--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have…" description: "\"“Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have the ability to recognize that Healy is simply an extremely small place in the middle of a very large place c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg" --- # Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have the ability to… ![“Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have the ability to recognize that Healy is simply an extremely small place in the middle of a very large place called the United States, and that the United States is itself also just a small place in the middle of an even larger place called the world, and…” quote by Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg) > ““Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have the ability to recognize that Healy is simply an extremely small place in the middle of a very large place called the United States, and that the United States is itself also just a small place in the middle of an even larger place called the world, and that makes much of what is discussed in and around Healy inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.”” [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Local issues can seem insignificant when viewed against the vast scale of national and global contexts, reminding us to keep perspective. **In simple terms:** Zoom out for perspective. Key Takeaway Scale changes significance. Themes perspective scale context Mood contemplative objective Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - community meetings - policy debates - global news analysis Key Concepts relativism systems thinking Practical Applications - When discussing local matters, explicitly note their broader impact or lack thereof. Questions to Reflect On - When does a small issue become globally relevant? - How can we balance local focus with global awareness? A Different Perspective Local concerns can have outsized ripple effects despite appearing small. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discussed Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussed-healy-1344383/) [Healy Inconsequential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healy-inconsequential-1344385/) [Healy Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healy-simply-1344386/) [Recognize Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognize-healy-1344384/) [Unlike Fellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlike-fellow-1344387/) ## Related quotes > [“I'm frustrated with him, but I'm also frustrated with myself. That I can't find the words to explain it to him. I'm totally sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/i-m-frustrated-with-him-but-i-m-also-frustrated-with-myself-that-i/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“It said girls are a revolutionary soul force that can change the world for real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-said-girls-are-a-revolutionary-soul-force-that-can-change-the/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“It’s like I’m living in a feminist fantasy,” Lucy says. “But it can’t be a complete fantasy because Roxane Gay isn’t here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-s-like-i-m-living-in-a-feminist-fantasy-lucy-says-but-it-can-t-be/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“It’s just contributing to the narrative that girls have to monitor their bodies and behaviors, and boys have the license and freedom to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-s-just-contributing-to-the-narrative-that-girls-have-to-monitor/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Wow, so he votes Republican and he tends to sexist Neanderthals on the side. Sounds like a real winner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/wow-so-he-votes-republican-and-he-tends-to-sexist-neanderthals-on-the/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“... it occurs to me that this is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-occurs-to-me-that-this-is-what-it-means-to-be-a-feminist-not-a/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Alice smiled her wide smile. The crooked incisor smile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/alice-smiled-her-wide-smile-the-crooked-incisor-smile/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Audre Lorde quote on them. YOUR SILENCE WILL NOT PROTECT YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/audre-lorde-quote-on-them-your-silence-will-not-protect-you/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“At my old school I was vice president of this club called GRIT,” Lucy tells us. “It stood for Girls Respecting and Inspiring Themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/at-my-old-school-i-was-vice-president-of-this-club-called-grit-lucy/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“I don't look out onto the sea of faces and wish I wasn't alone. I simply acknowledge the sea exists...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/i-don-t-look-out-onto-the-sea-of-faces-and-wish-i-wasn-t-alone-i/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“I really can't handle talking about this for too long because it hurts too much, but I want to say that there is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/i-really-can-t-handle-talking-about-this-for-too-long-because-it/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Even the gods themselves must have eventually gotten used to being around Aphrodite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/even-the-gods-themselves-must-have-eventually-gotten-used-to-being/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“How much did it hurt? It was like a million paper cuts on my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/how-much-did-it-hurt-it-was-like-a-million-paper-cuts-on-my-heart/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Not Fantasy Alice, but the living, breathing, talking, walking, actual Alice who holds her breath near cemeteries and eats grilled cheese sandwiches and has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/not-fantasy-alice-but-the-living-breathing-talking-walking-actual/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“There is one thing I've learned about people: they don't get that mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature. But if you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/there-is-one-thing-i-ve-learned-about-people-they-don-t-get-that-mean/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) ## More by Jennifer Mathieu > [“I'm frustrated with him, but I'm also frustrated with myself. That I can't find the words to explain it to him. I'm totally sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/i-m-frustrated-with-him-but-i-m-also-frustrated-with-myself-that-i/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Not Fantasy Alice, but the living, breathing, talking, walking, actual Alice who holds her breath near cemeteries and eats grilled cheese sandwiches and has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/not-fantasy-alice-but-the-living-breathing-talking-walking-actual/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“How much did it hurt? It was like a million paper cuts on my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/how-much-did-it-hurt-it-was-like-a-million-paper-cuts-on-my-heart/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Even the gods themselves must have eventually gotten used to being around Aphrodite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/even-the-gods-themselves-must-have-eventually-gotten-used-to-being/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“I really can't handle talking about this for too long because it hurts too much, but I want to say that there is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/i-really-can-t-handle-talking-about-this-for-too-long-because-it/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“I don't look out onto the sea of faces and wish I wasn't alone. I simply acknowledge the sea exists...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/i-don-t-look-out-onto-the-sea-of-faces-and-wish-i-wasn-t-alone-i/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“At my old school I was vice president of this club called GRIT,” Lucy tells us. “It stood for Girls Respecting and Inspiring Themselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/at-my-old-school-i-was-vice-president-of-this-club-called-grit-lucy/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Audre Lorde quote on them. YOUR SILENCE WILL NOT PROTECT YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/audre-lorde-quote-on-them-your-silence-will-not-protect-you/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Alice smiled her wide smile. The crooked incisor smile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/alice-smiled-her-wide-smile-the-crooked-incisor-smile/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“... it occurs to me that this is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-occurs-to-me-that-this-is-what-it-means-to-be-a-feminist-not-a/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“Wow, so he votes Republican and he tends to sexist Neanderthals on the side. Sounds like a real winner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/wow-so-he-votes-republican-and-he-tends-to-sexist-neanderthals-on-the/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“It’s just contributing to the narrative that girls have to monitor their bodies and behaviors, and boys have the license and freedom to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-s-just-contributing-to-the-narrative-that-girls-have-to-monitor/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“It’s like I’m living in a feminist fantasy,” Lucy says. “But it can’t be a complete fantasy because Roxane Gay isn’t here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-s-like-i-m-living-in-a-feminist-fantasy-lucy-says-but-it-can-t-be/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“It said girls are a revolutionary soul force that can change the world for real.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/it-said-girls-are-a-revolutionary-soul-force-that-can-change-the/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [“There is one thing I've learned about people: they don't get that mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature. But if you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/there-is-one-thing-i-ve-learned-about-people-they-don-t-get-that-mean/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) [Explore all 17 Jennifer Mathieu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have the ability to recognize that Healy is simply an extremely small place in the middle of a very large place called the United States, and that the United States is itself also just a small place in the middle of an even larger place called the world, and that makes much of what is discussed in and around Healy inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Mathieu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have-the-ability-to-recognize-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Discussed Healy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have-the-ability-to-recognize-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c83/jennifer-mathieu-30220_quote_lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have_113669.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I have the ability to recognize that Healy is simply an extremely small…” — Jennifer Mathieu", "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": "Jennifer Mathieu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Lastly, unlike my fellow citizens, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have-the-ability-to-recognize-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/lastly-unlike-my-fellow-citizens-i-have-the-ability-to-recognize-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 } } ] } ```