--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I attended Catholic school. We received a…" description: "\"I attended Catholic school. We received a great education from the nuns. ... Also, guilt. Guilt and a feeling of never being satisfied with what you've..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg" --- # I attended Catholic school. We received a great education… ![“I attended Catholic school. We received a great education from the nuns. ... Also, guilt. Guilt and a feeling of never being satisfied with what you've done. And a sense that you are inadequate and a big phony. All useful for a writer. I'm always being edited by my inner nun.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg) > “I attended Catholic school. We received a great education from the nuns. ... Also, guilt. Guilt and a feeling of never being satisfied with what you've done. And a sense that you are inadequate and a big phony. All useful for a writer. I'm always being edited by my inner nun.” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer’s inner critic, shaped by strict upbringing, fuels guilt and perfectionism, which can be both a creative drive and a source of self‑doubt. **In simple terms:** Inner guilt pushes writing but also creates insecurity. Key Takeaway Channel inner criticism into disciplined craft. Themes creativity self‑critique perfectionism Mood reflective motivational Type literary psychological When to use this quote - drafting - editing - creative workshops Key Concepts psychology writing education Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform inner guilt into constructive motivation? - When does self‑critique become harmful? A Different Perspective Guilt can paralyze if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attended Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attended-catholic-2045140/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholic school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-school/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Edited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edited/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Nuns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-nuns-3190766/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Great education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-education/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Inadequate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inadequate/) [Inner Nun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-nun-3190767/) [Nun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nun/) [Nuns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuns/) [Nuns Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuns-guilt-2267489/) [Phony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phony/) [Satisfied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfied/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I was educated by the nuns. Guilt and discipline — combine those and you'll be pretty productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-educated-by-the-nuns-guilt-and-discipline-combine-those-and-you/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Religion was a part of our home life when I was growing up. I attended Catholic school. It was a good education - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bil-keane/religion-was-a-part-of-our-home-life-when-i-was-growing-up-i-attended/) [Bil Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bil-keane/) > [“I attended Catholic schools at a time when Latin was still a living ritual language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gioia/i-attended-catholic-schools-at-a-time-when-latin-was-still-a-living/) [Dana Gioia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gioia/) > [Learning is never done without errors and defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/learning-is-never-done-without-errors-and-defeat/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [I would never have been a novelist without working as a psychologist...it was a great education in human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kellerman/i-would-never-have-been-a-novelist-without-working-as-a-psychologist/) [Jonathan Kellerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kellerman/) > [I think the president can set a tone and say we're not divided by gender, age, race. We're all Americans and want the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jindal/i-think-the-president-can-set-a-tone-and-say-we-re-not-divided-by/) [Bobby Jindal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jindal/) > [If we can take action to ensure Pennsylvanians receive a great education, from Pre-K through an apprenticeship program all the way to college, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/if-we-can-take-action-to-ensure-pennsylvanians-receive-a-great/) [Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/) > [I was never told that the purpose of school was to get a job at the end of it. What was pushed on me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-walker/i-was-never-told-that-the-purpose-of-school-was-to-get-a-job-at-the/) [Nicola Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-walker/) > [As a retired educator I have seen first-hand the impact a great education can have on a young person's life. I will always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-adams/as-a-retired-educator-i-have-seen-first-hand-the-impact-a-great/) [Alma Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-adams/) > [You can't have a sustainable US economy without a great education system. Teach students to do the job right. You don't have an innovative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/you-can-t-have-a-sustainable-us-economy-without-a-great-education/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [But I will say that TV was a great education for me. It allowed me to develop techniques for getting the job done. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariette-hartley/but-i-will-say-that-tv-was-a-great-education-for-me-it-allowed-me-to/) [Mariette Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariette-hartley/) > [To be able to be caught up into the world of thought-that is educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/to-be-able-to-be-caught-up-into-the-world-of-thought-that-is-educated/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [I came here from Jamaica as a kid and didn't go to school, really, never had a great education. I was a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-came-here-from-jamaica-as-a-kid-and-didn-t-go-to-school-really/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [That should be the goal, is that every kid in every neighborhood, despite whatever challenges they may face, are getting a great education in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rhee/that-should-be-the-goal-is-that-every-kid-in-every-neighborhood/) [Michelle Rhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rhee/) > [There are really only two ways to teach. You can inspire the student to voluntarily and enthusiastically choose to do the hard work necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-teach-you-can-inspire-the-student/) [Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/) ## More by George Saunders > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) [Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I attended Catholic school. We received a great education from the nuns. ... Also, guilt. Guilt and a feeling of never being satisfied with what you've done. And a sense that you are inadequate and a big phony. All useful for a writer. I'm always being edited by my inner nun.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Saunders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a-great-education-from-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a-great-education-from-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-saunders-317_bigs_i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a_1142451.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I attended Catholic school. We received a great education from the nuns. ... Also, guilt. Guilt and a…” — George Saunders", "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": "George Saunders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I attended Catholic school. We received...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a-great-education-from-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-attended-catholic-school-we-received-a-great-education-from-the/#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 } } ] } ```