--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My parents were nonmaterialistic. They…" description: "\"My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png" --- # My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money… ![“My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb out of poverty in America, and over the years they were proven right.” quote by James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png) > “My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb out of poverty in America, and over the years they were proven right.” [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Family values prioritize knowledge and faith over material wealth, seeing education as a path out of poverty. **In simple terms:** Education and faith beat money. Key Takeaway Invest in learning and belief. Themes family education faith poverty values Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - parenting - community building - personal development Key Concepts humanism social mobility spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance material needs with spiritual growth? - What role does community play in overcoming poverty? A Different Perspective Limited by systemic barriers; knowledge alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Poverty in america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-in-america/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [Social Security is meant to be - to make sure that no one who's worked hard, and played by the rules, and paid into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/social-security-is-meant-to-be-to-make-sure-that-no-one-who-s-worked/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [The greatest poverty in America today is time poverty. People have money, but they don't have time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/the-greatest-poverty-in-america-today-is-time-poverty-people-have/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [...Poverty in America today leads not only to anxiety, unhappiness, discomfort and a lack of material goods. It leads to death. Poverty in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/poverty-in-america-today-leads-not-only-to-anxiety-unhappiness/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Wages never seem to go up. The whole economy feels stuck, and millions of Americans, millions of Americans, middle-class security is now just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/wages-never-seem-to-go-up-the-whole-economy-feels-stuck-and-millions/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [For all the obsession in Washington and in college faculty lounges over income inequality, why isn't there more outrage over government policies that exacerbate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/for-all-the-obsession-in-washington-and-in-college-faculty-lounges/) [Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/) > [I have always been really troubled by the amount of poverty in America. Americans are matched in their rich democracy with the depth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-have-always-been-really-troubled-by-the-amount-of-poverty-in/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [There are more than 300,000 families in the Gulf region that lost their homes and are waiting for peace of mind. The hurricane exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/there-are-more-than-300-000-families-in-the-gulf-region-that-lost/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [“Andrew Young, a former U.S. Congressman and U.N. ambassador turned Wal-Mart spokesman, seemed to offer an explanation: “Poverty in America,” he said, “is market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ruppel-shell/andrew-young-a-former-u-s-congressman-and-u-n-ambassador-turned-wal/) [Ellen Ruppel Shell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ruppel-shell/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I think, before I had money, I believed that money would solve my problems, that it would give me power and I wouldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-bloom/i-think-before-i-had-money-i-believed-that-money-would-solve-my/) [Molly Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-bloom/) > [The big leap that happened to me and my business came to me when one of my rules disappeared... So much of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishen-lakhiani/the-big-leap-that-happened-to-me-and-my-business-came-to-me-when-one/) [Vishen Lakhiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishen-lakhiani/) > [While we fight poverty in the Gulf, we also have to fight poverty across America. We should begin by returning to a promise once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edward/while-we-fight-poverty-in-the-gulf-we-also-have-to-fight-poverty/) [John Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edward/) > [The poverty we see in America is now too widespread, and too complex, for easy fixes. But I do think we can reimagine many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-abramsky/the-poverty-we-see-in-america-is-now-too-widespread-and-too-complex/) [Sasha Abramsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-abramsky/) > [Grow up? Get herself straightened out? Her mind reeled from the verbal battering. No matter what she did, her father would tell her she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/grow-up-get-herself-straightened-out-her-mind-reeled-from-the-verbal/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) ## More by James McBride > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are some really great books that have been written about slavery, but I don't think that the discourse about it in society has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-some-really-great-books-that-have-been-written-about/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Whatever you is, Onion," he said, "be it full.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/whatever-you-is-onion-he-said-be-it-full/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are two responses to really awful things. One is to lament and say, "Oh my God, oh lord." And the other is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-two-responses-to-really-awful-things-one-is-to-lament-and/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [If you're going to cheat and take people's history and you're not writing the Bible, you ain't really so great. But if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/if-you-re-going-to-cheat-and-take-people-s-history-and-you-re-not/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Most cars drove through there because the drivers is either from The Bottom and wanna get home - or they ain't from The Bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/most-cars-drove-through-there-because-the-drivers-is-either-from-the/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There has to be some mystery in life, because the joy of being a writer and the joy of being a musician is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-has-to-be-some-mystery-in-life-because-the-joy-of-being-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“And when James asked what color God was, she said, God is the color of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/and-when-james-asked-what-color-god-was-she-said-god-is-the-color-of/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm proud of 'Miracle at St. Anna' and I loved it; there's no question in my mind it's as good as any movie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-proud-of-miracle-at-st-anna-and-i-loved-it-there-s-no-question-in/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“back,” Daddy said. “It’ll work out.” He had no idea what to do about Helen. They spoke a completely different language. He was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/back-daddy-said-it-ll-work-out-he-had-no-idea-what-to-do-about-helen/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/god-is-the-color-of-water-water-doesn-t-have-a-color/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [First person narrative is a very effective tool but you have to know as a writer how to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/first-person-narrative-is-a-very-effective-tool-but-you-have-to-know/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [The act of choosing what to place in your piece when you're a historian or a non-fiction writer already renders it into fiction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/the-act-of-choosing-what-to-place-in-your-piece-when-you-re-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [...since I was a little boy, she had always wanted me to go. She was always sending me off on a bus someplace, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/since-i-was-a-little-boy-she-had-always-wanted-me-to-go-she-was/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) [Explore all 106 James McBride quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## 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": "My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education tempered with religion was the way to climb out of poverty in America, and over the years they were proven right.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James McBride" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-believed-that-money-without/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-believed-that-money-without/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55d/james-mcbride-4758_america_my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-be_400747.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed that money without knowledge was worthless, that education…” — James McBride", "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": "James McBride", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My parents were nonmaterialistic. They believed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-believed-that-money-without/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/my-parents-were-nonmaterialistic-they-believed-that-money-without/#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 } } ] } ```