--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we've inherited from our ancestors…" description: "\"What we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again. So we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg" --- # What we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed… ![“What we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again. So we cannot fail.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg) > “What we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again. So we cannot fail.” [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We inherit a unique legacy that must be protected lest it disappear forever. **In simple terms:** Preserve our heritage or lose it forever. Key Takeaway Act now to safeguard our legacy. Themes heritage responsibility urgency Mood urgent serious Type political motivational When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - education programs Key Concepts cultural preservation intergenerational duty Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of heritage are most at risk? - How can we involve younger generations? A Different Perspective Balancing preservation with progress can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) ## Related quotes > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Yes, I've never inherited a penny!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/yes-i-ve-never-inherited-a-penny/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [I can do anything I want with the rest of my body, but the face is something I've inherited. I should thank my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-tej/i-can-do-anything-i-want-with-the-rest-of-my-body-but-the-face-is/) [Varun Tej](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-tej/) > [People say I inherited my feisty attitude on the cricket pitch from my dad, but he and I might disagree. The most useful trait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-broad/people-say-i-inherited-my-feisty-attitude-on-the-cricket-pitch-from/) [Stuart Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-broad/) > [I've inherited the worst of each parent. I have my father's hypochondria and lack of concentration. I have his amorality. I have everything bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-ve-inherited-the-worst-of-each-parent-i-have-my-father-s/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [My dad, was the archetypal charming man. If I've inherited even a small bit of what he had that would be enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-schofield/my-dad-was-the-archetypal-charming-man-if-i-ve-inherited-even-a-small/) [Phillip Schofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-schofield/) > [I come from a line of women who can bake, so I think I've inherited a bit of family knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lancashire/i-come-from-a-line-of-women-who-can-bake-so-i-think-i-ve-inherited-a/) [Sarah Lancashire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lancashire/) > [Once you've grown to accept something and it becomes part of the system you've inherited, you don't even notice it any longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/once-you-ve-grown-to-accept-something-and-it-becomes-part-of-the/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I need to find a new home for a cat that I've inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-need-to-find-a-new-home-for-a-cat-that-i-ve-inherited/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are all motivated far more than we care to admit by characteristics inherited from our ancestors which individual experiences of childhood can modify,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-meyer-driscoll/we-are-all-motivated-far-more-than-we-care-to-admit-by/) [Agnes Meyer Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-meyer-driscoll/) > [To be honest, I inherited a mess.ISIS has spread like cancer - another mess I inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/to-be-honest-i-inherited-a-mess-isis-has-spread-like-cancer-another/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [My administration inherited many problems across government and across the economy. To be honest, I inherited a mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/my-administration-inherited-many-problems-across-government-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The mainstream sort of presentation of the civil rights movement was not something that I directly inherited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/the-mainstream-sort-of-presentation-of-the-civil-rights-movement-was/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [Although self-control is inheritable and does run in families and has a genetic component, it's more like height than anything else. Height is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrie-moffitt/although-self-control-is-inheritable-and-does-run-in-families-and-has/) Terrie Moffitt > [The last thing I wanted in life was to be measured by what I had inherited, as opposed to what I had done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-getty/the-last-thing-i-wanted-in-life-was-to-be-measured-by-what-i-had/) [Mark Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-getty/) ## More by Donald Trump > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Change your attitude and gain some altitude. Believe me, you'll love it up here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/change-your-attitude-and-gain-some-altitude-believe-me-you-ll-love-it/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In my former life I was in insider, as much as anybody else. And I knew what it's like, and I still know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-my-former-life-i-was-in-insider-as-much-as-anybody-else-and-i-knew/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I have my own opinions; you can have your own opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-have-my-own-opinions-you-can-have-your-own-opinions/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ David Cameron was wrong on this \[Brexit\]. He didn't get the mood of his country right. He was very surprised to see what happened. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/david-cameron-was-wrong-on-this-brexit-he-didn-t-get-the-mood-of-his/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The interesting thing is that everyone in golf is just nice. You learn a lot about people playing golf: their integrity, how they play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-interesting-thing-is-that-everyone-in-golf-is-just-nice-you-learn/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [So in our shared mission to make America great again, I support and endorse our Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/so-in-our-shared-mission-to-make-america-great-again-i-support-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I would've easily won the popular vote, much easier, in my opinion, than winning the electoral college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-would-ve-easily-won-the-popular-vote-much-easier-in-my-opinion-than/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I didn't do anything for Russia. I've done nothing for Russia. Hillary Clinton gave them 20% of our uranium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-didn-t-do-anything-for-russia-i-ve-done-nothing-for-russia-hillary/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I want regulation. I want to protect our environment. I want regulations for safety. I want all of the regulations that we need, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-want-regulation-i-want-to-protect-our-environment-i-want/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Explore all 3,556 Donald Trump quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/) [Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I use the phrase 'sibling society' to suggest a culture fundamentally without fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, or ancestors. The thinking is horizontal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-use-the-phrase-sibling-society-to-suggest-a-culture-fundamentally/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) Empress Dowager Cixi > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) [Browse all 767 Ancestor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve it, it will never, ever exist again. So we cannot fail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Trump" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors-has-never-existed-to-this/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancestor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors-has-never-existed-to-this/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/609/donald-trump-18_ancestor_what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors_893784.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What we've inherited from our ancestors has never existed to this extent before. And if we fail to preserve…” — Donald Trump", "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": "Donald Trump", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What we've inherited from our ancestors...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors-has-never-existed-to-this/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/what-we-ve-inherited-from-our-ancestors-has-never-existed-to-this/#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 } } ] } ```