--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My working poor parents told me that I…" description: "\"My working poor parents told me that I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anybody else. And it never occurred to them to tell me tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg" --- # My working poor parents told me that I could do better… ![“My working poor parents told me that I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anybody else. And it never occurred to them to tell me that I could just rest comfortably and wait for good old Uncle Sugar to feed me, lead me and then bleed me.” quote by Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg) > “My working poor parents told me that I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anybody else. And it never occurred to them to tell me that I could just rest comfortably and wait for good old Uncle Sugar to feed me, lead me and then bleed me.” [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on parental encouragement to strive, while noting a lack of advice about relying on others for support, highlighting self‑reliance versus dependence. **In simple terms:** Parents urged effort, not complacency. Key Takeaway Seek independence, avoid reliance on others. Themes self‑reliance family influence economic mobility Mood determined critical reflective Type motivational cautionary inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - financial planning - education decisions - entrepreneurship Key Concepts American politics personal development social expectations Questions to Reflect On - How does parental encouragement shape your ambition? - What risks arise from expecting others to provide for you? A Different Perspective Advice to rest may limit growth and foster dependency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leading me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading-me/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-told/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-parents-1559052/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sugar/) [Taught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught/) [Taught Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taught-good-388134/) [Told Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-better-257911/) [Uncles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncles/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [I grew up in a family in which no male upstream from me had ever finished high school, much less gone to college. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-grew-up-in-a-family-in-which-no-male-upstream-from-me-had-ever/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Even Milton Friedman - doyen of radical free market thought - was willing to consider some government intervention into primary education on the grounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/even-milton-friedman-doyen-of-radical-free-market-thought-was-willing/) [Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/) > [Our family was poor, but my parents gave us money for education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-murakami/our-family-was-poor-but-my-parents-gave-us-money-for-education/) [Takashi Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-murakami/) > [I wasn't raised super-poor, but my parents got divorced, and my mother didn't have much money. Even now if I have a cake, I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-carney/i-wasn-t-raised-super-poor-but-my-parents-got-divorced-and-my-mother/) [Patrick Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-carney/) > [“For their holidays: the rich go see the world; the poor go see their parents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-holidays-the-rich-go-see-the-world-the-poor-go-see-their/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I was an only child. We were so poor, my parents and I had the same room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/i-was-an-only-child-we-were-so-poor-my-parents-and-i-had-the-same-room/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [Growing up, I wouldn't say I was poor. But my parents, although we lived in a nice, middle-class home, they had their struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-idk/growing-up-i-wouldn-t-say-i-was-poor-but-my-parents-although-we-lived/) [Jay IDK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-idk/) > [One of the things we have to remember about the poorest countries in the world is that parents, extremely poor parents, are making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sperling/one-of-the-things-we-have-to-remember-about-the-poorest-countries-in/) [Gene Sperling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sperling/) > [Personally, I love books, and I am interested in the notion that stories are told better in different media depending on the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-blum/personally-i-love-books-and-i-am-interested-in-the-notion-that/) [Jason Blum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-blum/) > [It's like I told you, "You're better off without me, I'm sick of saying sorry."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hinder/it-s-like-i-told-you-you-re-better-off-without-me-i-m-sick-of-saying/) [Hinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hinder/) > [You told me that I can find someone better than you. I told you that you were right, that I could find a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljd/you-told-me-that-i-can-find-someone-better-than-you-i-told-you-that/) [LJD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljd/) > [“In my defense, I could have dispensed with the truth entirely and told a much better story. Lies are simpler, and most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/in-my-defense-i-could-have-dispensed-with-the-truth-entirely-and-told/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Most people were raised to believe they are just as good as the next person. I was always told I was better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/most-people-were-raised-to-believe-they-are-just-as-good-as-the-next/) [Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/) > [One of the best things I've ever been told is that it's better for someone to tell you to slow down than to speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lashley/one-of-the-best-things-i-ve-ever-been-told-is-that-it-s-better-for/) [Bobby Lashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lashley/) > [“You told me that it would be better to find family among people who were good than to try and find good among my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-burlew/you-told-me-that-it-would-be-better-to-find-family-among-people-who/) [Rich Burlew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-burlew/) ## More by Mike Huckabee > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [All of my children are ideologically and politically in sync with me, they all have authentic Christian faith. It's something I'm very grateful for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/all-of-my-children-are-ideologically-and-politically-in-sync-with-me/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [It doesn't embarrass me one bit to let you know that I believe Adam and Eve were real people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/it-doesn-t-embarrass-me-one-bit-to-let-you-know-that-i-believe-adam/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Leadership is about making decisions with the information you have, not the information people will have 12 years later, i kind of feel sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/leadership-is-about-making-decisions-with-the-information-you-have/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [The reason America is a special nation is because it was founded by people who were first on their knees before they were on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/the-reason-america-is-a-special-nation-is-because-it-was-founded-by/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [When people are breaking the law, they don’t get an invitation to the White House. They ought to be getting an invitation to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/when-people-are-breaking-the-law-they-don-t-get-an-invitation-to-the/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Outlaw all abortions; err on the side of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/outlaw-all-abortions-err-on-the-side-of-life/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [My kids have moved more in their twenties, you know, than my parents have moved in nearly 40-something years of marriage before they died.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/my-kids-have-moved-more-in-their-twenties-you-know-than-my-parents/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [The Bible, however, was not created to be amended and altered with each passing culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/the-bible-however-was-not-created-to-be-amended-and-altered-with-each/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Marriage has historically, as long as there's been human history, meant a man and a woman in a relationship for life. Once we change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/marriage-has-historically-as-long-as-there-s-been-human-history-meant/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [ The real preparation for \[Christ's\] return is not to act like we know it's coming right now and do something different. It's to do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/the-real-preparation-for-christ-s-return-is-not-to-act-like-we-know/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [I was in Christian broadcasting back in the 1970s. I was director of communications for James Robinson, and I really thought Christian broadcasting was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-was-in-christian-broadcasting-back-in-the-1970s-i-was-director-of/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [He spent more time on the road to Damascus than a Syrian camel driver. And we thought nobody could fill John Kerry's flip-flops! ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/he-spent-more-time-on-the-road-to-damascus-than-a-syrian-camel-driver/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Women I know are smart, educated, intelligent, capable of doing anything that anybody else can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/women-i-know-are-smart-educated-intelligent-capable-of-doing-anything/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [Everywhere I go on the campaign trail, I meet voters with a real thirst for a healthy discussion of the issues. Ultimately, people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/everywhere-i-go-on-the-campaign-trail-i-meet-voters-with-a-real/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Explore all 242 Mike Huckabee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) ## More Leading me quotes > [Responsible Development shares many practices with XP but the roots are different. Responsible Development's values are honesty, transparency, accountability and responsibility. These lead me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/responsible-development-shares-many-practices-with-xp-but-the-roots/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) > [I believe the simplest explanation is, there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/i-believe-the-simplest-explanation-is-there-is-no-god-no-one-created/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [It's a weird partnership. For me and Patrick, if you've met him, we're not very much alike. But we bring such different tools to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-farmer/it-s-a-weird-partnership-for-me-and-patrick-if-you-ve-met-him-we-re/) [Todd Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-farmer/) > [Why you were born and why you are living depend entirely on what you are getting out of this world and what you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-hammerstein-ii/why-you-were-born-and-why-you-are-living-depend-entirely-on-what-you/) [Oscar Hammerstein II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-hammerstein-ii/) > [Lead me, Lord, to the Rock that is higher than I. Let me hear your word, give me grace to obey, to build steadily,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/lead-me-lord-to-the-rock-that-is-higher-than-i-let-me-hear-your-word/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-coltrane/during-the-year-1957-i-experienced-by-the-grace-of-god-a-spiritual/) [John Coltrane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-coltrane/) > [I never know tomorrow what I might be doing. I just ask God to lead me and show me and direct me and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-never-know-tomorrow-what-i-might-be-doing-i-just-ask-god-to-lead-me/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I will go wherever the truth leads me. It is secular scholarship, Rebbe; it is not the scholarship of tradition. In secular scholarship there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/i-will-go-wherever-the-truth-leads-me-it-is-secular-scholarship-rebbe/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [I just go with the flow, I follow the yellow brick road. I don't know where it's going to lead me, but I follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/i-just-go-with-the-flow-i-follow-the-yellow-brick-road-i-don-t-know/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [O Lord! he concluded, forgive all these trespasses. Lead me not into Penn Station.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/o-lord-he-concluded-forgive-all-these-trespasses-lead-me-not-into/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-lapsed-into-my-pathetic-cut-off-period-often-with-humans-both-good/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [As soon as the love relationship does not lead me to me, as soon as I in a love relationship do not lead another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/as-soon-as-the-love-relationship-does-not-lead-me-to-me-as-soon-as-i/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [We live in a world where people don't all have the same scruples, where all blows can be given, and where, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-sarkozy/we-live-in-a-world-where-people-don-t-all-have-the-same-scruples/) [Nicolas Sarkozy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-sarkozy/) > [I don't know where my career is going to lead me. I would like my career to be as diverse as possible. I've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-phillips/i-don-t-know-where-my-career-is-going-to-lead-me-i-would-like-my/) [Graham Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-phillips/) > [What is difficult to understand is that without conscious effort, nothing is possible. Conscious effort is related to higher nature. My lower nature alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-de-salzmann/what-is-difficult-to-understand-is-that-without-conscious-effort/) [Jeanne de Salzmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-de-salzmann/) [Browse all 215 Leading me quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading-me/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My working poor parents told me that I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anybody else. And it never occurred to them to tell me that I could just rest comfortably and wait for good old Uncle Sugar to feed me, lead me and then bleed me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Huckabee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-could-do-better-they-taught-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Leading me" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-could-do-better-they-taught-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/mike-huckabee-1433_leading-me_my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-c_1745746.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My working poor parents told me that I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anybody else…” — Mike Huckabee", "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": "Mike Huckabee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My working poor parents told me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-could-do-better-they-taught-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/my-working-poor-parents-told-me-that-i-could-do-better-they-taught-me/#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 } } ] } ```