--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My parents survived the Great Depression…" description: "\"My parents survived the Great Depression and brought me up to live within my means, save some for tomorrow, share and don't be greedy, work hard for th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/david-suzuki-1744_dna_my-parents-survived-the-great-depression_294954.png" --- # My parents survived the Great Depression and brought me up… ![“My parents survived the Great Depression and brought me up to live within my means, save some for tomorrow, share and don't be greedy, work hard for the necessities in life knowing that money does not make you better or more important than anyone else. So, extravagance has been bred out of my DNA.” quote by David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/david-suzuki-1744_dna_my-parents-survived-the-great-depression_294954.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/david-suzuki-1744_dna_my-parents-survived-the-great-depression_294954.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/david-suzuki-1744_dna_my-parents-survived-the-great-depression_294954.png) > “My parents survived the Great Depression and brought me up to live within my means, save some for tomorrow, share and don't be greedy, work hard for the necessities in life knowing that money does not make you better or more important than anyone else. So, extravagance has been bred out of my DNA.” [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living modestly, valuing hard work and generosity over wealth, and rejecting greed as a personal ethic. **In simple terms:** Live simply, work hard, share, avoid greed. Key Takeaway Adopt frugal habits and prioritize relationships. Themes frugality hard work generosity humility Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - budgeting - career planning - family budgeting - community volunteering - financial education Key Concepts ethics personal finance social values Questions to Reflect On - How does frugality affect your long‑term goals? - What values guide your spending? A Different Perspective May overlook ambition or personal growth desires. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Extravagance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extravagance/) [Great depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-depression/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [Enjoy the necessities of life but eschew the excesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gardner/enjoy-the-necessities-of-life-but-eschew-the-excesses/) [Ian Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gardner/) > [No true Latter-Day Saint, while physically or emotionally able will voluntarily shift the burden of his own or his family's well-being to someone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/no-true-latter-day-saint-while-physically-or-emotionally-able-will/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Jesus teaches us to put the needs of the poor ahead of our own, our needs, even if legitimate, will never be so urgent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/jesus-teaches-us-to-put-the-needs-of-the-poor-ahead-of-our-own-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I am fortunate to have enough money not to have to worry about the necessities of life. Beyond that, I try to think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-am-fortunate-to-have-enough-money-not-to-have-to-worry-about-the/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Simply to have all the necessities of life and three meals a day will not bring happiness. Happiness is hidden in the unnecessary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-hays/simply-to-have-all-the-necessities-of-life-and-three-meals-a-day-will/) [Edward M Hays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-hays/) > [In this nation I see tens of millions of its citizens, a substantial part of its whole population, who at this very moment are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-this-nation-i-see-tens-of-millions-of-its-citizens-a-substantial/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Man first begins to philosophize when the necessities of life are supplied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/man-first-begins-to-philosophize-when-the-necessities-of-life-are/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The right to life means that a man has the right to support his life by his own work (on any economic level, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-right-to-life-means-that-a-man-has-the-right-to-support-his-life/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Now, we must admit that there have been times when one of us dared to utter those taboo words, but Mom quickly cured us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-duggar/now-we-must-admit-that-there-have-been-times-when-one-of-us-dared-to/) [Jill Duggar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-duggar/) > [Less is more. Happiness is found close to the necessities of life, not in needless complexity and meaningless multiplicity of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dale-scott/less-is-more-happiness-is-found-close-to-the-necessities-of-life-not/) [Peter Dale Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dale-scott/) > [A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-library-is-not-a-luxury-but-one-of-the-necessities-of-life/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I don't think anyone is committing idolatry by wanting to live in any part of the world where they can enjoy the basic necessities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tripp-york/i-don-t-think-anyone-is-committing-idolatry-by-wanting-to-live-in-any/) [Tripp York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tripp-york/) > [Life on earth is hard. Competition for the necessities of life is fierce. How ridiculous to believe that the law of harsh survival would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/life-on-earth-is-hard-competition-for-the-necessities-of-life-is/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [There can be no peace in the world so long as a large proportion of the population lack the necessities of life and believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyd-orr/there-can-be-no-peace-in-the-world-so-long-as-a-large-proportion-of/) [John Boyd Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyd-orr/) > [Take away the distractions of life Take away the necessities of life What are you left with? The person you really are !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-away-the-distractions-of-life-take-away-the-necessities-of-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by David Suzuki > [Because countries often have differing political and economic systems, agreements are needed to protect those invested in trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/because-countries-often-have-differing-political-and-economic-systems/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Over and over, we hear politicians say they can't spend our tax dollars on environmental protection when the economy is so fragile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/over-and-over-we-hear-politicians-say-they-can-t-spend-our-tax/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Aboriginal people are key because they have a different sense of where we belong and how we interact with nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/aboriginal-people-are-key-because-they-have-a-different-sense-of/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/we-are-upsetting-the-atmosphere-upon-which-all-life-depends-in-the/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Treaties, agreements and organizations to help settle disputes may be necessary, but they often favor the interests of business over citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/treaties-agreements-and-organizations-to-help-settle-disputes-may-be/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Each of us now has 2.27 kg (5 lbs) of plastic embedded in our bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/each-of-us-now-has-2-27-kg-5-lbs-of-plastic-embedded-in-our-bodies/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Nature surrounds us, from parks and backyards to streets and alleyways. Next time you go out for a walk, tread gently and remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/nature-surrounds-us-from-parks-and-backyards-to-streets-and-alleyways/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [The human brain had a vast memory storage. It made us curious and very creative. Those were the characteristics that gave us an advantage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/the-human-brain-had-a-vast-memory-storage-it-made-us-curious-and-very/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/if-we-pollute-the-air-water-and-soil-that-keep-us-alive-and-well-and/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [The one thing I feel is very hopeful, however, is the overwhelming participation of women in the movement for change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/the-one-thing-i-feel-is-very-hopeful-however-is-the-overwhelming/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [“As we distance ourselves further from the natural world, we are increasingly surrounded by and dependent on our own inventions. We become enslaved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/as-we-distance-ourselves-further-from-the-natural-world-we-are/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Every breath is a sacrament, an affirmation of our connection with all other living things, a renewal of our link with our ancestors and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/every-breath-is-a-sacrament-an-affirmation-of-our-connection-with-all/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [With an estimated population of nine billion people by 2050, we cannot continue to consume resources at the same rate and maintain our quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/with-an-estimated-population-of-nine-billion-people-by-2050-we-cannot/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Although it's the second largest country in the world, our useful area has been reduced. Our immigration policy is disgusting: We plunder southern countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/although-it-s-the-second-largest-country-in-the-world-our-useful-area/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [Environmentalism has failed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/environmentalism-has-failed/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) [Explore all 212 David Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) ## More Dna quotes > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. 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The classic alpha male, the kind who had spurred evolution forward about five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/one-glance-and-i-knew-exactly-who-and-what-he-was-the-classic-alpha/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [Music is in my DNA!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/music-is-in-my-dna/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [The immigrant experience of all of us is what makes us Americans, because we value in our DNA liberty and opportunity above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-immigrant-experience-of-all-of-us-is-what-makes-us-americans/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When I get really down, I remember that we all share 99.99 per cent of our DNA with Beyonce. And suddenly, the world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tiffany/when-i-get-really-down-i-remember-that-we-all-share-99-99-per-cent-of/) [John Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tiffany/) > [The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/the-way-we-think-may-be-completely-different-but-you-and-i-are-an/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [Retirement is just not in my DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/retirement-is-just-not-in-my-dna/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [Nuclear DNA encodes all the proteins and enzymes that make you you, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/nuclear-dna-encodes-all-the-proteins-and-enzymes-that-make-you-you/) [Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [The no-subscription fee was so much in our DNA from the original 'Guild Wars': that we would get a smaller market but willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-grubb/the-no-subscription-fee-was-so-much-in-our-dna-from-the-original/) [Jeff Grubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-grubb/) > [“So while Pauling struggled with his model, Watson and Crick turned theirs inside out, so the negative phosphorus ions wouldn’t touch. This gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-while-pauling-struggled-with-his-model-watson-and-crick-turned/) [Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/) > [While love is common, true love is rare, and I believe that few people are fortunate enough to experience it. The roads of regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-buss/while-love-is-common-true-love-is-rare-and-i-believe-that-few-people/) [David Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-buss/) [Browse all 749 Dna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My parents survived the Great Depression and brought me up to live within my means, save some for tomorrow, share and don't be greedy, work hard for the necessities in life knowing that money does not make you better or more important than anyone else. 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