--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was interested in public service, and…" description: "\"I was interested in public service, and looking back at my father, my grandfather and two great-grandfathers, well, yeah, that's what they did, too. An..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/hilary-benn-12095_grandfathers_i-was-interested-in-public-service-and-l_2851398.jpg" --- # I was interested in public service, and looking back at my… ![“I was interested in public service, and looking back at my father, my grandfather and two great-grandfathers, well, yeah, that's what they did, too. And I think public service, like journalism, done right is a really honourable, really important profession.” quote by Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/hilary-benn-12095_grandfathers_i-was-interested-in-public-service-and-l_2851398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/hilary-benn-12095_grandfathers_i-was-interested-in-public-service-and-l_2851398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f7/hilary-benn-12095_grandfathers_i-was-interested-in-public-service-and-l_2851398.jpg) > “I was interested in public service, and looking back at my father, my grandfather and two great-grandfathers, well, yeah, that's what they did, too. And I think public service, like journalism, done right is a really honourable, really important profession.” [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public service, like journalism, is honorable and vital when performed with integrity and dedication. **In simple terms:** Public service is honorable. Key Takeaway Commit to integrity in service. Themes public service journalism honor Mood inspirational serious Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - government work - non‑profit leadership - community reporting - activism Key Concepts civic duty media ethics social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay ethical in challenging roles? - What motivates you to serve others? A Different Perspective Integrity is hard to maintain under pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grandfathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfathers/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Public service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-service/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) ## Related quotes > [a process of aging had taken place in him that was so rapid and critical that soon he was being treated as one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/a-process-of-aging-had-taken-place-in-him-that-was-so-rapid-and/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [A peculiarity of the American historical sensibility allows us to be proud of great-grandfathers (or even grandfathers) who lived in crushing poverty, while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hampl/a-peculiarity-of-the-american-historical-sensibility-allows-us-to-be/) [Patricia Hampl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hampl/) > [I was very fortunate, because I don't think many people get to spend time with their great-grandfathers. So, he passed away when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumar-mangalam-birla/i-was-very-fortunate-because-i-don-t-think-many-people-get-to-spend/) [Kumar Mangalam Birla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumar-mangalam-birla/) > [I was raised in Mississippi, in a family and a community that identified as black, and I have the stories and the experiences to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-was-raised-in-mississippi-in-a-family-and-a-community-that/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [Soldiering is a very important profession, is it not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/soldiering-is-a-very-important-profession-is-it-not/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > [Inquiry and curiosity is really important in any profession, but definitely in what I do. And in parallel you also need to be confident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/inquiry-and-curiosity-is-really-important-in-any-profession-but/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I have always believed that my life is more important than my profession and I have never ever allowed my profession to dictate my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-have-always-believed-that-my-life-is-more-important-than-my/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [Our grandfathers lived in a world of largely self-sufficient, inward-looking national economies - but our great-great grandfathers lived, as we do, in a world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/our-grandfathers-lived-in-a-world-of-largely-self-sufficient-inward/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Parentage is a very important profession, but no test of fitness for it is ever imposed in the interest of the children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/parentage-is-a-very-important-profession-but-no-test-of-fitness-for/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Parenting is the most important profession in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/parenting-is-the-most-important-profession-in-the-world/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [History, like journalism, is ever a journey outwards, and you must report back what you find and no more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/history-like-journalism-is-ever-a-journey-outwards-and-you-must/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [I'd like to get back into journalism. I'm hoping someone will offer me a job as a commentator or one of those political analysts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-gannon/i-d-like-to-get-back-into-journalism-i-m-hoping-someone-will-offer-me/) [Jeff Gannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-gannon/) > [Fiction isn't made by scraping the bones of topicality for the last shreds and sinews, to be processed into mechanically recovered prose. Like journalism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/fiction-isn-t-made-by-scraping-the-bones-of-topicality-for-the-last/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [What I like to call 'journalism of depth' is the media that regards the collective conscience of the masses to be its point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/what-i-like-to-call-journalism-of-depth-is-the-media-that-regards-the/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [It seems like journalism over here in UK, in general, is at a higher level: not overrun by all these teeny little blogs. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-temple/it-seems-like-journalism-over-here-in-uk-in-general-is-at-a-higher/) [Luke Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-temple/) ## More by Hilary Benn > [We will need to work hard to break the cynicism, talk straight and rebuild trust in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/we-will-need-to-work-hard-to-break-the-cynicism-talk-straight-and/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [And being in the EU has given Britain a stronger voice in the world. Britain leads in Europe, from trade to climate change, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/and-being-in-the-eu-has-given-britain-a-stronger-voice-in-the-world/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [The Tories claim that they have changed. Their stance on foxhunting makes it absolutely clear that they haven't. They know the public doesn't agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-tories-claim-that-they-have-changed-their-stance-on-foxhunting/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [The problem is that the global arms trade is entirely free of international regulation. In a world in which the flow of consumer goods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-problem-is-that-the-global-arms-trade-is-entirely-free-of/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [When it comes to whether Britain should remain in the European Union, almost all political parties and traditions - Labour, the Greens, Liberal Democrats,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/when-it-comes-to-whether-britain-should-remain-in-the-european-union/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [The thing that worries me more than anything else is losing faith in the capacity of politics to change things. 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I'm proud to have done both jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/i-spent-20-years-working-for-the-trade-union-movement-before-becoming/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [I'm really keen to see a Labour government because there are many things to be done, not least pursuing a sensible Brexit and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/i-m-really-keen-to-see-a-labour-government-because-there-are-many/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [All countries will feel the increasing effects of dangerous climate change and it is those least able to bear it who are already being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/all-countries-will-feel-the-increasing-effects-of-dangerous-climate/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [As each tree falls so does the earth's ability to heal itself and to adapt to the effects of our changing climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/as-each-tree-falls-so-does-the-earth-s-ability-to-heal-itself-and-to/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [The poorest still deserve help with life's basic necessities regardless of the quality of their government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/the-poorest-still-deserve-help-with-life-s-basic-necessities/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [We must not ignore the younger electorate in a fight for older swing voters who we can be confident will go to the polls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/we-must-not-ignore-the-younger-electorate-in-a-fight-for-older-swing/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) > [People who feel alienated have little trust in the institutions of our society. This adds to the wider sense of disaffection and makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-benn/people-who-feel-alienated-have-little-trust-in-the-institutions-of/) [Hilary Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) [Explore all 56 Hilary Benn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-benn/) ## More Grandfathers quotes > [Unfortunately, neither of my grandfathers were alive by the time I decided I wanted to write a book. I wish I had asked them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-bachchan-nanda/unfortunately-neither-of-my-grandfathers-were-alive-by-the-time-i/) [Shweta Bachchan Nanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-bachchan-nanda/) > [“Do you know who your grand grand grand grand grand father is? Probably you don’t! 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I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-riseborough/both-of-my-grandfathers-fought-in-the-second-world-war-and-my-great/) [Andrea Riseborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-riseborough/) > [Having still in my recollection so many excellent men, to whose grandfathers, upon the same spots, my grandfather had yielded cheerful obedience and reverence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/having-still-in-my-recollection-so-many-excellent-men-to-whose/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [1 - 2 A long time ago, when all the grandfathers and grandmothers of today were little boys and little girls or very small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/1-2-a-long-time-ago-when-all-the-grandfathers-and-grandmothers-of/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [“Nearly everyone had a father or uncles who had fought in World War II or Korea, or both, and many had grandfathers who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bowden/nearly-everyone-had-a-father-or-uncles-who-had-fought-in-world-war-ii/) [Mark Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bowden/) > [a process of aging had taken place in him that was so rapid and critical that soon he was being treated as one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/a-process-of-aging-had-taken-place-in-him-that-was-so-rapid-and/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The integration of a headgear in professional boxing would do so much to make it safer for young men. 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In shops. in rustee playgrounds. in howses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-wild-bridget-strevens-marzo/there-are-woolvs-in-the-sitee-oh-yes-in-the-streets-in-the-parks-in/) Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo > [There are now grandmothers and grandfathers coming to see us because they are of that age, they grew up in the '50s and '60s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-thorogood/there-are-now-grandmothers-and-grandfathers-coming-to-see-us-because/) [George Thorogood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-thorogood/) > [Both my grandfathers and my mother's brother were musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sturgill-simpson/both-my-grandfathers-and-my-mother-s-brother-were-musicians/) [Sturgill Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sturgill-simpson/) [Browse all 62 Grandfathers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandfathers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was interested in public service, and looking back at my father, my grandfather and two great-grandfathers, well, yeah, that's what they did, too. 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