---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great tragedy is that they're…"
description: "\"The great tragedy is that they're removing art completely, not because they're putting more science in, but because they can't afford the art teachers ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_art_the-great-tragedy-is-that-they-re-removi_2493355.jpg"
---

#  The great tragedy is that they're removing art completely…

![“The great tragedy is that they're removing art completely, not because they're putting more science in, but because they can't afford the art teachers or because somebody thinks it's not useful. An enlightened society has all of this going on within it. It's part of what distinguishes what it is…” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_art_the-great-tragedy-is-that-they-re-removi_2493355.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_art_the-great-tragedy-is-that-they-re-removi_2493355.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/deb/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_art_the-great-tragedy-is-that-they-re-removi_2493355.jpg)

> “The great tragedy is that they're removing art completely, not because they're putting more science in, but because they can't afford the art teachers or because somebody thinks it's not useful. An enlightened society has all of this going on within it. It's part of what distinguishes what it is to be human from other life forms on Earth - that we have culture”

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## About This Quote

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

Society loses humanity when art is cut due to budget, ignoring its cultural value.

**In simple terms:** Cutting art erodes humanity.

Key Takeaway

Protect art funding.

Themes

education culture humanity budgeting arts policy

Mood

concerned reflective

Type

critical philosophical

When to use this quote

- School curricula
- community arts programs
- government budgeting
- parental advocacy

Key Concepts

Cultural value human identity public policy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we demonstrate art’s tangible benefits?
- What policies can balance arts and STEM funding?

A Different Perspective

Art can be deprioritized when immediate economic pressures dominate.

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