--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You…" description: "\"The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You can't hold it in your hand. You get some money ($7,500 in my day), and you get a little Tiffany's paperweight..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazed_the-pulitzer-isn-t-a-physical-object-you_691671.png" --- # The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You can't hold it in… ![“The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You can't hold it in your hand. You get some money ($7,500 in my day), and you get a little Tiffany's paperweight with your name on it and the image of Joseph Pulitzer suspended in the crystal. When people see my 'Pulitzer' (I keep it in my sock drawer), they…” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazed_the-pulitzer-isn-t-a-physical-object-you_691671.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazed_the-pulitzer-isn-t-a-physical-object-you_691671.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazed_the-pulitzer-isn-t-a-physical-object-you_691671.png) > “The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You can't hold it in your hand. You get some money ($7,500 in my day), and you get a little Tiffany's paperweight with your name on it and the image of Joseph Pulitzer suspended in the crystal. When people see my 'Pulitzer' (I keep it in my sock drawer), they are pretty amazed at its meagerness.” [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. Awards are symbolic tokens that hold little material value but carry prestige and personal pride. **In simple terms:** Awards are symbolic, not valuable. Key Takeaway Value recognition over objects. Themes pride recognition symbolism Mood reflective lighthearted Type observational humorous When to use this quote - career motivation - personal branding - gift giving - collectibles Key Concepts material vs symbolic value award culture Questions to Reflect On - Do symbols motivate you? - How do you display achievements? A Different Perspective Symbolic value may not translate to real benefit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crystal/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [The Pulitzer Prize is an idea; it's a vote of confidence. Like literature, it exists purely in the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-pulitzer-prize-is-an-idea-it-s-a-vote-of-confidence-like/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Some Pulitzer winners - novelists - have confided to me that getting the prize screwed them up. It messed with their heads. That hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/some-pulitzer-winners-novelists-have-confided-to-me-that-getting-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [A book is a physical object in a world of physical objects. It is a set of dead symbols. And then the right reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/a-book-is-a-physical-object-in-a-world-of-physical-objects-it-is-a/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [The human brain is by far the most complex physical object known to us in the entire cosmos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-gingerich/the-human-brain-is-by-far-the-most-complex-physical-object-known-to/) [Owen Gingerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-gingerich/) > [“A brick is a rust-colored blur of movement, caught in a moment, and transformed from motion into a physical object. 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