--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You try various things when you're…" description: "\"You try various things when you're growing up. I was an attache in the Foreign Service for a while and then I drove a bulldozer, but neither of those p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/dylan-moran-1716_bulldozers_you-try-various-things-when-you-re-growi_308060.jpg" --- # You try various things when you're growing up. I was an… ![“You try various things when you're growing up. I was an attache in the Foreign Service for a while and then I drove a bulldozer, but neither of those panned out for me so it had to be stand-up” quote by Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/dylan-moran-1716_bulldozers_you-try-various-things-when-you-re-growi_308060.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/dylan-moran-1716_bulldozers_you-try-various-things-when-you-re-growi_308060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/840/dylan-moran-1716_bulldozers_you-try-various-things-when-you-re-growi_308060.jpg) > “You try various things when you're growing up. I was an attache in the Foreign Service for a while and then I drove a bulldozer, but neither of those panned out for me so it had to be stand-up” [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He tried many careers before finding comedy, showing that perseverance leads to the right path. **In simple terms:** Trying many jobs before finding the right one. Key Takeaway Embrace trial and error. Themes career perseverance self‑discovery humor growth Mood reflective optimistic Type anecdotal motivational When to use this quote - career exploration - stand‑up comedy - personal development - skill experimentation Key Concepts identity resilience purpose Questions to Reflect On - What career did you abandon that still influences you? - How do failures shape your eventual success? A Different Perspective Success may still require luck and timing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attache Foreign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attache-foreign-2929444/) [Bulldozers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulldozers/) [Drove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drove/) [Drove Bulldozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drove-bulldozer-2929443/) [Foreign service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-service/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Service Drove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service-drove-2929445/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/various/) ## Related quotes > [Let me be clear: I'm a believer in a robust military, which is essential for backing up diplomacy. But the implication is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/let-me-be-clear-i-m-a-believer-in-a-robust-military-which-is/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [My 40 years in the foreign service and the careers of many of my friends became associated with the fall of the Soviet Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/my-40-years-in-the-foreign-service-and-the-careers-of-many-of-my/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [When I was younger, my father was in the Foreign Service and we lived in Nigeria, Panama, and London, but for the most part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-beharie/when-i-was-younger-my-father-was-in-the-foreign-service-and-we-lived/) [Nicole Beharie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-beharie/) > [The State Department desperately needs to be vigorously harnessed. It has too big a role to play in the formulation of foreign policy, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-g-galbraith/the-state-department-desperately-needs-to-be-vigorously-harnessed-it/) [Evan G. Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-g-galbraith/) > [My father had been in the German Diplomatic Service, and although he had been in the United States since World War II and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-eilts/my-father-had-been-in-the-german-diplomatic-service-and-although-he/) [Hermann Eilts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-eilts/) > [“In 2008, around the time I got there, the 82nd Air- borne was building greenhouses near Tikrit. It was a brave new world, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-klay/in-2008-around-the-time-i-got-there-the-82nd-air-borne-was-building/) [Phil Klay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-klay/) > [ The \[Donald\] Trump folks chose not to keep \[Dan Fried\] on. He was actually - I said he was actually the third-most senior diplomat… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-donald-trump-folks-chose-not-to-keep-dan-fried-on-he-was-actually/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Having spent years in academia - at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Oxford University and Harvard Law School - I encountered a wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/having-spent-years-in-academia-at-georgetown-university-school-of/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [ After \[Dan Fried\] was initially hired into the Foreign Service in 1977, five subsequent presidents of both parties thought it would be a good… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/after-dan-fried-was-initially-hired-into-the-foreign-service-in-1977/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was born in Australia and grew up in the foreign services. I had this kind of trans-Pacific life. I think I was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-alison/i-was-born-in-australia-and-grew-up-in-the-foreign-services-i-had/) [Jane Alison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-alison/) > [ The \[Donald\] Trump administration got rid of the number one and number two most senior people ahead of \[Dan fried\] in the foreign service,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-donald-trump-administration-got-rid-of-the-number-one-and-number/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I am honored to serve on the Board of Visitors for Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Being the first board member from Latin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricardo-salinas-pliego/i-am-honored-to-serve-on-the-board-of-visitors-for-georgetown/) [Ricardo Salinas Pliego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricardo-salinas-pliego/) > [Yeah, my dad was in the foreign service. We lived in India, Indonesia and Africa, and we traveled a lot from those places. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-walsh/yeah-my-dad-was-in-the-foreign-service-we-lived-in-india-indonesia/) [Dylan Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-walsh/) > [Moskin has brought together with care and lucidity an inside history of American diplomacy written through the eyes of the many diplomats who conceived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-r-pickering/moskin-has-brought-together-with-care-and-lucidity-an-inside-history/) [Thomas R. Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-r-pickering/) > [My parents were U.S. Foreign Service, so I spent a lot of time you know, overseas in various countries around the world, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/my-parents-were-u-s-foreign-service-so-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-you-know/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) ## More by Dylan Moran > [“You should be alive as you can until you're totally dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/you-should-be-alive-as-you-can-until-you-re-totally-dead/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [America's work ethic is non-stop; it's not even enshrined in law that workers have to get their two weeks holiday money. But Americans work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/america-s-work-ethic-is-non-stop-it-s-not-even-enshrined-in-law-that/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [The characters can't be wittier than people are in real life. They have to be character witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/the-characters-can-t-be-wittier-than-people-are-in-real-life-they/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [ \[Adulthood feels like\] walking around in the desert with a bag over your head, being bumped into by people who rob you as they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/adulthood-feels-like-walking-around-in-the-desert-with-a-bag-over/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [Don't do it! Stay away from your potential. You'll mess it up, it's potential, leave it. Anyway, it's like your bank balance - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/don-t-do-it-stay-away-from-your-potential-you-ll-mess-it-up-it-s/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [If you're talking about crowd enthusiasm, it varies. I have a decent following in Australia so I like there. I'm interested in playing everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/if-you-re-talking-about-crowd-enthusiasm-it-varies-i-have-a-decent/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [There are two types of wine essentially, and everybody knows this. There's the one where you drink it and go, "Mmmm, well that's ok,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/there-are-two-types-of-wine-essentially-and-everybody-knows-this/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [Go and lie down in the dark... for hours... and don't move. I'm locking the door now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/go-and-lie-down-in-the-dark-for-hours-and-don-t-move-i-m-locking-the/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [I suppose the best comedy shows do have the rock n' roll feeling - if it's a great night, and the roof is raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/i-suppose-the-best-comedy-shows-do-have-the-rock-n-roll-feeling-if-it/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [Beer must be made by food companies. It makes you wander the streets at 3 am looking for things to eat. "What's that, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/beer-must-be-made-by-food-companies-it-makes-you-wander-the-streets/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [The sensible thing for everyone to do would be to write all their op-eds and think pieces now so they're ready the day after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/the-sensible-thing-for-everyone-to-do-would-be-to-write-all-their-op/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [I don't do drugs. If I want a rush I just get out of a chair when I'm not expecting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/i-don-t-do-drugs-if-i-want-a-rush-i-just-get-out-of-a-chair-when-i-m/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [I think I still get something from the original broadcaster but I'm certainly not aware of any Netflix van driving to my house and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/i-think-i-still-get-something-from-the-original-broadcaster-but-i-m/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [People do need a social license to go, "Ha ha ha," and have a good time. It's a strange thing. There's a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/people-do-need-a-social-license-to-go-ha-ha-ha-and-have-a-good-time/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [I'm a vegetarian, well I'm not hardcore because I eat meat, but only because I like the taste, and I hate vegetables on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/i-m-a-vegetarian-well-i-m-not-hardcore-because-i-eat-meat-but-only/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) [Explore all 213 Dylan Moran quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) ## More Bulldozers quotes > [They say that faith can move mountains, so can bulldozers, so can nuclear weapons. I'm not really sure if that's what faith is intended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/they-say-that-faith-can-move-mountains-so-can-bulldozers-so-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The most common form of terrorism in the U.S.A. is that carried on by bulldozers and chainsaws. It is not enough to understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/the-most-common-form-of-terrorism-in-the-u-s-a-is-that-carried-on-by/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Not that I was ever an asshole but I used to be much more of a bulldozer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/not-that-i-was-ever-an-asshole-but-i-used-to-be-much-more-of-a/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Do you know, Mother, that Haj Salem was buried alive in his home? Does he tell you stories in heaven now? I wish I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-abulhawa/do-you-know-mother-that-haj-salem-was-buried-alive-in-his-home-does/) [Susan Abulhawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-abulhawa/) > [We are all born bonded to nature; that's why we put depictions of flowers and forests, rather than bulldozers or log piles, on our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-brown/we-are-all-born-bonded-to-nature-that-s-why-we-put-depictions-of/) [Bob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-brown/) > [Once you leave Sundance suddenly you run into bulldozers and concrete and cranes, and all that heritage that the Mormon culture used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/once-you-leave-sundance-suddenly-you-run-into-bulldozers-and-concrete/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The reformers' preferred metaphor is "leveling the playing field." They should listen to the logic of their language: fields are leveled by bulldozers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/the-reformers-preferred-metaphor-is-leveling-the-playing-field-they/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [Don’t worry about being able to identify each of these plants (in your designs for clients). The world is full of botanists and horticulturists.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/don-t-worry-about-being-able-to-identify-each-of-these-plants-in-your/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [I reckon that the Bailey Bridge and the bulldozer were the greatest advances in military engineering in the years between World War I and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-vokes/i-reckon-that-the-bailey-bridge-and-the-bulldozer-were-the-greatest/) [Christopher Vokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-vokes/) > [In the early days, computers inspired widespread awe and the popular press dubbed them giant brains. In fact, the computer's power resembled that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-kidder/in-the-early-days-computers-inspired-widespread-awe-and-the-popular/) [Tracy Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-kidder/) > [The bulldozer and not the atomic bomb may turn out to be the most destructive invention of the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-shabecoff/the-bulldozer-and-not-the-atomic-bomb-may-turn-out-to-be-the-most/) [Philip Shabecoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-shabecoff/) > [The problem ... is that we have run out of dinosaurs to form oil with. Scientists working for the Department of Energy have tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-problem-is-that-we-have-run-out-of-dinosaurs-to-form-oil-with/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I prayed very hard for this to happen and it happened. I don't even think about what I've achieved, I haven't focused on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-prayed-very-hard-for-this-to-happen-and-it-happened-i-don-t-even/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [Our cities with their swollen populations and cliff dwelling high-rise buildings are breeding places for loneliness. Neighborhoods crumble under the housing development bulldozers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-fromme/our-cities-with-their-swollen-populations-and-cliff-dwelling-high/) [Allan Fromme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-fromme/) > [They wrongly believe that good intentions move mountains. Bulldozers move mountains. But there are exceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/they-wrongly-believe-that-good-intentions-move-mountains-bulldozers/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) [Browse all 35 Bulldozers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulldozers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You try various things when you're growing up. 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