--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a broad but not an expert or…" description: "\"I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background in the Jewish tradition. I've tried to learn what I can from childhood, but I am not an expert..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg" --- # I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background… ![“I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background in the Jewish tradition. I've tried to learn what I can from childhood, but I am not an expert on Jewish teachings.” quote by Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg) > “I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background in the Jewish tradition. I've tried to learn what I can from childhood, but I am not an expert on Jewish teachings.” [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acknowledges limited expertise while expressing ongoing interest in Jewish tradition. **In simple terms:** Admits not being an expert. Key Takeaway Continue learning modestly. Themes humility learning religion Mood reflective inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - personal study - community discussions - academic courses Key Concepts Jewish studies public philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can informal learning complement formal study? - What resources deepen understanding? A Different Perspective Depth may be limited without formal study. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Jewish tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jewish-tradition/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) ## Related quotes > [“In a segment of the Sermon on the Mount, appearing in Matthew 5, Jesus is reported to have set six new teachings of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-a-segment-of-the-sermon-on-the-mount-appearing-in-matthew-5-jesus/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up in a Jewish family, and we have raised our children in a Jewish tradition. Religion gives a framework for moral enquiry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-grew-up-in-a-jewish-family-and-we-have-raised-our-children-in-a/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [There are some religious traditions that view human beings as participants in creation. This is true of the Jewish tradition, from which I come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/there-are-some-religious-traditions-that-view-human-beings-as/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [It is true that the Jewish tradition emphasizes the moral mandate to save life. It also has a different position from the Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-is-true-that-the-jewish-tradition-emphasizes-the-moral-mandate-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I did sketch comedy, but I never did improv. So I've just tried to learn as I go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-did-sketch-comedy-but-i-never-did-improv-so-i-ve-just-tried-to/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [ I always tried to learn Greek, but all I got out of it was, "poulaki mou." \["My little chicken."\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-always-tried-to-learn-greek-but-all-i-got-out-of-it-was-poulaki-mou/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [I tried to learn the violin for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wright/i-tried-to-learn-the-violin-for-a-while/) [Peter Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wright/) > [I actually tried to learn the dictionary at one point. It didn't work; I only got through the first few pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/labrinth/i-actually-tried-to-learn-the-dictionary-at-one-point-it-didn-t-work/) [Labrinth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/labrinth/) > [I was trained to become an economist and I finished my work and I was teaching and did my PhD so I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/i-was-trained-to-become-an-economist-and-i-finished-my-work-and-i-was/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [I went to USC and tried to learn about the other side of the camera a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/i-went-to-usc-and-tried-to-learn-about-the-other-side-of-the-camera-a/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [I listened to a lot of tapes of British theatre actresses and tried to learn from them. As Americans, we don't have such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/i-listened-to-a-lot-of-tapes-of-british-theatre-actresses-and-tried/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [I've tried to learn something from other players and how they are really focused on the Grand Slams. I couldn't do that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simona-halep/i-ve-tried-to-learn-something-from-other-players-and-how-they-are/) [Simona Halep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simona-halep/) > [I mean, every single time I was there with Mahesh, I just tried to learn something of his game, because he's, you know, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniela-hantuchova/i-mean-every-single-time-i-was-there-with-mahesh-i-just-tried-to/) [Daniela Hantuchova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniela-hantuchova/) > [Some of my films were worth it and some were not. Like every actor, I had my share of ups and downs but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prateik-babbar/some-of-my-films-were-worth-it-and-some-were-not-like-every-actor-i/) [Prateik Babbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prateik-babbar/) > [I've tried to learn what everybody is doing, not just my one position. If you know the whole scheme, it's easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavon-austin/i-ve-tried-to-learn-what-everybody-is-doing-not-just-my-one-position/) [Tavon Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavon-austin/) ## More by Michael Sandel > [It is true that the Jewish tradition emphasizes the moral mandate to save life. It also has a different position from the Catholic Church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/it-is-true-that-the-jewish-tradition-emphasizes-the-moral-mandate-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [If parents are aiming at choosing children who will be good athletes, or great musicians, or who will get into Ivy League schools, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/if-parents-are-aiming-at-choosing-children-who-will-be-good-athletes/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Aiming at giving our kids a competitive edge in a consumer society - that, in principle, is a goal that is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/aiming-at-giving-our-kids-a-competitive-edge-in-a-consumer-society/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [In natural pregnancy, more than half of fertilized eggs fail to implant or are otherwise lost. Should we regard that as an instance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/in-natural-pregnancy-more-than-half-of-fertilized-eggs-fail-to/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [What I really want for my children is that they be loved and that they be happy and that they lead a good life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/what-i-really-want-for-my-children-is-that-they-be-loved-and-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Economics has increasingly become the science of human behavior in general, and it's all the more unlikely to think that it can possibly be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/economics-has-increasingly-become-the-science-of-human-behavior-in/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [The relief of suffering is a great good. The curing of illness and disease - these are great human goods. This is the mission…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/the-relief-of-suffering-is-a-great-good-the-curing-of-illness-and/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do not argue that nature is sacrosanct in the sense that we must never tamper with nature. That would disempower, really, all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-not-argue-that-nature-is-sacrosanct-in-the-sense-that-we-must/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Today if you look at most economic textbooks, economics is not defined by subject matter. It's presented as a science of social choice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/today-if-you-look-at-most-economic-textbooks-economics-is-not-defined/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I do think it is very important that the religious communities do try to bring their teachings and their insights to bear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-do-think-it-is-very-important-that-the-religious-communities-do-try/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [I am trying to get at the moral arguments and the ethical status of various attempts at enhancement, or genetic engineering, or the bid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-am-trying-to-get-at-the-moral-arguments-and-the-ethical-status-of/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [To argue about justice is unavoidably to argue about virtues, about substantive moral and even spiritual questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/to-argue-about-justice-is-unavoidably-to-argue-about-virtues-about/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Very often when we aim at the best, or what we may think is the best for our children, we aim really at lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/very-often-when-we-aim-at-the-best-or-what-we-may-think-is-the-best/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Democracy does not require perfect equality, but it does require that citizens share a common life. What matters is that people of different backgrounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/democracy-does-not-require-perfect-equality-but-it-does-require-that/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) > [Parenthood is a school for humility. We can't choose the precise traits of our children, and that is morally important. It teaches us what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/parenthood-is-a-school-for-humility-we-can-t-choose-the-precise/) [Michael Sandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) [Explore all 66 Michael Sandel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/) ## More Backgrounds quotes > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/) [Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [I bring my classical training - some of it, but not all of it - and also my background and culture, to spirituals. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-battle/i-bring-my-classical-training-some-of-it-but-not-all-of-it-and-also/) [Kathleen Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-battle/) > [The acting background helped a lot when I started writing. I was training for it. In acting class they teach you about the stakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-higgins-clark/the-acting-background-helped-a-lot-when-i-started-writing-i-was/) [Carol Higgins Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-higgins-clark/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I think it is a sin to look at another person as inferior to yourself because of race or because of ethnic background and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-think-it-is-a-sin-to-look-at-another-person-as-inferior-to-yourself/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The thing that is making jazz healthy today is that people are coming out of other backgrounds - from rock, folk, from ethnic music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-taylor/the-thing-that-is-making-jazz-healthy-today-is-that-people-are-coming/) Billy Taylor > [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [People from my sort of background needed grammar schools to compete with children from privileged homes like Shirley Williams and Anthony Wedgwood Benn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/people-from-my-sort-of-background-needed-grammar-schools-to-compete/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [I come from a theater background, so I always like to dissect the scene and try to get some hint about what the author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adina-porter/i-come-from-a-theater-background-so-i-always-like-to-dissect-the/) [Adina Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adina-porter/) > [And, of course, some SF is set close enough to here and now that Anglo and European do apply. Since many of the writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-schmidt/and-of-course-some-sf-is-set-close-enough-to-here-and-now-that-anglo/) [Stanley Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-schmidt/) > [For me, I try to look at a person's swagger and a little background on them if I already haven't liked them as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bivins/for-me-i-try-to-look-at-a-person-s-swagger-and-a-little-background-on/) [Michael Bivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bivins/) Browse all 1,648 Backgrounds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background in the Jewish tradition. I've tried to learn what I can from childhood, but I am not an expert on Jewish teachings.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Sandel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scholarly-background-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Backgrounds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scholarly-background-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/872/michael-sandel-10344_backgrounds_i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scho_2729855.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a broad but not an expert or scholarly background in the Jewish tradition. I've tried to learn what I…” — Michael Sandel", "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": "Michael Sandel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sandel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have a broad but not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scholarly-background-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sandel/i-have-a-broad-but-not-an-expert-or-scholarly-background-in-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 } } ] } ```