--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have finally taught Dean that he can do…" description: "\"“I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he wants, become mayor of Denver, marry a millionaires, or become the greatest poet since Rimbaud. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/jack-kerouac-182_dean_i-have-finally-taught-dean-that-he-can-d_2345873.jpg" --- # I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he… ![“I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he wants, become mayor of Denver, marry a millionaires, or become the greatest poet since Rimbaud. But he keeps rushing out to see the midget auto races. I go with him.” quote by Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/jack-kerouac-182_dean_i-have-finally-taught-dean-that-he-can-d_2345873.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/jack-kerouac-182_dean_i-have-finally-taught-dean-that-he-can-d_2345873.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/jack-kerouac-182_dean_i-have-finally-taught-dean-that-he-can-d_2345873.jpg) > ““I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he wants, become mayor of Denver, marry a millionaires, or become the greatest poet since Rimbaud. But he keeps rushing out to see the midget auto races. I go with him.”” [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator encourages a friend to pursue any ambition, yet the friend is drawn to simple, mundane thrills. **In simple terms:** Friend can chase big dreams but still loves small pleasures. Key Takeaway Balance ambition with everyday joys. Themes ambition friendship mundanity adventure Mood reflective humorous Type narrative conversational When to use this quote - career aspirations - personal relationships - daily hobbies Key Concepts existentialism choice freedom Questions to Reflect On - What small joys do you cherish? - Do big goals distract from everyday happiness? A Different Perspective Ambition may overlook the value of simple pleasures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dean/) [Dean Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dean-wants-3701741/) [Mayor Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayor-denver-3701743/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Taught Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-dean-3701742/) [Wants Mayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants-mayor-736426/) ## Related quotes > [“I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he wants, become mayor of Denver, marry a millionairess, or become the greatest poet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-have-finally-taught-dean-that-he-can-do-anything-he-wants-become/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [ After I had known \[Barack Obama\] for a while, I remember saying to my partner, "You know, this guy is really ambitious, I think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/after-i-had-known-barack-obama-for-a-while-i-remember-saying-to-my/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Dean's California--wild, sweaty, important, the land of lonely and exiled and eccentric lovers come to forgather like birds, and the land where everybody somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/dean-s-california-wild-sweaty-important-the-land-of-lonely-and-exiled/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Life was dense, dark, ancient. They watched Dean, serious and insane at his raving wheel, with eyes of hawks. All had their hands outstretched.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/life-was-dense-dark-ancient-they-watched-dean-serious-and-insane-at-2/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [galatea was a serious girl. she was pale and looked like tears all over. big ed passed his hand through his hair and said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/galatea-was-a-serious-girl-she-was-pale-and-looked-like-tears-all/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Besides, all my New York friends were in the negative, nightmare position of putting down society and giving their tired bookish or political or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/besides-all-my-new-york-friends-were-in-the-negative-nightmare/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Life was dense, dark, ancient. They watched Dean, serious and insane at his raving wheel, with eyes of hawks. All had their hands outstretched.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/life-was-dense-dark-ancient-they-watched-dean-serious-and-insane-at/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“That was the way Dean found me when he finally decided I was worth saving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/that-was-the-way-dean-found-me-when-he-finally-decided-i-was-worth/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Dean: God exists without qualms. As we roll along this way, I am positive beyond doubt that everything will be taken care of for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/dean-god-exists-without-qualms-as-we-roll-along-this-way-i-am/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Dean and I both swayed to the rhythm and the IT of our final excited joy in talking and living to the blank traced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/dean-and-i-both-swayed-to-the-rhythm-and-the-it-of-our-final-excited/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Marylou was watching Dean as she had watched him clear across the country and back, out of the corner of her eye--with a sullen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/marylou-was-watching-dean-as-she-had-watched-him-clear-across-the/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I could hear Dean, blissful and blabbering and frantically rocking. Only a guy who's spent five years in jail can go to such maniacal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-could-hear-dean-blissful-and-blabbering-and-frantically-rocking/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“I think of Dean Moriarty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-think-of-dean-moriarty/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Dean, ragged in a motheaten overcoat he brought specially for the freezing temperatures of the East, walked off alone, and the last I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/dean-ragged-in-a-motheaten-overcoat-he-brought-specially-for-the/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [God was gone; it was the silence of his departure. It was a rainy night. It was the myth of the rainy night. Dean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/god-was-gone-it-was-the-silence-of-his-departure-it-was-a-rainy-night/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) ## More by Jack Kerouac > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“For when you realized that God is Everything you know that you've got to love everything no matter how bad it is, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-when-you-realized-that-god-is-everything-you-know-that-you-ve-got/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“I'm an idealist who has outgrown my idealism I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-an-idealist-who-has-outgrown-my-idealism-i-have-nothing-to-do-the/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Most of them were running away from something―usually the law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/most-of-them-were-running-away-from-something-usually-the-law/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“Non lo so, non importa e non fa nessuna differenza.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/non-lo-so-non-importa-e-non-fa-nessuna-differenza/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“And in the flush of the first few days of joy I confidently tell myself (not expecting what I'll do in three weeks only)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/and-in-the-flush-of-the-first-few-days-of-joy-i-confidently-tell/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I want a blaze of light to flame in me forever in a timeless, dear love of everything. And why should I pretend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-want-a-blaze-of-light-to-flame-in-me-forever-in-a-timeless-dear/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“For the next week that was all I heard - manana, a lovely word and one that probably means heaven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/for-the-next-week-that-was-all-i-heard-manana-a-lovely-word-and-one/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“O how wonderful life is, how miraculous, God made this and God made that", "how do you know he doesn't hate what He did:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/o-how-wonderful-life-is-how-miraculous-god-made-this-and-god-made/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [Notoriety and public confession in the literary form is a frazzler of the heart you were born with, believe me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/notoriety-and-public-confession-in-the-literary-form-is-a-frazzler-of/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I promise I shall never give up, and that I'll die yelling & laughing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-promise-i-shall-never-give-up-and-that-i-ll-die-yelling-laughing/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“The hot water pools are steaming, Fagan and Monsanto and the others are all sitting peacefully up to their necks, they're all naked, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-hot-water-pools-are-steaming-fagan-and-monsanto-and-the-others/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) [Explore all 936 Jack Kerouac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) ## More Dean quotes > [I knew Jimmy Dean. He tested for 'Battle Cry'. Paul Newman tested for 'Battle Cry'. I did nine tests to finally get that role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/i-knew-jimmy-dean-he-tested-for-battle-cry-paul-newman-tested-for/) [Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/) > [Madaming is the sort of thing that happens to you - like getting a battlefield commission or becoming the dean of women at Stanford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-stanford/madaming-is-the-sort-of-thing-that-happens-to-you-like-getting-a/) [Sally Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-stanford/) > [The first time I met James Franco, he was dressed like James Dean. He was James Dean, literally, filming a biopic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/the-first-time-i-met-james-franco-he-was-dressed-like-james-dean-he/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [While opponents label (Howard) Dean a throwback liberal, The New York Times recently noted that as governor, Dean cut income taxes, reformed welfare and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/while-opponents-label-howard-dean-a-throwback-liberal-the-new-york/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [Dean flashed me a smile that promised rule-breaking and breathlessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-kittredge/dean-flashed-me-a-smile-that-promised-rule-breaking-and-breathlessness/) [Caitlin Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-kittredge/) > [ Not only did he \[Dean Acheson\] not suffer fools gladly, he did not suffer them at all. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-b-pearson/not-only-did-he-dean-acheson-not-suffer-fools-gladly-he-did-not/) [Lester B. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-b-pearson/) > [There are three things in this world that will survive a nuclear explosion: Twinkies, cockroaches and Dean Ambroses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ambrose/there-are-three-things-in-this-world-that-will-survive-a-nuclear/) [Dean Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ambrose/) > [Dr Dean Burk, who has spent more than fifty years in cancer research, mainly at the National Cancer Institute states: 'More people have died…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-burk/dr-dean-burk-who-has-spent-more-than-fifty-years-in-cancer-research/) [Dean Burk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-burk/) > [George W. Bush is very vulnerable but not if you campaign the way the major candidates - except for Dean and Kucinich - are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/george-w-bush-is-very-vulnerable-but-not-if-you-campaign-the-way-the/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [So today if you see a person who looks like your teenage fantasy walking down the street, it's probably not your fantasy, but someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/so-today-if-you-see-a-person-who-looks-like-your-teenage-fantasy/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [Probably the first time I was a boss was when I was associate dean of the graduate school at the University of Southern California.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/probably-the-first-time-i-was-a-boss-was-when-i-was-associate-dean-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dean's California--wild, sweaty, important, the land of lonely and exiled and eccentric lovers come to forgather like birds, and the land where everybody somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/dean-s-california-wild-sweaty-important-the-land-of-lonely-and-exiled/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [It wasn't until I saw James Dean that I began to think that maybe I could actually do this. Movies didn't have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-stamp/it-wasn-t-until-i-saw-james-dean-that-i-began-to-think-that-maybe-i/) [Terence Stamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-stamp/) > [“I knew I could be everything for him that he was for me. I could heal his wounds, be his anchor, treasure him. Together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lane/i-knew-i-could-be-everything-for-him-that-he-was-for-me-i-could-heal/) [Nina Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lane/) > [“I still can’t work out how you two got the best-looking girls in the year,” muttered Dean. “Animal magnetism,” said Ron gloomily, pulling stray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/i-still-can-t-work-out-how-you-two-got-the-best-looking-girls-in-the/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) [Browse all 376 Dean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dean/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have finally taught Dean that he can do anything he wants, become mayor of Denver, marry a millionaires, or become the greatest poet since Rimbaud. But he keeps rushing out to see the midget auto races. 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