--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I got to thinking that the world would be…" description: "\"“I got to thinking that the world would be a better place if they gave medals to great teachers rather than just soldiers who kill their enemies in war..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/matthew-quick-1377_better-place_i-got-to-thinking-that-the-world-would-b_2762414.png" --- # I got to thinking that the world would be a better place… ![“I got to thinking that the world would be a better place if they gave medals to great teachers rather than just soldiers who kill their enemies in wars.” quote by Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/matthew-quick-1377_better-place_i-got-to-thinking-that-the-world-would-b_2762414.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/matthew-quick-1377_better-place_i-got-to-thinking-that-the-world-would-b_2762414.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/matthew-quick-1377_better-place_i-got-to-thinking-that-the-world-would-b_2762414.png) > ““I got to thinking that the world would be a better place if they gave medals to great teachers rather than just soldiers who kill their enemies in wars.”” [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should be celebrated and revered, perhaps more than militaristic achievements. **In simple terms:** Teachings deserve high honor. Key Takeaway Advocate for honoring teachers. Themes education valor peace Mood inspirational critical Type social educational When to use this quote - school policy - public speeches - curriculum design Key Concepts recognition social values war vs peace Questions to Reflect On - What would a world honoring teachers look like? - How can we shift cultural values toward education? A Different Perspective Societal focus on military may resist change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-place/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Great teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-teachers/) [Medals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medals/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Medals are great encouragement to young men and lead them to feel their work is of value, I remember how keenly I felt this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pearson/medals-are-great-encouragement-to-young-men-and-lead-them-to-feel/) [Karl Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pearson/) > [“But as long as they gave us medals, that fixed it, as far as the army was concerned. You expect heroes to survive terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-kingfisher/but-as-long-as-they-gave-us-medals-that-fixed-it-as-far-as-the-army/) [T. Kingfisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-kingfisher/) > [Nobody ever was fired for 9/11. Instead of firing the people who didn't do a good job, we gave them medals. The guy who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/nobody-ever-was-fired-for-9-11-instead-of-firing-the-people-who-didn/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We read our mail and counted up our missions In bombers named for girls, we burned The cities we had learned about in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/we-read-our-mail-and-counted-up-our-missions-in-bombers-named-for/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [I believe that if you die trying to be your best, the world is still a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deacon-jones/i-believe-that-if-you-die-trying-to-be-your-best-the-world-is-still-a/) [Deacon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deacon-jones/) > [I think different societies, cultures, individuals, teams of people, make the world a better place. The founding fathers, they made New England, they made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-wexner/i-think-different-societies-cultures-individuals-teams-of-people-make/) [Les Wexner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-wexner/) > [“The world would be a better place without billionaires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/the-world-would-be-a-better-place-without-billionaires/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Do anything that might make the world a better place for someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-payton/do-anything-that-might-make-the-world-a-better-place-for-someone/) [Walter Payton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-payton/) > [This generation I'm a member of, we're sort of infected by this idea that you had to make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/this-generation-i-m-a-member-of-we-re-sort-of-infected-by-this-idea/) [Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/) > [At the end of my life, I want to say that I made the world a better place because I raised good children, loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/at-the-end-of-my-life-i-want-to-say-that-i-made-the-world-a-better/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [There's nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/there-s-nothing-more-dangerous-than-someone-who-wants-to-make-the/) [Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/) > [“Pets make the world a better place to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-lyons/pets-make-the-world-a-better-place-to-live/) Susan Lyons > [It gives me such hope that each one of us can contribute to make this world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agapi-stassinopoulos/it-gives-me-such-hope-that-each-one-of-us-can-contribute-to-make-this/) [Agapi Stassinopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agapi-stassinopoulos/) > [“The world is indeed a better place when there is love, friendship, acceptance and hope. Powered by these you can indeed overcome anything including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preeti-shenoy/the-world-is-indeed-a-better-place-when-there-is-love-friendship/) [Preeti Shenoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preeti-shenoy/) > [It is our job to make a difference and leave the world a better place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karol-g/it-is-our-job-to-make-a-difference-and-leave-the-world-a-better-place/) [Karol G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karol-g/) ## More by Matthew Quick > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Life is not a PG feel-good movie. Real life often ends badly. 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I am so impossibly happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-am-so-happy-i-am-so-impossibly-happy/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“the only way you could meet my crazy was by doing something crazy for yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/the-only-way-you-could-meet-my-crazy-was-by-doing-something-crazy-for/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When I travel round the country, people can't place my accent; if there's someone in the audience, they'll be like, 'You're from Philadelphia', but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/when-i-travel-round-the-country-people-can-t-place-my-accent-if-there/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“Empiezo a comprender que tenemos una clase de amistad en la que no se necesitan muchas palabras.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/empiezo-a-comprender-que-tenemos-una-clase-de-amistad-en-la-que-no-se/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When she needed help most, she was abandoned--and only when she offered help to others was she beloved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/when-she-needed-help-most-she-was-abandoned-and-only-when-she-offered/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“Sounds like the start of a beautiful friendship, Leonard. It really does.” “Here’s looking at you, kid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/sounds-like-the-start-of-a-beautiful-friendship-leonard-it-really/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“The whole time I pretend I have mental telepathy. And with my mind only, I’ll say — or think? — to the target, 'Don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/the-whole-time-i-pretend-i-have-mental-telepathy-and-with-my-mind/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Someday an opportunity will come. Think about Harry Potter. 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