I gauge the rest of your utterances." are you smarter than I am? Are you richer than I am, poorer than I am?" So you ask a guy what do you do for a living, it’s the same thing as asking a guy, let me know what your politics are before I listen to you so I know whether or not you’re part of my herd, in which case I can nod knowingly, or part of the other herd, in which case I can wish you dead.”” [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Asking about occupation often masks deeper judgments about politics and social alignment. **In simple terms:** Job questions hide hidden biases. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine curiosity, not assumptions. Themes social dynamics politics identity communication Mood critical observational Type social psychological When to use this quote - networking - interviews - social gatherings - political discourse Key Concepts sociology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you ask without bias? - What alternative ways reveal values? A Different Perspective Such probing can alienate and create division. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesson/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Rest in peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-in-peace/) [Wonderful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-things/) ## Related quotes > [“All drama is about lies. All drama is about something that’s hidden. A drama starts because a situation becomes imbalanced by a lie. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/all-drama-is-about-lies-all-drama-is-about-something-that-s-hidden-a/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Christ, I'm asking you for just one thing, I'm asking you for just one thing Eradicate, this disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/christ-i-m-asking-you-for-just-one-thing-i-m-asking-you-for-just-one/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [“Asking about someone’s animal is the shifter equivalent of pulling a ruler and asking a guy to whip it out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/asking-about-someone-s-animal-is-the-shifter-equivalent-of-pulling-a/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [“there's a part in the essay that kind of does this academic "Let's unpack the idea of Lynchian and what Lynchian means is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-s-a-part-in-the-essay-that-kind-of-does-this-academic-let-s/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [I'm always asking, 'How do you give a guy a new reason to buy a polo?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bastian/i-m-always-asking-how-do-you-give-a-guy-a-new-reason-to-buy-a-polo/) [Michael Bastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bastian/) > [“Ever since I was a little girl and could barely talk, the word 'why' has lived and grown along with me. It's a well-known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/ever-since-i-was-a-little-girl-and-could-barely-talk-the-word-why-has/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [“Girls, have I taught you nothing. Ask for what you want. Men are stupid. They will do what we ask.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-swan/girls-have-i-taught-you-nothing-ask-for-what-you-want-men-are-stupid/) [T.L. Swan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-swan/) > [My mother taught me to ask people about the things they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/my-mother-taught-me-to-ask-people-about-the-things-they-love/) [Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/) > [Rather than being taught to ask ourselves who we are, we are schooled to ask others. 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Ask for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/we-need-god-in-ways-we-do-not-know-don-t-limit-your-experience-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [If you want to know what you think of yourself, then ask yourself what you think of others and you will find the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/if-you-want-to-know-what-you-think-of-yourself-then-ask-yourself-what/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [It is frustrating when in an interview people say: 'Give us your make-up tips' and 'How do you stay skinny?' I think: 'Do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/it-is-frustrating-when-in-an-interview-people-say-give-us-your-make/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [“People don’t think to ask for anything. They don’t want to be told no.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophfronia-scott/people-don-t-think-to-ask-for-anything-they-don-t-want-to-be-told-no/) Sophfronia Scott ## More by David Mamet > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Culture exists and evolves to relegate to habit categories of interactions the constant conscious reference to which would make human interaction impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/culture-exists-and-evolves-to-relegate-to-habit-categories-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [When I started out I was a failed actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/when-i-started-out-i-was-a-failed-actor/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [We must have a pie. 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We wish to absorb this person. We wish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-product-of-the-artist-has-become-less-important-than-the-fact-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [In a world we find terrifying, we ratify that which doesn't threaten us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/in-a-world-we-find-terrifying-we-ratify-that-which-doesn-t-threaten-us/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“As a youth I enjoyed — indeed, like most of my contemporaries, revered — the agitprop plays of Brecht, and his indictments of Capitalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/as-a-youth-i-enjoyed-indeed-like-most-of-my-contemporaries-revered/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) [Explore all 278 David Mamet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? 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And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. 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Are you richer than I am, poorer than I am?\" So you ask a guy what do you do for a living, it’s the same thing as asking a guy, let me know what your politics are before I listen to you so I know whether or not you’re part of my herd, in which case I can nod knowingly, or part of the other herd, in which case I can wish you dead.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Mamet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-many-wonderful-things-and-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-many-wonderful-things-and-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/david-mamet-1178_asking_my-dad-may-he-rest-in-peace-taught-me-ma_2683264.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...My dad, may he rest in peace, taught me many wonderful things. 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