--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not know many people who think they…" description: "\"“I do not know many people who think they have succeeded as parents. Those who do tend to cite the markers that indicate (their own) status in the worl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83a/joan-didion-497_parenting_i-do-not-know-many-people-who-think-they_2206275.jpg" --- # I do not know many people who think they have succeeded as… ![“I do not know many people who think they have succeeded as parents. Those who do tend to cite the markers that indicate (their own) status in the world: the Stanford degree…Those of us less inclined to compliment ourselves on our parenting skills, in other words most of us, recite rosaries of our…” quote by Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83a/joan-didion-497_parenting_i-do-not-know-many-people-who-think-they_2206275.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83a/joan-didion-497_parenting_i-do-not-know-many-people-who-think-they_2206275.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83a/joan-didion-497_parenting_i-do-not-know-many-people-who-think-they_2206275.jpg) > ““I do not know many people who think they have succeeded as parents. Those who do tend to cite the markers that indicate (their own) status in the world: the Stanford degree…Those of us less inclined to compliment ourselves on our parenting skills, in other words most of us, recite rosaries of our failures, our neglects, our derelictions and delinquencies.”” [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parents often judge themselves by external achievements rather than nurturing qualities. **In simple terms:** Parenting success isn’t measured by status symbols. Key Takeaway Value personal growth over accolades. Themes parenting self‑assessment societal pressure Mood introspective critical Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - family discussions - parent‑teacher meetings - personal journals Key Concepts identity self‑worth Questions to Reflect On - What non‑material signs show you’re a good parent? - How does society’s definition of success affect you? A Different Perspective External validation can obscure true parenting strengths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) ## Related quotes > [“Parents do tend to judge each other. I don’t know why. 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I was crazy about reading biographies. \[...\] I think biographies are very urgent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-read-so-ravenously-that-i-would-read-through-whole-categories-i-was/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [To those of us who remained committed mainly to the exploration of moral distinctions and ambiguities, the feminist analysis may have seemed a particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/to-those-of-us-who-remained-committed-mainly-to-the-exploration-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) [Explore all 515 Joan Didion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. 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