--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans are pragmatic, relatively…" description: "\"Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty and given to broad humor.\" — Herb Caen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg" --- # Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty… ![“Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty and given to broad humor.” quote by Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg) > “Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty and given to broad humor.” [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans are practical, straightforward, hearty, and enjoy broad humor. **In simple terms:** Americans are down‑to‑earth and love simple jokes. Key Takeaway Appreciate practical humor. Themes culture humor character Mood lighthearted observational Type cultural descriptive When to use this quote - social gatherings - media commentary - travel experiences Key Concepts sociology national identity Questions to Reflect On - How does humor reflect cultural values? - Do you see these traits in yourself? A Different Perspective Broad generalizations may overlook diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Americans Pragmatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-pragmatic-3010956/) [Broad Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad-humor-4216959/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Hearty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearty/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Pragmatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pragmatic/) [Relatively Uncomplicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relatively-uncomplicated-4216961/) [Uncomplicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncomplicated/) [Uncomplicated Hearty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncomplicated-hearty-4216960/) ## Related quotes > [Americans are pragmatic; we want quick, clean, simple solutions to vast problems. The paradox is that we're a deeply confessional culture, but we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/americans-are-pragmatic-we-want-quick-clean-simple-solutions-to-vast/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Animals are just pure, uncomplicated entities of creation from God. They live like the Maasai do in Kenya-for each day is forever to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/animals-are-just-pure-uncomplicated-entities-of-creation-from-god/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [When I was there at Marvel, everybody thought if you could draw well and you could do sensational panels, that you were going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romita-sr/when-i-was-there-at-marvel-everybody-thought-if-you-could-draw-well/) [John Romita, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romita-sr/) > [Maybe the first time you saw her you were ten. She was standing in the sun scratching her legs. Or tracing letters in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/maybe-the-first-time-you-saw-her-you-were-ten-she-was-standing-in-the/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [If the writer were more like a reader, he’d be a reader, not a writer. It’s as uncomplicated as that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/if-the-writer-were-more-like-a-reader-he-d-be-a-reader-not-a-writer/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Meditation simply means entering into states of mind which are happiness, profound happiness, simple happiness, beautiful happiness, complicated, uncomplicated - There are ten thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/meditation-simply-means-entering-into-states-of-mind-which-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Luckily my own life is uncomplicated, which lets me really enjoy other people's complicated messes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fallon/luckily-my-own-life-is-uncomplicated-which-lets-me-really-enjoy-other/) [Jane Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fallon/) > [In a world gone bad, a bear - even a bear standing on its head - is a comforting, uncomplicated, dependable hunk of sanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/in-a-world-gone-bad-a-bear-even-a-bear-standing-on-its-head-is-a/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [I always felt that making a living wasn't the easiest thing in the world, and I decided I was going straight ahead and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/i-always-felt-that-making-a-living-wasn-t-the-easiest-thing-in-the/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) > [“Relationships are complicated." "Not all of them. For instance, our relationship is very simple. You are annoying; I am annoyed. See? Totally uncomplicated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-stewart/relationships-are-complicated-not-all-of-them-for-instance-our/) [Lauren Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-stewart/) > [Like cats and ice cream, showers were among life's simple, uncomplicated pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jo-putney/like-cats-and-ice-cream-showers-were-among-life-s-simple/) [Mary Jo Putney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jo-putney/) > [Until you, I didn't consider my past as an issue. Yes, it affected certain ways I did things, but everything had its place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/until-you-i-didn-t-consider-my-past-as-an-issue-yes-it-affected/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [It would have been convenient to be gay. Just because of the grooming, the narcissism, stuff like that. But I have this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-would-have-been-convenient-to-be-gay-just-because-of-the-grooming/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [There is a fundamental principle. People have the right to defend their country from foreign occupiers, and people have the right to defend their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-finkelstein/there-is-a-fundamental-principle-people-have-the-right-to-defend/) [Norman Finkelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-finkelstein/) > [There are some moments in life that are like pivots around which your existence turns—small intuitive flashes, when you know you have done something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-davidson/there-are-some-moments-in-life-that-are-like-pivots-around-which-your/) [Robyn Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-davidson/) ## More by Herb Caen > [I have a memory like an elephant. I remember every elephant I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-have-a-memory-like-an-elephant-i-remember-every-elephant-i-ve-ever/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/a-city-is-not-gauged-by-its-length-and-width-but-by-the-broadness-of/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-sometimes-worry-about-my-short-attention-span-but-not-for-long/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Just two days in Manhattan and you find yourself looking for a place to wash your handkerchief after you wipe your forehead and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/just-two-days-in-manhattan-and-you-find-yourself-looking-for-a-place/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Baffling late-life discovery: Golfers wear those awful clothes on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/baffling-late-life-discovery-golfers-wear-those-awful-clothes-on/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [All American cars are basically Chevrolets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/all-american-cars-are-basically-chevrolets/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [San Franciscans have a bond of self-satisfaction bordering on smugness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/san-franciscans-have-a-bond-of-self-satisfaction-bordering-on-smugness/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [The waterfront without the Ferry Tower would be like a birthday cake without a candle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/the-waterfront-without-the-ferry-tower-would-be-like-a-birthday-cake/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Best trumpet: Mike Vax, an alumnus of the Kenton Band, who plays every style with a bright cutting edge, throwing in bop riffs here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/best-trumpet-mike-vax-an-alumnus-of-the-kenton-band-who-plays-every/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [The trouble with born-again Christians is that they are an even bigger pain the second time around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/the-trouble-with-born-again-christians-is-that-they-are-an-even/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [We are reorganizing in order to eliminate duplication and redundancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/we-are-reorganizing-in-order-to-eliminate-duplication-and-redundancy/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Old San Francisco - the one so many nostalgics yearn for - had buildings that related well to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/old-san-francisco-the-one-so-many-nostalgics-yearn-for-had-buildings/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [The clock doesn't matter in baseball. Time stands still or moves backwards. Theoretically, one game could go on forever. Some seem to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/the-clock-doesn-t-matter-in-baseball-time-stands-still-or-moves/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Isn't it nice that people who prefer Los Angeles to San Francisco live there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/isn-t-it-nice-that-people-who-prefer-los-angeles-to-san-francisco/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [A city is a crazy concrete jungle whose people at the end of each day somehow make a small step ahead against terrible odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/a-city-is-a-crazy-concrete-jungle-whose-people-at-the-end-of-each-day/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) [Explore all 43 Herb Caen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) [Paul William Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-william-roberts/) > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [You are Americans. You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty and given to broad humor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herb Caen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncomplicated-hearty-and-given-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Americans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncomplicated-hearty-and-given-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/899/herb-caen-15397_broads_americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncom_2104292.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty and given to broad humor.” — Herb Caen", "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": "Herb Caen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Americans are pragmatic, relatively uncomplicated, hearty...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncomplicated-hearty-and-given-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/americans-are-pragmatic-relatively-uncomplicated-hearty-and-given-to/#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 } } ] } ```