---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The transmission of values from one…"
description: "\"The transmission of values from one generation to the next is the single most important task of the society. ...What am I doing to shape the values of..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg"
---

#  The transmission of values from one generation to the next…

![“The transmission of values from one generation to the next is the single most important task of the society. ...What am I doing to shape the values of the society?” quote by John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg)

> “The transmission of values from one generation to the next is the single most important task of the society. ...What am I doing to shape the values of the society?”

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Passing values across generations is society's most important task; the speaker questions their own role in shaping those values.

**In simple terms:** Intergenerational value transmission is vital.

Key Takeaway

Actively shape societal values.

Themes

education culture responsibility

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

personal social

When to use this quote

- parenting
- teaching
- community leadership

Key Concepts

values transmission generational influence social duty

Questions to Reflect On

- What values do you want to pass on?
- How can you influence them today?

A Different Perspective

Measuring impact is difficult.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Society Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-doing-1665391/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Transmission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transmission/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-generation-3475274/) [Values Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-society-412129/)

## Related quotes

> [ It is my view that if society was doing the right thing with respect to you, \[and there were\] programs targeted at helping people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-is-my-view-that-if-society-was-doing-the-right-thing-with-respect/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Society is doing a great deal for the workingman, for the lower classes; but it seems to me, sometimes, as if it formed associations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bartholomew-gough/society-is-doing-a-great-deal-for-the-workingman-for-the-lower/)

[John Bartholomew Gough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bartholomew-gough/)

> [Statistically and emotionally, I believe that the way I can be of help to society is by doing what I know and what I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/statistically-and-emotionally-i-believe-that-the-way-i-can-be-of-help/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> [Marx saw exploitation in terms of the rewards of human labor, but we can see it in terms of all the values of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/marx-saw-exploitation-in-terms-of-the-rewards-of-human-labor-but-we/)

[Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/)

> [“Although a legal system is rooted in the values of its society, it also has an independent dynamic, with principles, language, and rules of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-p-trachtman/although-a-legal-system-is-rooted-in-the-values-of-its-society-it/)

[Joel P. Trachtman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-p-trachtman/)

> [There is a great need for the introduction of new values in our society, where bigger is not necessarily better, where slower can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-nelson/there-is-a-great-need-for-the-introduction-of-new-values-in-our/)

[Gaylord Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-nelson/)

> [The most important factor for the development of the individual is the structure and the values of the society into which he was born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-most-important-factor-for-the-development-of-the-individual-is/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [We need to look at the whole society and think, "Are we actually thinking about what we're doing as we go forward, and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/we-need-to-look-at-the-whole-society-and-think-are-we-actually/)

[Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/)

> [The purpose of our justice system is to reflect the values of our society and to punish those who violate our standards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-purpose-of-our-justice-system-is-to-reflect-the-values-of-our/)

[Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/)

> [Whatever people's backgrounds or values, a society where more and more people face a daily struggle to house, clothe and even feed themselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/whatever-people-s-backgrounds-or-values-a-society-where-more-and-more/)

[Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/)

> [It seems to me that we're in danger of losing sight of certain basic civic values in society by allowing the growth of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-seems-to-me-that-we-re-in-danger-of-losing-sight-of-certain-basic/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [We do have to ask ourselves as a culture, what do we want to be? You know, what are our founding values? And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/we-do-have-to-ask-ourselves-as-a-culture-what-do-we-want-to-be-you/)

[Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/)

> [We'll have a different set of values, and society will adapt. That doesn't mean these changes are all good, just because we will accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reischauer/we-ll-have-a-different-set-of-values-and-society-will-adapt-that/)

[Robert Reischauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reischauer/)

> [The best chess masters of every epoch have been closely linked with the values of the society in which they lived and worked. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/the-best-chess-masters-of-every-epoch-have-been-closely-linked-with/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [There must be a judicious arrangement of all the parts. Considered conversely, the artist's task is to fill his panel with a design that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-phillips/there-must-be-a-judicious-arrangement-of-all-the-parts-considered/)

[Walter J. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-phillips/)

## More by John Ashcroft

> [An FBI agent ought to be able to surf the net and look for sites that instruct people how to make bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/an-fbi-agent-ought-to-be-able-to-surf-the-net-and-look-for-sites-that/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [The FBI has long been a part of the security for the nation's banks because bank robberies have been a priority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-fbi-has-long-been-a-part-of-the-security-for-the-nation-s-banks/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [Our priorities should be: recognizing the voice of God and responding to the voice of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/our-priorities-should-be-recognizing-the-voice-of-god-and-responding/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [People who commit crimes should be responsible for those crimes. It doesn't matter whether they're priests or ministers or atheists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/people-who-commit-crimes-should-be-responsible-for-those-crimes-it/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-the/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [We must not descend to the level of those who perpetrated Tuesday's violence by targeting individuals based on their race, their religion, or their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-not-descend-to-the-level-of-those-who-perpetrated-tuesday-s/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [We've got a major problem in our culture, as it relates to the Internet and pornography and child pornography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-ve-got-a-major-problem-in-our-culture-as-it-relates-to-the/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [The FBI. is a massive culture. It's been a culture that served America well, and it's been focused on prosecution. But what we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-fbi-is-a-massive-culture-it-s-been-a-culture-that-served-america/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [Any citizen who's offended ... can leave the service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the-service/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [I feel the best way to ensure Americans' freedom is to tighten restrictions on that freedom in any way possible. Only through wiretaps, illegal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-feel-the-best-way-to-ensure-americans-freedom-is-to-tighten/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [Frankly, the president, during the first opportunity I had to be in a Cabinet meeting, before we started the meeting, he said, Folks, before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/frankly-the-president-during-the-first-opportunity-i-had-to-be-in-a/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [Nothing remains great without a capacity to change and to accommodate the conditions of a changing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/nothing-remains-great-without-a-capacity-to-change-and-to-accommodate/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not being civic and temporal. And because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/unique-among-the-nations-america-recognized-the-source-of-our/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [What did John Ashcroft say about moderates, he said, quote, there are two things you find in the middle of the road, a moderate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/what-did-john-ashcroft-say-about-moderates-he-said-quote-there-are/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

> [We must embrace the power of faith, but we must never confuse politics and piety. For me, may I say that it is against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-we-must-never-confuse-politics/)

[John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

[Explore all 71 John Ashcroft quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/)

## More Generations quotes

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

> [“The fact that you are born means you have the potential of benefiting yourself and generations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abegunde-sunday-o/the-fact-that-you-are-born-means-you-have-the-potential-of-benefiting/)

[Abegunde Sunday O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abegunde-sunday-o/)

> [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [If every nation gets the government it deserves, every generation writes the history which corresponds with its view of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/if-every-nation-gets-the-government-it-deserves-every-generation/)

[Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/)

> [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/)

[Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/)

> [“Will this generation be able to turn things around and learn a valuable lesson from all of this? I hope so, but I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-b-powell/will-this-generation-be-able-to-turn-things-around-and-learn-a/)

[Aaron B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-b-powell/)

> [David Cronenberg is the most provocative, original, and consistently excellent North American director of his generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-hoberman/david-cronenberg-is-the-most-provocative-original-and-consistently/)

[J. Hoberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-hoberman/)

> [The Next Generation Space Telescope, which will be located much further away from the Earth than the Hubble Space Telescope presently is, will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-nicollier/the-next-generation-space-telescope-which-will-be-located-much/)

[Claude Nicollier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-nicollier/)

> [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I think we've all had enough of Coltrane saxophonists. There's a case of someone ruining a generation of saxophonists, as Louis Armstrong may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/i-think-we-ve-all-had-enough-of-coltrane-saxophonists-there-s-a-case/)

[Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/)

> [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/)

[Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/)

> [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/)

[Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/)

> [Pay no heed to the passing religious vogue. Go back to the grass roots. Open your hearts and search the Scriptures. Bear your cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/pay-no-heed-to-the-passing-religious-vogue-go-back-to-the-grass-roots/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

[Browse all 5,661 Generations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The transmission of values from one generation to the next is the single most important task of the society.  ...What am I doing to shape the values of the society?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Ashcroft"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-transmission-of-values-from-one-generation-to-the-next-is-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Generations"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-transmission-of-values-from-one-generation-to-the-next-is-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/john-ashcroft-9612_generations_the-transmission-of-values-from-one-gene_2804592.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The transmission of values from one generation to the next is the single most important task of the society…” — John Ashcroft",
                "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": "John Ashcroft",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The transmission of values from one...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-transmission-of-values-from-one-generation-to-the-next-is-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-transmission-of-values-from-one-generation-to-the-next-is-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
