--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Believe it or not, I was just given an…" description: "\"Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee.\" — Dolly Parton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg" --- # Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate… ![“Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee.” quote by Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg) > “Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee.” [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) ## 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 humorously acknowledges receiving an honorary doctorate, highlighting unexpected recognition. **In simple terms:** Unexpected honors can be surprising and flattering. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected accolades gracefully. Themes humor recognition humility Mood playful grateful Type celebrity humorous When to use this quote - public speaking - media appearances - community outreach - personal branding Key Concepts celebrity culture academic honors Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay grounded after sudden fame? - What responsibilities come with public recognition? A Different Perspective Such honors may be symbolic, lacking substantive academic contribution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Tennessee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennessee/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [I received an honorary doctorate for my work. Maybe one of these works is considered the equivalent of a Ph.D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-chang/i-received-an-honorary-doctorate-for-my-work-maybe-one-of-these-works/) [Iris Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-chang/) > [I have two college degrees, four honorary doctorate degrees, and am in three Halls of fame, and the only thing I know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/i-have-two-college-degrees-four-honorary-doctorate-degrees-and-am-in/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [I am the proud and humble recipient of more than 30 honorary doctorate degrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-am-the-proud-and-humble-recipient-of-more-than-30-honorary/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I want to keep coaching as long as I can. I love teaching and working with student athletes and I love being at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-want-to-keep-coaching-as-long-as-i-can-i-love-teaching-and-working/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [I’m really looking forward to embracing some of the great traditions at the University of Tennessee, for instance the Vol Walk, running through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lane-kiffin/i-m-really-looking-forward-to-embracing-some-of-the-great-traditions/) [Lane Kiffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lane-kiffin/) > [I went to college at University of Tennessee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-pell/i-went-to-college-at-university-of-tennessee/) [Paula Pell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-pell/) > [I had gotten a master's degree in administration supervision with it in mind that I would some day be a professor, then get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/i-had-gotten-a-master-s-degree-in-administration-supervision-with-it/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [I'm blessed in a way, just because early on in my career, any time I needed help, any time I had something wrong with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovince-saint-preux/i-m-blessed-in-a-way-just-because-early-on-in-my-career-any-time-i/) [Ovince Saint Preux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovince-saint-preux/) > [At University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, I was one of the first Blacks there. I didn't go to a Black school until my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-knowles/at-university-of-tennessee-at-chattanooga-i-was-one-of-the-first/) [Mathew Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-knowles/) > [I am amazed at the response of my being on the show. Everywhere I go, every young person points at me and says "Hi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-am-amazed-at-the-response-of-my-being-on-the-show-everywhere-i-go/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [My biggest extravagances are also investments. I have several houses in California, a house in Nashville, an office complex, and I bought the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/my-biggest-extravagances-are-also-investments-i-have-several-houses/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [No matter what, I always make it home for Christmas. I love to go to my Tennessee Mountain Home and invite all of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/no-matter-what-i-always-make-it-home-for-christmas-i-love-to-go-to-my/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [My first job was singing on the Cas Walker radio show in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was about 10 years old, and I thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/my-first-job-was-singing-on-the-cas-walker-radio-show-in-knoxville/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [from one minute to the next the present is merely an honorary past. It must be filled unceasingly anew to dissemble the curse it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/from-one-minute-to-the-next-the-present-is-merely-an-honorary-past-it/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) ## More by Dolly Parton > [Got those moods a swinging, tears a slinging, nothing fits me, when it hits me, ranting, raving, misbehaving, PMS blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/got-those-moods-a-swinging-tears-a-slinging-nothing-fits-me-when-it/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [A great smile is a wonderful asset, but a good heart is pure gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/a-great-smile-is-a-wonderful-asset-but-a-good-heart-is-pure-gold/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I know my hair is out of the '60's, my clothes are '50's and the shoes I wear are from the '40's. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-know-my-hair-is-out-of-the-60-s-my-clothes-are-50-s-and-the-shoes-i/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [It's great at this stage in my life to still be in the running, that people appreciate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/it-s-great-at-this-stage-in-my-life-to-still-be-in-the-running-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [No matter how beautiful a woman might be, you're always threatened by certain... You're always threatened by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/no-matter-how-beautiful-a-woman-might-be-you-re-always-threatened-by/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [If you don't like the road youre walking, start paving another one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/if-you-don-t-like-the-road-youre-walking-start-paving-another-one/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/after-you-reach-a-certain-age-they-think-you-re-over-well-i-will/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [ I think \[music and acting\], they are connected, all that stuff. It's your emotional self, is pretty much how you do it, I think,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-think-music-and-acting-they-are-connected-all-that-stuff-it-s-your/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Understanding isn't learned from punishment and anger. An iron has no gentle touch, and love ain't learned from hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/understanding-isn-t-learned-from-punishment-and-anger-an-iron-has-no/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [You'll pay the highest price on back roads and in back seats and in a cheap highway motel. But what's a few more strangers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/you-ll-pay-the-highest-price-on-back-roads-and-in-back-seats-and-in-a/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I went to bed hungry many nights as a child. It was a Dream that dressed me up when I was ragged, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-went-to-bed-hungry-many-nights-as-a-child-it-was-a-dream-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I know it's corny - but I love 'Jingle Bells!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-know-it-s-corny-but-i-love-jingle-bells/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I figure if I keep my health, I have no intention of retiring. I love to work. I want to be like Bob Hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-figure-if-i-keep-my-health-i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-i-love/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [There are some people who physically are not beautiful. But the way they are, the way they treat people, they become beautiful, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/there-are-some-people-who-physically-are-not-beautiful-but-the-way/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) [Explore all 638 Dolly Parton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dolly Parton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-honorary-doctorate-degree-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-honorary-doctorate-degree-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/dolly-parton-366_believe_believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-ho_3217180.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Believe it or not, I was just given an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee.” — Dolly Parton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dolly Parton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Believe it or not, I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-honorary-doctorate-degree-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/believe-it-or-not-i-was-just-given-an-honorary-doctorate-degree-from/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```