--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...a large contingent of people majoring…" description: "\"“...a large contingent of people majoring in English by default. Because they weren't left-brained enough for science, because history was too dry, phi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/jeffrey-eugenides-462_philosophy_a-large-contingent-of-people-majoring-in_286661.png" --- # ...a large contingent of people majoring in English by… ![“...a large contingent of people majoring in English by default. Because they weren't left-brained enough for science, because history was too dry, philosophy too difficult, geology too petroleum-oriented, and math too mathematical--because they weren't musical, artistic, financially motivated, or…” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/jeffrey-eugenides-462_philosophy_a-large-contingent-of-people-majoring-in_286661.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/jeffrey-eugenides-462_philosophy_a-large-contingent-of-people-majoring-in_286661.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/jeffrey-eugenides-462_philosophy_a-large-contingent-of-people-majoring-in_286661.png) > ““...a large contingent of people majoring in English by default. Because they weren't left-brained enough for science, because history was too dry, philosophy too difficult, geology too petroleum-oriented, and math too mathematical--because they weren't musical, artistic, financially motivated, or really all that smart, these people were pursuing university degrees doing something no different from what they'd done in first grade: reading stories. English was what people who didn't know what to major in majored in.”” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote satirically critiques the over‑representation of humanities majors, suggesting societal bias that devalues STEM fields and stereotypes students. **In simple terms:** Humans often stereotype majors, undervaluing STEM. Key Takeaway Challenge stereotypes about academic choices. Themes education stereotypes career choice humor Mood ironic critical reflective Type satirical observational When to use this quote - college counseling - career advising - curriculum design - student self‑esteem Key Concepts social bias academic culture disciplinary value Questions to Reflect On - Why do we label fields as “right” or “wrong”? - How can we promote interdisciplinary respect? A Different Perspective Stereotypes ignore individual talent and interest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reading stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-stories/) ## Related quotes > [“Some people majored in English to prepare for law school. Others became journalists. 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Elementary education."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-kultgen/so-what-s-your-major-have-you-figured-it-out-yet-yeah-biology-i-m/) [Chad Kultgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-kultgen/) > [I went to a liberal arts college, and as part of my background, I was majoring in mathematics and physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/i-went-to-a-liberal-arts-college-and-as-part-of-my-background-i-was/) [James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/) > [I thought about majoring in Math, Chemistry and English, but Math had the fewest requirements, so I went with it. I knew I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-thought-about-majoring-in-math-chemistry-and-english-but-math-had/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I'm not a proper anything. 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My readers constantly say that reading one of my stories is like watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-a-morris/i-consider-myself-more-of-a-story-teller-than-a-writer-my-readers/) P.A. Morris > [in reading ... stories, you can be many different people in many different places, doing things you would never have a chance to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-babbitt/in-reading-stories-you-can-be-many-different-people-in-many-different/) [Natalie Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-babbitt/) > [“Bombs are falling and we're reading stories, I thought. I have entered the realm of the insane. -Jacob”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/bombs-are-falling-and-we-re-reading-stories-i-thought-i-have-entered/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/when-we-read-a-story-we-inhabit-it-the-covers-of-the-book-are-like-a/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. 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I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [“He who is mindless is defenceless” RjS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/he-who-is-mindless-is-defenceless-rjs/) [rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/) > [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) [Browse all 17,414 Philosophy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...a large contingent of people majoring in English by default. 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