--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's been a good thing for me to try and…" description: "\"It's been a good thing for me to try and understand America.\" — Irvine Welsh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png" --- # It's been a good thing for me to try and understand America. ![“It's been a good thing for me to try and understand America.” quote by Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png) > “It's been a good thing for me to try and understand America.” [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes the value of actively trying to comprehend the complexities of America **In simple terms:** Tries to understand America as a personal endeavor Key Takeaway Seek deeper insight into national identity and culture Themes culture understanding self‑reflection Mood curious critical Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - traveling in the US - reading American literature - engaging in political discourse - media consumption Key Concepts social analysis personal growth Practical Applications - May oversimplify a diverse nation into a single narrative Questions to Reflect On - What does “understand America” mean to you? - How can one avoid bias while learning about a country? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Try Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-understand/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-america-494359/) ## Related quotes > [We are different. We are equal in every way but our voices are important to each other and our need to want to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-ullmann/we-are-different-we-are-equal-in-every-way-but-our-voices-are/) [Liv Ullmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-ullmann/) > [I try to understand people who aren't as smart as me and not be hateful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-coleman/i-try-to-understand-people-who-aren-t-as-smart-as-me-and-not-be/) [Gary Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-coleman/) > [Maturity is when a person hurts you and you try to understand their stand, rather than hurting them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/maturity-is-when-a-person-hurts-you-and-you-try-to-understand-their/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Historically, it is important to try to understand your adversary in order to figure out how they are thinking, what they will be doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/historically-it-is-important-to-try-to-understand-your-adversary-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I don't understand anything about America's culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-don-t-understand-anything-about-america-s-culture/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [What people don't understand is this is something that we only have in America. There is no other country in the world where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-schwarzkopf/what-people-don-t-understand-is-this-is-something-that-we-only-have/) [Norman Schwarzkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-schwarzkopf/) > [Traveling in Europe made me understand that America has an island mentality: No one exists except us. There's a whole other world out there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/traveling-in-europe-made-me-understand-that-america-has-an-island/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country. Happy Independence Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/patriotism-is-easy-to-understand-in-america-it-means-looking-out-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As citizens, we understand that it is not about what America may do for us. It's about what can be done by us, together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-citizens-we-understand-that-it-is-not-about-what-america-may-do/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Without wilderness, we will eventually lose the capacity to understand America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-broome/without-wilderness-we-will-eventually-lose-the-capacity-to-understand/) [Harvey Broome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-broome/) > [There is a common British delusion that we 'understand' America. We don't. Watching 'Friends' listening to Bruce Springsteen, eating at McDonald's and visiting Disneyland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/there-is-a-common-british-delusion-that-we-understand-america-we-don/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [“What my yia yia could never understand about America was why everyone pretended to be happy all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/what-my-yia-yia-could-never-understand-about-america-was-why-everyone/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [America is providing the kind of leadership that the world respects and the world has come to understand; that is what America stands for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saxby-chambliss/america-is-providing-the-kind-of-leadership-that-the-world-respects/) [Saxby Chambliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saxby-chambliss/) > [The terrorists do not understand America. The American people do not falter under threat, and we will not allow our future to be determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-terrorists-do-not-understand-america-the-american-people-do-not/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Wealthy people understand we're one America, and we do best when we're all together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/wealthy-people-understand-we-re-one-america-and-we-do-best-when-we-re/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) ## More by Irvine Welsh > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“Without this kickstart to my day, I'd be lost. A day without a morning run is a day you fumble through, rather than one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/without-this-kickstart-to-my-day-i-d-be-lost-a-day-without-a-morning/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“There's nae reasoning wi some cats. You say 'reason', they mew 'treason'. Ken?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/there-s-nae-reasoning-wi-some-cats-you-say-reason-they-mew-treason-ken/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [It's crazy for somebody who's kind of empowered and wealthy like myself to say, "Oh, I don't need to be patronized by the state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/it-s-crazy-for-somebody-who-s-kind-of-empowered-and-wealthy-like/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [When you go away, you see where you come from in a different light. I see Scotland, and the rest of Britain, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-go-away-you-see-where-you-come-from-in-a-different-light-i/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [If it's something that I feel uncomfortable with, that's a reason for me to write it. I kind of like to make myself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/if-it-s-something-that-i-feel-uncomfortable-with-that-s-a-reason-for/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [There's nothing worse than a violent beating from an unremarkable person. Physical violence with someone is too much like shagging them. Too much id…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-violent-beating-from-an-unremarkable/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [If I stop working and publishing, and TV, and film and all that, I would be dead within a couple of weeks. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/if-i-stop-working-and-publishing-and-tv-and-film-and-all-that-i-would/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [I can see why the Russians love Robert Burns, I think that Russians and Koreans have a very similar outlook to Scots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-can-see-why-the-russians-love-robert-burns-i-think-that-russians/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [If you continue to transfer the wealth of the population of the planet to a very small amount of people, it becomes untenable at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/if-you-continue-to-transfer-the-wealth-of-the-population-of-the/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [Most middle-class people I know don't really live like me. Middle-class people worry a lot about money. They worry a lot about job security,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/most-middle-class-people-i-know-don-t-really-live-like-me-middle/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [As soon as you've written it, you're thinking about how it can move into different mediums.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/as-soon-as-you-ve-written-it-you-re-thinking-about-how-it-can-move/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [“Begbie doesnae even notice; he's in his element, particularly good at funerals in the way a lot ay psychopaths tend tae be. Ah suppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/begbie-doesnae-even-notice-he-s-in-his-element-particularly-good-at/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [I'm more of a warrior than you'll ever be. I believe in the class war. I believe in the battle of the sexes. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-m-more-of-a-warrior-than-you-ll-ever-be-i-believe-in-the-class-war/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) [Explore all 348 Irvine Welsh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) ## 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": "It's been a good thing for me to try and understand America.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irvine Welsh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and-understand-america/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and-understand-america/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/irvine-welsh-843_america_it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and_2763931.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's been a good thing for me to try and understand America.” — Irvine Welsh", "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": "Irvine Welsh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's been a good thing for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and-understand-america/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/it-s-been-a-good-thing-for-me-to-try-and-understand-america/#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 } } ] } ```