--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America wasn't made on blame; it was made…" description: "\"America wasn't made on blame; it was made on responsibility. Take off the training wheels in life and decide to take responsibility for your actions.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg" --- # America wasn't made on blame; it was made on… ![“America wasn't made on blame; it was made on responsibility. Take off the training wheels in life and decide to take responsibility for your actions.” quote by Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg) > “America wasn't made on blame; it was made on responsibility. Take off the training wheels in life and decide to take responsibility for your actions.” [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Responsibility, not blame, is the foundation of a functional society; individuals must take charge of their actions rather than excuse them. **In simple terms:** Take charge, stop blaming. Key Takeaway Own your choices. Themes responsibility accountability self‑improvement Mood serious motivational Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - parenting - community service - personal setbacks Key Concepts personal growth leadership Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to assign blame? - How can responsibility be balanced with empathy? A Different Perspective Blame can sometimes be a useful diagnostic tool. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-wasn-238306/) [Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) [Blame Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame-responsibility-1030799/) [Decide Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-responsibility-3639203/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Training wheels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training-wheels/) [Wasn Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-blame-3639202/) ## Related quotes > [“When you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other. Therefore, if you decide to take responsibility for your circumstances,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey-2/when-you-pick-up-one-end-of-the-stick-you-pick-up-the-other-therefore/) [Stephen R Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey-2/) > [“Well, suppose there’s a slight doubt that the boy should be in the army and we send him and he gets killed.” “I see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/well-suppose-there-s-a-slight-doubt-that-the-boy-should-be-in-the/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Because assigning blame assigns responsibility. So I blame myself and give myself the responsibility to make it right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-matthews/because-assigning-blame-assigns-responsibility-so-i-blame-myself-and/) [Lena Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-matthews/) > [“When good results happen, Level 5 Leaders credit good luck. When results are disappointing, Level 5 Leaders blame only themselves and take responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eighty-twenty-publishing/when-good-results-happen-level-5-leaders-credit-good-luck-when/) [Eighty Twenty Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eighty-twenty-publishing/) > [I do not plan in any way to whitewash my sin. I do not call it a mistake, a mendacity; I call it sin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-swaggart/i-do-not-plan-in-any-way-to-whitewash-my-sin-i-do-not-call-it-a/) [Jimmy Swaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-swaggart/) > [“Some victims do need to "blame" themselves and take responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/some-victims-do-need-to-blame-themselves-and-take-responsibility/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [If you start to pass blame or responsibility on to others, that's when I'm going to start to get really angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ant-middleton/if-you-start-to-pass-blame-or-responsibility-on-to-others-that-s-when/) [Ant Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ant-middleton/) > [“Is it responsibility or blame that bothers you?" "I don't want blame." "Sometimes responsibility is worse. It doesn't carry any pleasant egotism." "I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/is-it-responsibility-or-blame-that-bothers-you-i-don-t-want-blame/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Everybody is responsible for their own actions. It's easy to point the finger at somebody else, but a real man, a real woman, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-smart/everybody-is-responsible-for-their-own-actions-it-s-easy-to-point-the/) [Marcus Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-smart/) > [All of a sudden America wasn't about hamburgers and hot rods anymore. It was about the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock. It was about something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/all-of-a-sudden-america-wasn-t-about-hamburgers-and-hot-rods-anymore/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I obviously wouldn't say on nationwide TV that I thought America was racist, sexist, homophobic and violent if they asked me why I left.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-trent-d-arby/i-obviously-wouldn-t-say-on-nationwide-tv-that-i-thought-america-was/) [Terence Trent D'Arby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-trent-d-arby/) > [MEN WALK ON THE MOON. To me, this speaks of a time when America wasn't just about the almighty buck. The Russians had put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/men-walk-on-the-moon-to-me-this-speaks-of-a-time-when-america-wasn-t/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [Not only was not a single shot not fired in the taking of America but it wasn't even heard.\*](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-j-calleja/not-only-was-not-a-single-shot-not-fired-in-the-taking-of-america-but/) [OMAR J CALLEJA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-j-calleja/) > [America wasn't interested in the roots of house music because it was too black, it was too gay, it was all these things, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-buxton/america-wasn-t-interested-in-the-roots-of-house-music-because-it-was/) [Felix Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-buxton/) > [I honestly never wanted to come to America. It wasn't part of my goal as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wunmi-mosaku/i-honestly-never-wanted-to-come-to-america-it-wasn-t-part-of-my-goal/) [Wunmi Mosaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wunmi-mosaku/) ## More by Gunnar Peterson > [I really like battle ropes. They're so versatile; you can get a terrific workout doing a ton of different exercises with them. My clients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/i-really-like-battle-ropes-they-re-so-versatile-you-can-get-a/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [I try to do the right thing. If you do what you know is right, and you're a good person, you might not win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/i-try-to-do-the-right-thing-if-you-do-what-you-know-is-right-and-you/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [You need to lift weights and do more resistance training. Get more sleep. I'm the first one who's guilty of not doing that, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/you-need-to-lift-weights-and-do-more-resistance-training-get-more/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [Even if you can't do a full real push-up, I'd rather have you do them with a limited range of motion and work up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/even-if-you-can-t-do-a-full-real-push-up-i-d-rather-have-you-do-them/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [There are 800 some muscles, 200 some bones. Your body works in three planes of motion: arms, legs - pentadactyl limbs. That's what we're working with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/there-are-800-some-muscles-200-some-bones-your-body-works-in-three/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [When I opened my gym, I got rid of the scales! Stepping on a scale empowers an inanimate object - every time you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/when-i-opened-my-gym-i-got-rid-of-the-scales-stepping-on-a-scale/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [My mom - when I complained about my weight, she asked me if I wanted to keep complaining or do something about it. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/my-mom-when-i-complained-about-my-weight-she-asked-me-if-i-wanted-to/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [Try not to make every eating transgression at once. When I go out, I won't ever do both dessert and drinks. Just pick one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/try-not-to-make-every-eating-transgression-at-once-when-i-go-out-i/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [Kellan Gillis was the first celebrity that I worked with - that didn't hurt. Working out after that with Jennifer Lopez was huge in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/kellan-gillis-was-the-first-celebrity-that-i-worked-with-that-didn-t/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [Don't show up late. Don't try to slide out early. Don't cheat your rep counts. And definitely, don't hold back. Leave it all in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/don-t-show-up-late-don-t-try-to-slide-out-early-don-t-cheat-your-rep/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [Not to sound corny, but if life is a sport, if you're moving to dive on a fumble or pick up a basketball in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/not-to-sound-corny-but-if-life-is-a-sport-if-you-re-moving-to-dive-on/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [If you think you're going to do 100 crunches and a plank and burn away belly fat, you're not. Yes, you're going to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/if-you-think-you-re-going-to-do-100-crunches-and-a-plank-and-burn/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [If you were inactive due to an injury or a surgery, then common sense rules the day when inching closer to the area that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/if-you-were-inactive-due-to-an-injury-or-a-surgery-then-common-sense/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [There's so much you can do with bodyweight alone. The basics always come up for a reason: sit-ups, planks, push-ups. They'll always give you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/there-s-so-much-you-can-do-with-bodyweight-alone-the-basics-always/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [Constant deprivation is no way to live. Don't always skip the delicious stuff for raw carrots and brown rice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/constant-deprivation-is-no-way-to-live-don-t-always-skip-the/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) [Explore all 56 Gunnar Peterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) ## 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": "America wasn't made on blame; it was made on responsibility. Take off the training wheels in life and decide to take responsibility for your actions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gunnar Peterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made-on-responsibility-take-off/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made-on-responsibility-take-off/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/606/gunnar-peterson-12199_america_america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made_2018057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America wasn't made on blame; it was made on responsibility. Take off the training wheels in life and decide…” — Gunnar Peterson", "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": "Gunnar Peterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "America wasn't made on blame; it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made-on-responsibility-take-off/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/america-wasn-t-made-on-blame-it-was-made-on-responsibility-take-off/#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 } } ] } ```