--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: General Grant seriously remarked to a…" description: "\"“General Grant seriously remarked to a particularly bright young woman that Venice would be a fine city if it were drained.”\" — Henry Adams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/henry-adams-1542_general-grant_general-grant-seriously-remarked-to-a-pa_2259657.png" --- # General Grant seriously remarked to a particularly bright… ![“General Grant seriously remarked to a particularly bright young woman that Venice would be a fine city if it were drained.” quote by Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/henry-adams-1542_general-grant_general-grant-seriously-remarked-to-a-pa_2259657.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/henry-adams-1542_general-grant_general-grant-seriously-remarked-to-a-pa_2259657.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/henry-adams-1542_general-grant_general-grant-seriously-remarked-to-a-pa_2259657.png) > ““General Grant seriously remarked to a particularly bright young woman that Venice would be a fine city if it were drained.”” [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Venice would be ideal if its water were removed, highlighting the absurdity of solving problems by ignoring core issues. **In simple terms:** Venice would be great if drained, showing flawed solutions. Key Takeaway Address root causes, not just surface fixes. Themes urban planning environment logic Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - city development - environmental policy - infrastructure projects Key Concepts political theory engineering history Questions to Reflect On - What essential elements would you lose by removing a problem’s context? - How can solutions respect a system’s integrity? A Different Perspective Draining Venice would destroy its identity and ecosystem. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [City Drained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city-drained-5193689/) [General grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-grant/) [Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grant/) [Grant Seriously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grant-seriously-5193690/) [Venice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venice/) [Venice Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venice-fine-5193688/) [Woman Venice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-venice-5193687/) [Young woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-woman/) ## Related quotes > [Venice would be a fine city if it were only drained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/venice-would-be-a-fine-city-if-it-were-only-drained/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [There is nothing left for me to do but to go and see General Grant and I would rather die a thousand deaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/there-is-nothing-left-for-me-to-do-but-to-go-and-see-general-grant/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I know General Grant better than any other person in the country can know him. It was my duty to study him, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-m-stanton/i-know-general-grant-better-than-any-other-person-in-the-country-can/) [Edwin M. Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-m-stanton/) > [General Grant had no fixed plan of campaign beyond the general idea to avoid the strong defensive line occupied by General Lee behind Mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-longstreet/general-grant-had-no-fixed-plan-of-campaign-beyond-the-general-idea/) [James Longstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-longstreet/) > [“See that little stream — we could walk to it in two minutes. It took the British a month to walk to it —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/see-that-little-stream-we-could-walk-to-it-in-two-minutes-it-took-the-2/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [We know that a statement proved to be good must be oorrect. New thoughts are constantly obtaining the floor. 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Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“The President said: “General Grant, the nation’s appreciation of what you have done, and its reliance upon you for what remains to be done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/the-president-said-general-grant-the-nation-s-appreciation-of-what/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [ \[Mark\] Twain was a publisher. He published General Grant's Memoirs (a big success) and had a hand in the publishing of many of his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-holbrook/mark-twain-was-a-publisher-he-published-general-grant-s-memoirs-a-big/) [Hal Holbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-holbrook/) > [Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/sir-if-you-ever-presume-again-to-speak-disrespectfully-of-general/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [The next time we met was at Appomattox, and the first thing that General Grant said to me when we stepped inside, placing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-longstreet/the-next-time-we-met-was-at-appomattox-and-the-first-thing-that/) [James Longstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-longstreet/) > [In her opinion, Alexander Graham Bell and Clarence Birdseye are the two greatest Americans that ever lived excluding Robert E. Lee. She believes we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/in-her-opinion-alexander-graham-bell-and-clarence-birdseye-are-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## More by Henry Adams > [I am fairly tired--bored beyond endurance--by the world we live in, and its ideals, and am ready to say so, not violently, but kindly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/i-am-fairly-tired-bored-beyond-endurance-by-the-world-we-live-in-and/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“One had heard and read a great deal about death, and even seen a little of it, and knew by heart the thousand commonplaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/one-had-heard-and-read-a-great-deal-about-death-and-even-seen-a/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The chief wonder of education is that it does not ruin everybody concerned in it, teachers and taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-chief-wonder-of-education-is-that-it-does-not-ruin-everybody/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The American President resembles the commander of a ship at sea. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/washington-was-no-politician-as-we-understand-the-word-replied/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [Power when wielded by abnormal energy is the most serious of facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/power-when-wielded-by-abnormal-energy-is-the-most-serious-of-facts/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [If I grapple with sin in my own strength, the devil knows he may go to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/if-i-grapple-with-sin-in-my-own-strength-the-devil-knows-he-may-go-to/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [All State education is a sort of dynamo machine for polarizing the popular mind; for turning and holding its lines of force in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/all-state-education-is-a-sort-of-dynamo-machine-for-polarizing-the/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [You may cut off the heads of every rich man now living--of every statesman--every literary, and every scientific authority, without in the least changing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/you-may-cut-off-the-heads-of-every-rich-man-now-living-of-every/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [History is the most aristocratic of all literary pursuits, because it obliges the historian to be rich as well as educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/history-is-the-most-aristocratic-of-all-literary-pursuits-because-it/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [The philosopher says--I am, and the church scouts his philosophy. She answers:--No! you are NOT, you have no existence of your own. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-philosopher-says-i-am-and-the-church-scouts-his-philosophy-she/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) [Explore all 230 Henry Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) ## More General grant quotes > [In her opinion, Alexander Graham Bell and Clarence Birdseye are the two greatest Americans that ever lived excluding Robert E. Lee. 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Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-m-stanton/) > [Sir, if you ever presume again to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/sir-if-you-ever-presume-again-to-speak-disrespectfully-of-general/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [ \[Mark\] Twain was a publisher. He published General Grant's Memoirs (a big success) and had a hand in the publishing of many of his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-holbrook/mark-twain-was-a-publisher-he-published-general-grant-s-memoirs-a-big/) [Hal Holbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-holbrook/) > [“The President said: “General Grant, the nation’s appreciation of what you have done, and its reliance upon you for what remains to be done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/the-president-said-general-grant-the-nation-s-appreciation-of-what/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“WASHINGTON, D. C., December 8, 1863, 10.2 A.M. MAJ.-GENERAL U. S. GRANT: Understanding that your lodgment at Knoxville and at Chattanooga is now secure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/washington-d-c-december-8-1863-10-2-a-m-maj-general-u-s-grant/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“\[During this winter the citizens of Jo Davies County, Ill., subscribed for and had a diamond-hilled sword made for General Grant, which was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/during-this-winter-the-citizens-of-jo-davies-county-ill-subscribed/) [Ulysses S. 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