--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I feel quite sure that what the American…" description: "\"I feel quite sure that what the American people lack is knowledge.\" — Eleanor Roosevelt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg" --- # I feel quite sure that what the American people lack is… ![“I feel quite sure that what the American people lack is knowledge.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg) > “I feel quite sure that what the American people lack is knowledge.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The nation suffers from a lack of knowledge, which hinders progress and informed decision‑making. **In simple terms:** America needs more knowledge. Key Takeaway Promote education and informed discourse. Themes education knowledge citizenry Mood inquisitive optimistic Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - voting - community meetings - media consumption - policy debates Key Concepts public policy media literacy Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to learn more? - How can you share knowledge effectively? A Different Perspective Knowledge gaps can be deep and systemic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Lack Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-knowledge/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Lack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-lack-675960/) [Sure American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-american-2745721/) ## Related quotes > [I feel quite sure that the American people, if they have knowledge and leadership, can meet any crisis just as well as they met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-feel-quite-sure-that-the-american-people-if-they-have-knowledge-and/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [For sure, the American people have access to more information now than any other people who have ever lived on earth. And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-schieffer/for-sure-the-american-people-have-access-to-more-information-now-than/) [Bob Schieffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-schieffer/) > [I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-m-going-to-fight-to-make-sure-every-american-has-every-reason-to/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [I'm sure we, the American people, are the butt of jokes by those in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-m-sure-we-the-american-people-are-the-butt-of-jokes-by-those-in/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/you-can-be-sure-that-the-american-spirit-will-prevail-over-this/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [“People lack originality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/people-lack-originality/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“When people lack true culture or are devoid of innovative ideas, they speak about wine, various brands of alcoholic beverages, or the quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitris-mita/when-people-lack-true-culture-or-are-devoid-of-innovative-ideas-they/) [Dimitris Mita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitris-mita/) > [Comedians are - at the end of the day, we're just a bunch of people that lack a little bit of - we're very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/comedians-are-at-the-end-of-the-day-we-re-just-a-bunch-of-people-that/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) > [“Let’s be frank: People who lack confidence are self-centered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheenah-hankin/let-s-be-frank-people-who-lack-confidence-are-self-centered/) [Sheenah Hankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheenah-hankin/) > [People with weaknesses get killed by the people who lack them. Notice I'm not dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/people-with-weaknesses-get-killed-by-the-people-who-lack-them-notice/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Reality is what people who lack vision see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/reality-is-what-people-who-lack-vision-see/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Reality is for people that lack imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/reality-is-for-people-that-lack-imagination/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [Close investigation will show that the primary cause of oppression and injustice, of unrighteousness, irregularity and disorder, is the people's lack of religious faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/close-investigation-will-show-that-the-primary-cause-of-oppression/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [The world's problem is not too many people, but lack of political and economic freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-s-problem-is-not-too-many-people-but-lack-of-political-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only people who lack wisdom would say that a project should be pursued even if it leads to wanton destruction of forests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreenivasan/only-people-who-lack-wisdom-would-say-that-a-project-should-be/) [Sreenivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sreenivasan/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [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/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [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/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I feel quite sure that what the American people lack is knowledge.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eleanor Roosevelt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american-people-lack-is-knowledge/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american-people-lack-is-knowledge/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/eleanor-roosevelt-381_american-people_i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american_1551064.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I feel quite sure that what the American people lack is knowledge.” — Eleanor Roosevelt", "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": "Eleanor Roosevelt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I feel quite sure that what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american-people-lack-is-knowledge/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-feel-quite-sure-that-what-the-american-people-lack-is-knowledge/#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 } } ] } ```