--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're not served by only knowing our…" description: "\"We're not served by only knowing our finest hours through film or media, or in the history that we are taught. I think the only way we have a chance to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/david-oyelowo-7952_bad-behavior_we-re-not-served-by-only-knowing-our-fin_1028871.jpg" --- # We're not served by only knowing our finest hours through… ![“We're not served by only knowing our finest hours through film or media, or in the history that we are taught. I think the only way we have a chance to not make the same mistakes again, is to historically understand the bad behavior and mistakes we've made previously.” quote by David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/david-oyelowo-7952_bad-behavior_we-re-not-served-by-only-knowing-our-fin_1028871.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/david-oyelowo-7952_bad-behavior_we-re-not-served-by-only-knowing-our-fin_1028871.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/088/david-oyelowo-7952_bad-behavior_we-re-not-served-by-only-knowing-our-fin_1028871.jpg) > “We're not served by only knowing our finest hours through film or media, or in the history that we are taught. I think the only way we have a chance to not make the same mistakes again, is to historically understand the bad behavior and mistakes we've made previously.” [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding past mistakes is essential to avoid repeating them; history teaches us through its failures. **In simple terms:** Learn from history to prevent repeat errors. Key Takeaway Study past errors to improve future actions. Themes history learning mistakes responsibility Mood reflective serious Type educational thought‑provoking When to use this quote - education - policy making - leadership training - media analysis Key Concepts critical thinking historical awareness ethical reflection Questions to Reflect On - What historical errors are most relevant today? - How can we ensure diverse perspectives in historical study? A Different Perspective Historical narratives can be biased, obscuring lessons. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-behavior/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Finest hour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finest-hour/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Same mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same-mistakes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I make mistakes daily, letting generalizations creep into my thoughts and negatively affect my behavior. These mistakes have taught me that the first step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lubetzky/i-make-mistakes-daily-letting-generalizations-creep-into-my-thoughts/) [Daniel Lubetzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lubetzky/) > [Nowadays, with history not being taught anymore in American public schools, self-esteem is taking its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/nowadays-with-history-not-being-taught-anymore-in-american-public/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [“I love long regarded my country as a secret, as a land half-won, its story half-told. It was as if the past was another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/i-love-long-regarded-my-country-as-a-secret-as-a-land-half-won-its/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [“Dad’s favorite subject was history, but he taught it with a decidedly west-of-the-Pecos point of view. As the proud son of an Irishman, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/dad-s-favorite-subject-was-history-but-he-taught-it-with-a-decidedly/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [History, well taught, is the demythologising of the past... Take any important issue of our time - Northern Ireland, Nuclear Disarmament, Race, The Welfare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bullock/history-well-taught-is-the-demythologising-of-the-past-take-any/) [Alan Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bullock/) > [“History has taught us that when understanding and tolerance are fostered, people of different faiths can live together in harmony. Regrettably, history has also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gudjon-bergmann/history-has-taught-us-that-when-understanding-and-tolerance-are/) [Gudjon Bergmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gudjon-bergmann/) > [“If history has taught me anything about the nature of others, it has thought me that when natures can not be denied, they persist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dew-platt/if-history-has-taught-me-anything-about-the-nature-of-others-it-has/) [Dew Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dew-platt/) > [Won't it be wonderful when black history and native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/won-t-it-be-wonderful-when-black-history-and-native-american-history/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I long for the time when all human history is taught as one history, because it really is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-long-for-the-time-when-all-human-history-is-taught-as-one-history/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-history-were-taught-in-the-form-of-stories-it-would-never-be/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“History, if it has taught us anything at all, has taught us that the strange ideas we deride today will one day be our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/history-if-it-has-taught-us-anything-at-all-has-taught-us-that-the/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“Everyone wanted to create his own history. There was nothing as powerful as the written word; history had taught them all that much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/everyone-wanted-to-create-his-own-history-there-was-nothing-as/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [I love history but was taught badly at school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-newman/i-love-history-but-was-taught-badly-at-school/) [Cathy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-newman/) > [For centuries, everything was taught through music. History was taught through music; language and mathematics were taught through music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-bone-burnett/for-centuries-everything-was-taught-through-music-history-was-taught/) [T Bone Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-bone-burnett/) > [ “... \[T\]he other lesson history has taught us - that tyranny and oppression are no match for compassion ... that the fanatical shouts of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/t-he-other-lesson-history-has-taught-us-that-tyranny-and-oppression/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) ## More by David Oyelowo > [At the end of the day, everyone knows what it is to be loved and to aspire to love someone, to want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/at-the-end-of-the-day-everyone-knows-what-it-is-to-be-loved-and-to/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [As you know, Sunday at 11 o'clock is the most segregated hour in America. You have black churches; you have white churches; you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/as-you-know-sunday-at-11-o-clock-is-the-most-segregated-hour-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [If you merely focus on what we already know, then it's not revelatory. You may as well just go and watch a documentary or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/if-you-merely-focus-on-what-we-already-know-then-it-s-not-revelatory/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I basically enjoy doing films that are about something, that have complex roles that I can sink my teeth into. Basically, I gravitate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-basically-enjoy-doing-films-that-are-about-something-that-have/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [In my time since moving to the United States, I've found that there is a dearth of great writing for black people. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/in-my-time-since-moving-to-the-united-states-i-ve-found-that-there-is/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [We can't afford to deny our past in a bid to be empowered. But what we can do is contextualize the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/we-can-t-afford-to-deny-our-past-in-a-bid-to-be-empowered-but-what-we/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I don't have a tailor, but I do love clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-don-t-have-a-tailor-but-i-do-love-clothes/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I am a father, I am very aware of the things that I'm putting out in the world knowing that one day my children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-am-a-father-i-am-very-aware-of-the-things-that-i-m-putting-out-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I feel television is in a fantastically rich vein of what it's presenting both by opportunity to actors and to audiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-feel-television-is-in-a-fantastically-rich-vein-of-what-it-s/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I do think how two people dance with each other is indicative of how they feel about each other. It can tell a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-do-think-how-two-people-dance-with-each-other-is-indicative-of-how/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Excellence is the best weapon against prejudice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/excellence-is-the-best-weapon-against-prejudice/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [People have compact to go beyond our own culture and upbringing to a degree that I think we don't acknowledge enough really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/people-have-compact-to-go-beyond-our-own-culture-and-upbringing-to-a/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I truly believe that we cannot come to a place of reconciliation until there is individual repentance and corporate repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-we-cannot-come-to-a-place-of-reconciliation/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Africa is trying to find its way back to a sense of itself, when much of that was lost through colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/africa-is-trying-to-find-its-way-back-to-a-sense-of-itself-when-much/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) [Explore all 85 David Oyelowo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) ## More Bad behavior quotes > [“It is chilling to know that some accepted ways of being with children can leave them vulnerable to suffering from anxiety, depression, or rage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-taylor/it-is-chilling-to-know-that-some-accepted-ways-of-being-with-children/) [Natalie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-taylor/) > [More often than not, the belief that you are bad contributes to the "bad" behavior. Change and learning occur most readily when you (a)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/more-often-than-not-the-belief-that-you-are-bad-contributes-to-the/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [The desire to keep doing what we love supersedes the desire to penalize bad behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/the-desire-to-keep-doing-what-we-love-supersedes-the-desire-to/) [Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/) > [“Admit it—own up to the fact you have an undesirable habit. Tell the Lord about it (He already knows; it just helps you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/admit-it-own-up-to-the-fact-you-have-an-undesirable-habit-tell-the/) [Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/) > [If you do anything today: trade in that bad behavior for a new and improved one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaoru/if-you-do-anything-today-trade-in-that-bad-behavior-for-a-new-and/) [Kaoru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaoru/) > [“wen am good you will not accept, now don't blame me for my bad behaviors ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakhiabbas/wen-am-good-you-will-not-accept-now-don-t-blame-me-for-my-bad/) sakhiabbas > [“We need to get our minds right, because right now we are behaving as if we are out of our right minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-wallace/we-need-to-get-our-minds-right-because-right-now-we-are-behaving-as/) [Carlos Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-wallace/) > [“It’s extremely unlikely you will be magically transformed from a mediocre or average people manager to a Satya Nadella or a Ratan Tata. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binod-shankar/it-s-extremely-unlikely-you-will-be-magically-transformed-from-a/) Binod Shankar > [The Fox News that I know and work in is a team of producers, technicians, photographers, truck operators and production managers who barely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-maccallum/the-fox-news-that-i-know-and-work-in-is-a-team-of-producers/) [Martha MacCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-maccallum/) > [Most bad behavior comes from insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-winger/most-bad-behavior-comes-from-insecurity/) [Debra Winger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-winger/) > [ “\[T\]here are some human rights that are so deep that we can't negotiate them away. I mean people do heinous, terrible things. But there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-helen-prejean/t-here-are-some-human-rights-that-are-so-deep-that-we-can-t-negotiate/) Sister Helen Prejean > [The end result of positively reinforcing bad behavior is that you get more of it. The culmination of a failure to punish predators is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/the-end-result-of-positively-reinforcing-bad-behavior-is-that-you-get/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [I think writers are excited by stupidity and bad behavior, generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-think-writers-are-excited-by-stupidity-and-bad-behavior-generally/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“I became a student of my own depressed experience, trying to unthread its causes. What was the root of all this despair? Was it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-became-a-student-of-my-own-depressed-experience-trying-to-unthread/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“She leaned down so she was looking right in my eyes. "You hear me, child. you can't use other folks' bad behavior to excuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/she-leaned-down-so-she-was-looking-right-in-my-eyes-you-hear-me-child/) [susan crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) [Browse all 203 Bad behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're not served by only knowing our finest hours through film or media, or in the history that we are taught. 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