--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the things that amazes me is the…" description: "\"One of the things that amazes me is the amount of functional illiteracy in this country... people can't read to get around, or people who can't read th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/edward-albert-26858_country_one-of-the-things-that-amazes-me-is-the_751268.jpg" --- # One of the things that amazes me is the amount of… ![“One of the things that amazes me is the amount of functional illiteracy in this country... people can't read to get around, or people who can't read the newspaper but can barely read street signs.” quote by Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/edward-albert-26858_country_one-of-the-things-that-amazes-me-is-the_751268.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/edward-albert-26858_country_one-of-the-things-that-amazes-me-is-the_751268.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d4/edward-albert-26858_country_one-of-the-things-that-amazes-me-is-the_751268.jpg) > “One of the things that amazes me is the amount of functional illiteracy in this country... people can't read to get around, or people who can't read the newspaper but can barely read street signs.” [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes widespread functional illiteracy, where people struggle with everyday reading tasks despite basic literacy skills. **In simple terms:** Many can’t read simple everyday texts. Key Takeaway Address literacy gaps urgently. Themes education literacy social inequality Mood concerned reflective Type social commentary observational When to use this quote - school curricula - community adult programs - public signage design - media literacy campaigns Key Concepts functional illiteracy public policy civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - How does functional illiteracy affect civic participation? - What policies best support adult learners? A Different Perspective Improving literacy requires systemic investment, not just individual effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Illiteracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illiteracy/) [Signs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/signs/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) ## Related quotes > [As part of the National Strategy, the Government should commit itself to the virtual elimination of functional illiteracy and innumeracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-britt-moser/as-part-of-the-national-strategy-the-government-should-commit-itself/) [May-Britt Moser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-britt-moser/) > [In these days of widespread illiteracy, functional illiteracy... anything that keeps people stupid is a felony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-ellison/in-these-days-of-widespread-illiteracy-functional-illiteracy-anything/) [Harlan Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-ellison/) > [“Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in the realm of words as it were, never in reality. All those books barely read,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thus-i-progressed-on-the-surface-of-life-in-the-realm-of-words-as-it-2/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [My grandfather could barely read. My grandmother had a sixth-grade education. They were people who were industrious. They were frugal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/my-grandfather-could-barely-read-my-grandmother-had-a-sixth-grade/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in the realm of words as it were, never in reality. All those books barely read,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thus-i-progressed-on-the-surface-of-life-in-the-realm-of-words-as-it/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I barely read. I'm not a good reader at all. Rather than reading, I used to sit in front of the TV and watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/i-barely-read-i-m-not-a-good-reader-at-all-rather-than-reading-i-used/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [Then came human beings, they wanted to cling but there was nothing to cling to. Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-came-human-beings-they-wanted-to-cling-but-there-was-nothing-to/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“How badly i needed to see what was in my head o the page. even if i could barely read it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolee-dean/how-badly-i-needed-to-see-what-was-in-my-head-o-the-page-even-if-i/) [Carolee Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolee-dean/) > [“Any philosopher, any international economist may talk to me about the methods I have introduced and the thoughts behind them. Illiteracy is a disability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/any-philosopher-any-international-economist-may-talk-to-me-about-the/) [Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/) > [Hatred, intolerance, poor hygienic conditions and violence all have roots in illiteracy, so we're trying to do something to help the poor and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-qadeer-khan/hatred-intolerance-poor-hygienic-conditions-and-violence-all-have/) [Abdul Qadeer Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-qadeer-khan/) > [Immigration along with nonwhite birthrates will make white people a minority totally vulnerable to the political, social, and economic will of blacks, Mexicans, Puerto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/immigration-along-with-nonwhite-birthrates-will-make-white-people-a/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [Ignorance and illiteracy are obviously not synonymous; even illiterate masses can cast their ballots with intelligence, once they are informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-orville-douglas/ignorance-and-illiteracy-are-obviously-not-synonymous-even-illiterate/) William Orville Douglas > [We live in a world in which we are able to communicate very quickly in many different ways, and yet we find communicating more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-we-are-able-to-communicate-very-quickly/) [Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/) > [Illiteracy does not impede the practice of democracy, as witnessed by the success of democracy in India despite the high illiteracy rate. One doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaa-al-aswany/illiteracy-does-not-impede-the-practice-of-democracy-as-witnessed-by/) [Alaa Al Aswany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaa-al-aswany/) > [Our real illiteracy is our inability to create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedensreich-hundertwasser/our-real-illiteracy-is-our-inability-to-create/) [Friedensreich Hundertwasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedensreich-hundertwasser/) ## More by Edward Albert > [In times of life crisis, whether wild fires or smoldering stress, the first thing I do is go back to basics... am I eating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/in-times-of-life-crisis-whether-wild-fires-or-smoldering-stress-the/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [Fear is the only true enemy, born of ignorance and the parent of anger and hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/fear-is-the-only-true-enemy-born-of-ignorance-and-the-parent-of-anger/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [What I want to be is an actor, not a star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/what-i-want-to-be-is-an-actor-not-a-star/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [The simple act of caring is heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/the-simple-act-of-caring-is-heroic/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [Our scholastic system isn't structured to make sure that kids in the fifth or sixth grades absolutely know how to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/our-scholastic-system-isn-t-structured-to-make-sure-that-kids-in-the/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [We weren't a Hollywood family. 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I've been able to earn my living in other ways, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/over-the-years-i-have-worked-professionally-as-a-musician/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [Let us begin by doing our best to do our best, every single time, no matter what, forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/let-us-begin-by-doing-our-best-to-do-our-best-every-single-time-no/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) > [I don't think there's any show that really escapes it: It's very rare that a creative producer stays with the show. As soon as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albert/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-show-that-really-escapes-it-it-s-very-rare/) [Edward Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) [Explore all 21 Edward Albert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albert/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. 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