America Quote by Iyanla Vanzant
“We are missing the truth. We live in a society that lies and fosters and sells dishonesty at a discount. Remember the line, 'America spells cheese K-R-A-F-T? That does not spell cheese! We tell our kids that as long as it looks good on the outside, don't worry about the inside. Or work hard and you'll be rewarded in the end. That's not necessarily true anymore. We don't tell the truth about certain things. Young people see our hypocrisy. We haven't given them a model to follow.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public talk, date unknown
The quote critiques societal dishonesty, superficial values, and lack of authentic role models, urging truth and integrity.
In simple terms: Society hides truth, values appearances over substance.
Key Takeaway
Demand honesty and model integrity.
Themes
integrity
truth
hypocrisy
role models
values
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
social commentary
ethical critique
When to use this quote
- parenting
- education
- media consumption
- workplace culture
- political discourse
Key Concepts
ethics
social critique
authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we foster truthfulness in our communities?
- What role models embody authentic values?
A Different Perspective
Change requires systemic shifts, not just individual honesty.
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
