--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a child, I was always intrigued by the…" description: "\"As a child, I was always intrigued by the question: what is it that distinguishes a city from a town? Is it size? Population? Location? When I asked gr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/john-burnside-8167_always_as-a-child-i-was-always-intrigued-by-the_1341927.jpg" --- # As a child, I was always intrigued by the question: what… ![“As a child, I was always intrigued by the question: what is it that distinguishes a city from a town? Is it size? Population? Location? When I asked grown-ups, the confident answer was that a city has to have a cathedral - which, to a child raised in a devout Catholic setting, made sense.” quote by John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/john-burnside-8167_always_as-a-child-i-was-always-intrigued-by-the_1341927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/john-burnside-8167_always_as-a-child-i-was-always-intrigued-by-the_1341927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/john-burnside-8167_always_as-a-child-i-was-always-intrigued-by-the_1341927.jpg) > “As a child, I was always intrigued by the question: what is it that distinguishes a city from a town? Is it size? Population? Location? When I asked grown-ups, the confident answer was that a city has to have a cathedral - which, to a child raised in a devout Catholic setting, made sense.” [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities are often defined by cultural landmarks like cathedrals, not just size. **In simple terms:** Cities are defined by landmarks, not just population. Key Takeaway Look for cultural symbols when distinguishing places. Themes urban definition cultural landmarks identity Mood curious analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - city planning - tourism - education - community development Key Concepts sociology geography symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What symbols define your hometown? - How do landmarks shape community identity? A Different Perspective Not all cities have cathedrals; other symbols can define them. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Cathedral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedral/) [Cathedral Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedral-child-409298/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [City Cathedral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city-cathedral-4536731/) [Distinguishes City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distinguishes-city-4536729/) [Location](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/location/) [Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question/) [Question Distinguishes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-distinguishes-4536730/) [Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense/) ## Related quotes > [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If it wasn't for Durham Cathedral I probably wouldn't be an architect. I was taken there when I was about seven and I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clarke/if-it-wasn-t-for-durham-cathedral-i-probably-wouldn-t-be-an-architect/) [George Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clarke/) > [“When we look at a perfect cathedral, two different emotions emerge in us: On the one hand, the feeling of admiration for the architect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-we-look-at-a-perfect-cathedral-two-different-emotions-emerge-in/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I'm not a religious person. But, when I look at a beautiful cathedral, what brings awe, what induces awe is the idea that architecture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/i-m-not-a-religious-person-but-when-i-look-at-a-beautiful-cathedral/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral: a thing as simple and specious as a statue to the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/mankind-was-never-so-happily-inspired-as-when-it-made-a-cathedral-a/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [As a boy soprano in the high school choir, I later sang a solo during the carol service at Canterbury Cathedral, but I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamish-bowles/as-a-boy-soprano-in-the-high-school-choir-i-later-sang-a-solo-during/) [Hamish Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamish-bowles/) > [He who bears in his heart a cathedral to be built is already victorious. He who seeks to become sexton of a finished cathedral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/he-who-bears-in-his-heart-a-cathedral-to-be-built-is-already/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [When I started to build this cathedral, the word on the street was that I was crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justo-gallego/when-i-started-to-build-this-cathedral-the-word-on-the-street-was/) [Justo Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justo-gallego/) > [“Love can be a natural endowment, a present, or a gift. If it is not just a donation, it can be a divine talent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/love-can-be-a-natural-endowment-a-present-or-a-gift-if-it-is-not-just/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [The Sabbath is a weekly cathedral raised up in my dining room, in my family, in my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diament/the-sabbath-is-a-weekly-cathedral-raised-up-in-my-dining-room-in-my/) [Anita Diament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diament/) > [It was a secular cathedral, dedicated to the rites of travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hughes/it-was-a-secular-cathedral-dedicated-to-the-rites-of-travel/) [Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/) > [Christian faith is a grand cathedral, with divinely pictured windows. Standing without, you see no glory, nor can possibly imagine any; standing within, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/christian-faith-is-a-grand-cathedral-with-divinely-pictured-windows/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“The sun appeared between the twin spires of the cathedral as its light reflected off the crescent and star that rose out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/the-sun-appeared-between-the-twin-spires-of-the-cathedral-as-its/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [Whence, then, did the cathedral derive its power? Clearly here: It took back the family into the confidences of religion. It taught man and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenkin-lloyd-jones/whence-then-did-the-cathedral-derive-its-power-clearly-here-it-took/) [Jenkin Lloyd Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenkin-lloyd-jones/) > [“The rooks were sailing about the cathedral towers; and the towers themselves, overlooking many a long unaltered mile of the rich country and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-rooks-were-sailing-about-the-cathedral-towers-and-the-towers/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More by John Burnside > [In many traditions, hawks are sacred: Apollo's messengers for the Greeks, sun symbols for the ancient Egyptians and, in the case of the Lakota…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/in-many-traditions-hawks-are-sacred-apollo-s-messengers-for-the/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [The poem builds in my mind and sits there, as if in a register, until the poem, or a piece of a longer poem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/the-poem-builds-in-my-mind-and-sits-there-as-if-in-a-register-until/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [Usually, I would mistrust a book if it took that long to write. Usually, if it isn't done in two years, I suspect there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/usually-i-would-mistrust-a-book-if-it-took-that-long-to-write-usually/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [This is a truth that should be repeated like a mantra: to have any chance of a ful - filling life, we require not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/this-is-a-truth-that-should-be-repeated-like-a-mantra-to-have-any/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [My father was one of those men who sit in a room and you can feel it: the simmer, the sense of some unpredictable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/my-father-was-one-of-those-men-who-sit-in-a-room-and-you-can-feel-it/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [“There are days when that dark face is something I can think of as a friend – a primal energy that carries me forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/there-are-days-when-that-dark-face-is-something-i-can-think-of-as-a/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [I remember how, back in the 1980s, the Scottish Flow Country became an object of bemused controversy as rich celebrities and businessmen from south…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/i-remember-how-back-in-the-1980s-the-scottish-flow-country-became-an/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [The great pleasure that comes from reading poets such as Mark Doty and Marianne Moore is the realisation that the essential virtues - compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/the-great-pleasure-that-comes-from-reading-poets-such-as-mark-doty/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [My second, third and fourth novels were mistakes, essentially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/my-second-third-and-fourth-novels-were-mistakes-essentially/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [I remember a nightfall from childhood, far from home and off the known track: I'd been walking with some older boys, but they ran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/i-remember-a-nightfall-from-childhood-far-from-home-and-off-the-known/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [One day I was talking about what I was going to do next, and just found myself announcing it: 'I'm going to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/one-day-i-was-talking-about-what-i-was-going-to-do-next-and-just/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > ['The Asylum Dance' was written after I'd moved back to Scotland and was a response to moving to my old home area of Fife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/the-asylum-dance-was-written-after-i-d-moved-back-to-scotland-and-was/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [I have never understood why so many gardeners favour straight lines and narrow, regulated borders; perhaps they think wildness could work only in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/i-have-never-understood-why-so-many-gardeners-favour-straight-lines/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [The son of a Fife mining town sledder of coal-bings, bottle-forager, and picture-house troglodyte, I was decidedly urban and knew little about native fauna,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/the-son-of-a-fife-mining-town-sledder-of-coal-bings-bottle-forager/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) > [ “Everything stayed hidden \[…\] it was all secret – known by anyone who cared to know, but unacknowledged, like a priest’s feverish brightness around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnside/everything-stayed-hidden-it-was-all-secret-known-by-anyone-who-cared/) [John Burnside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) [Explore all 83 John Burnside quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnside/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a child, I was always intrigued by the question: what is it that distinguishes a city from a town? 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