--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many people think that history is a dull…" description: "\"Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is it \"dull\" that Jesse James once got bitten on the forehead by an ant, and at first it didn't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg" --- # Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is… ![“Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is it "dull" that Jesse James once got bitten on the forehead by an ant, and at first it didn't seem like anything, but then the bite got worse and worse, so he went to a doctor in town, and the secretary told him to wait, so he sat down and…” quote by Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg) > “Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is it "dull" that Jesse James once got bitten on the forehead by an ant, and at first it didn't seem like anything, but then the bite got worse and worse, so he went to a doctor in town, and the secretary told him to wait, so he sat down and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and then finally he got to see the doctor, and the doctor put some salve on it? You call that dull?” [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. History may seem boring, but odd, vivid details can make it compelling and memorable. **In simple terms:** History is interesting when told with quirky details. Key Takeaway Seek engaging stories to spark curiosity. Themes history storytelling humor education Mood playful thoughtful Type humorous inspirational When to use this quote - classroom lessons - podcast narratives - museum tours - social media posts Key Concepts anecdotal learning psychology of attention media influence Questions to Reflect On - What surprising fact could change your view of history? - How can humor aid learning? A Different Perspective Focusing on oddities may overlook broader significance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Down and](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-and/) [Dull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dull/) [Dull Jesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dull-jesse-6121708/) [Dull Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dull-subject-2260780/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Foreheads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreheads/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Dull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-dull-2438310/) [Jesse James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesse-james/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sat/) [Secretary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secretary/) [Subject Dull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject-dull-6121707/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towns/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [No one wants to see or read about a dull subject. I don't consider myself a dull subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayne-mansfield/no-one-wants-to-see-or-read-about-a-dull-subject-i-don-t-consider/) [Jayne Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayne-mansfield/) > [The world has always needed human beings who refuse to believe that history is nothing but a dull, monstrous selfrepetition, a selfperpetuating, meaningless game,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/the-world-has-always-needed-human-beings-who-refuse-to-believe-that/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > ['Good wine needs no bush', and if there were need to urge the reading of history it would be proof that history is too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bushnell-hart/good-wine-needs-no-bush-and-if-there-were-need-to-urge-the-reading-of/) [Albert Bushnell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bushnell-hart/) > [There's been about 75 movies about Jesse James, and I've seen about four of them. He's usually portrayed as this plucky rebel who's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/there-s-been-about-75-movies-about-jesse-james-and-i-ve-seen-about/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [ There are certain aspects of celebrity that I understand, although that's not the main point of the story \[in Assassination of Jesse James\] ,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/there-are-certain-aspects-of-celebrity-that-i-understand-although/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Yeah, I think that's it... It's like Jesse James. He became really popular because he lasted so long. You know, there is some degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milius/yeah-i-think-that-s-it-it-s-like-jesse-james-he-became-really-popular/) [John Milius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milius/) > [“Charley looked over at him. "About how much you and Jesse have in common." Jesse said, "Why don't you tell it, Bob; if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hansen/charley-looked-over-at-him-about-how-much-you-and-jesse-have-in/) [Ron Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-hansen/) > [Well, one of my favorite ones to work on - besides just about any scene from 'Deadwood' - was my scene with Brad Pitt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garret-dillahunt/well-one-of-my-favorite-ones-to-work-on-besides-just-about-any-scene/) [Garret Dillahunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garret-dillahunt/) > [“Did you know that Jesse James was shot while he was standing on a chair, dusting the top of a picture frame?” “You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hy-conrad/did-you-know-that-jesse-james-was-shot-while-he-was-standing-on-a/) [Hy Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hy-conrad/) > [“Far from being freaks, the Hell's Angels are a logical product of the culture that now claims to be shocked at their existence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/far-from-being-freaks-the-hell-s-angels-are-a-logical-product-of-the/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [The choice or decision to take on a film certainly isn't calculated as far as doing something that will be successful against something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/the-choice-or-decision-to-take-on-a-film-certainly-isn-t-calculated/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [My teachers could have easily ridden with Jesse James for all the time they stole from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brautigan/my-teachers-could-have-easily-ridden-with-jesse-james-for-all-the/) [Richard Brautigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brautigan/) > [“My teachers could have been Jesse James for all the time they stole from me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/my-teachers-could-have-been-jesse-james-for-all-the-time-they-stole/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I come from the belief that all good films find their time whether it's on opening week or sometime later. That's certainly true with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/i-come-from-the-belief-that-all-good-films-find-their-time-whether-it/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [“Just because you shot Jesse James...don't make you Jesse James. ( Breaking Bad : Season 5, Episode 3-"Hazard Pay")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ehrmantraut/just-because-you-shot-jesse-james-don-t-make-you-jesse-james-breaking/) [Mike Ehrmantraut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ehrmantraut/) ## More by Jack Handey > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't understand people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-understand-people-who-say-life-is-a-mystery-because-what-is/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-probably-not-a-good-idea-to-be-chewing-on-a-toothpick-if-you-re/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is is a wounded seal, trying to swim to shore, because WHERE DOES HE THINK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/probably-to-a-shark-about-the-funniest-thing-there-is-is-a-wounded/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Why do there have to be rules for everything? It's gotten to the point that rules dominate just about every aspect of our lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/why-do-there-have-to-be-rules-for-everything-it-s-gotten-to-the-point/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/most-people-don-t-realize-that-large-pieces-of-coral-which-have-been/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Here's a suggestion for a new animal, if some new ones get created or evolve: something that stings you, then laughs at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/here-s-a-suggestion-for-a-new-animal-if-some-new-ones-get-created-or/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go ice-skating, try not to swing your arms too much, because that really annoys me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-ice-skating-try-not-to-swing-your-arms-too-much-because/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [When you go to a party at somebody's house, don't automatically assume that the drinks are free. Ask, and ask often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/when-you-go-to-a-party-at-somebody-s-house-don-t-automatically-assume/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [He was a cowboy, mister, and he loved the land. He loved it so much he made a woman out of dirt and married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/he-was-a-cowboy-mister-and-he-loved-the-land-he-loved-it-so-much-he/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [If you were a gladiator in olden days, I bet the inefficiency of how the gladiator fights were organized and scheduled would just drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-were-a-gladiator-in-olden-days-i-bet-the-inefficiency-of-how/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) [Explore all 358 Jack Handey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [There's a good case to be made that having fun is a key evolutionary advantage right next to opposable thumbs in terms of importance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raph-koster/there-s-a-good-case-to-be-made-that-having-fun-is-a-key-evolutionary/) [Raph Koster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raph-koster/) > [“THE FIGHTERS ARE TINY. INSECTS, REALLY. BUT ANTS CAN SLAY AN ELEPHANT, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM. ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) [Julia Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ash/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. But now that I'm older, I'm more of a cat guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/when-i-was-little-i-would-burn-ants-with-a-magnifying-glass-but-now/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [If ants were the size of humans, they would be able to run twice as fast as a Lamborghini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-ants-were-the-size-of-humans-they-would-be-able-to-run-twice-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 499 Ants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is it \"dull\" that Jesse James once got bitten on the forehead by an ant, and at first it didn't seem like anything, but then the bite got worse and worse, so he went to a doctor in town, and the secretary told him to wait, so he sat down and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and then finally he got to see the doctor, and the doctor put some salve on it? You call that dull?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Handey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull-subject-dull-is-it-dull-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ants" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull-subject-dull-is-it-dull-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/jack-handey-829_ants_many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull_2419946.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Many people think that history is a dull subject. Dull? Is it \"dull\" that Jesse James once got bitten on the…” — Jack Handey", "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": "Jack Handey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Many people think that history is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull-subject-dull-is-it-dull-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/many-people-think-that-history-is-a-dull-subject-dull-is-it-dull-that/#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 } } ] } ```