---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our generation had been told that life…"
description: "\"Our generation had been told that life had seriousness, and we came in (to politics) with purpose. We were serving history.\" — Newt Gingrich"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg"
---

#  Our generation had been told that life had seriousness…

![“Our generation had been told that life had seriousness, and we came in (to politics) with purpose. We were serving history.” quote by Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg)

> “Our generation had been told that life had seriousness, and we came in (to politics) with purpose. We were serving history.”

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

## About This Quote

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

The era was told life is serious; we entered politics with clear purpose, believing we were shaping history.

**In simple terms:** We were told life is serious and entered politics with purpose, feeling historic.

Key Takeaway

Approach civic duties with intentional purpose.

Themes

politics purpose history

Mood

reflective determined

Type

motivational political

When to use this quote

- campaigning
- policy making
- public service

Key Concepts

civic engagement leadership activism

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives your political engagement?
- How do you balance idealism with practical constraints?

A Different Perspective

Purpose can be clouded by partisan bias or disillusionment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Our generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-generation/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness/)

## Related quotes

> [Respect for sovereignty is the most significant norm in international politics, and its purpose is to minimize war and facilitate peaceful relations among states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/respect-for-sovereignty-is-the-most-significant-norm-in-international/)

[John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/)

> [I am convinced that those who get themselves involved in the machinery of power politics, even for the purpose of destroying it, are bound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinoba-bhave/i-am-convinced-that-those-who-get-themselves-involved-in-the/)

[Vinoba Bhave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinoba-bhave/)

> [ “…\[T\]he night terrors were no match for the glory of waking up to a new day in the Land of Israel. In every conscious… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yael-shahar/t-he-night-terrors-were-no-match-for-the-glory-of-waking-up-to-a-new/)

Yael Shahar

> [There will, in my view, come a time when there has to be some kind of political denouement inside China, because the newly enriched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard/there-will-in-my-view-come-a-time-when-there-has-to-be-some-kind-of/)

[John Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard/)

> [It was interesting that feminists of my generation told me: You are discouraging younger women; you are confirming stereotypes of women; you are opening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-slaughter/it-was-interesting-that-feminists-of-my-generation-told-me-you-are/)

[Anne-Marie Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-slaughter/)

> [I came into politics to fight lefties... That's where political fighting goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-soubry/i-came-into-politics-to-fight-lefties-that-s-where-political-fighting/)

[Anna Soubry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-soubry/)

> [When I came into politics, I remember reading these scorecards of my performance, and I would routinely have these comments about not being assertive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinda-ardern/when-i-came-into-politics-i-remember-reading-these-scorecards-of-my/)

[Jacinda Ardern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinda-ardern/)

> [I came into politics because I wished to change things. You can't do that by lying to people; you have to educate, and persuade,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-came-into-politics-because-i-wished-to-change-things-you-can-t-do/)

[Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/)

> [When I came into politics I always thought there was a possibility I would be killed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-khan/when-i-came-into-politics-i-always-thought-there-was-a-possibility-i/)

[Imran Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-khan/)

> [I came into politics because of my opposition to what a Tory Government was doing to the community I grew up in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/i-came-into-politics-because-of-my-opposition-to-what-a-tory/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [I came into politics by accident. I may go out of politics by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/i-came-into-politics-by-accident-i-may-go-out-of-politics-by-accident/)

[Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/)

> [I never saw the man yet that came out of politics as clean as he went into 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/i-never-saw-the-man-yet-that-came-out-of-politics-as-clean-as-he-went/)

[Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/)

> [One of the reasons I came into politics was because I thought I lacked the skills to be a social worker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-beckett/one-of-the-reasons-i-came-into-politics-was-because-i-thought-i/)

[Margaret Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-beckett/)

> [I'm sure my desire to perform came, in part, from being around politics as a kid. My dad had a big personality, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-tierney/i-m-sure-my-desire-to-perform-came-in-part-from-being-around-politics/)

[Maura Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maura-tierney/)

> [I didn't come into politics to change the Labour Party. I came into politics to change the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-didn-t-come-into-politics-to-change-the-labour-party-i-came-into/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

## More by Newt Gingrich

> [Governor Romney may be running for CEO, I'm running for President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/governor-romney-may-be-running-for-ceo-i-m-running-for-president/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [I want to say unequivocally that while I cherish every person who comes from anywhere, who comes here legally and seeks to pursue happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-want-to-say-unequivocally-that-while-i-cherish-every-person-who/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Maybe we need a tax credit for the poorest Americans to buy a laptop. Now, maybe that's wrong, maybe that's expensive, maybe we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/maybe-we-need-a-tax-credit-for-the-poorest-americans-to-buy-a-laptop/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [NASA should not be developing its own proprietary version of capabilities it could purchase commercially at much lower cost, especially when we know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/nasa-should-not-be-developing-its-own-proprietary-version-of/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [I will focus on being substantive and I will focus on Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-will-focus-on-being-substantive-and-i-will-focus-on-barack-obama/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Stop costly new regulations that would increase unemployment, raise consumer prices, and weaken the nation's global competitiveness with virtually no impact on global temperatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/stop-costly-new-regulations-that-would-increase-unemployment-raise/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Any ad which quotes what I said on Sunday is a falsehood,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/any-ad-which-quotes-what-i-said-on-sunday-is-a-falsehood/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [It doesn’t matter what I do. People need to hear what I have to say. There’s no one else who can say what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/it-doesn-t-matter-what-i-do-people-need-to-hear-what-i-have-to-say/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Part of why the Tea Party so deeply threatened the elite media is the tea party looked around and suddenly realized, there are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/part-of-why-the-tea-party-so-deeply-threatened-the-elite-media-is-the/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [There was an analyst who came out the other day who's had a long track record of projecting presidential campaigns based on the economy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/there-was-an-analyst-who-came-out-the-other-day-who-s-had-a-long/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [I love the environment, but I'm cheap on the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/i-love-the-environment-but-i-m-cheap-on-the-environment/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [ \[The Clinton health care initiative is\] washed-over old-time bureaucratic liberalism, or centralized bureaucratic socialism. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/the-clinton-health-care-initiative-is-washed-over-old-time/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [The Congressional Budget Office is a reactionary socialist institution which does not believe in economic growth, does not believe in innovation, and does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/the-congressional-budget-office-is-a-reactionary-socialist/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Heterosexual marriage is the heart of our civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/heterosexual-marriage-is-the-heart-of-our-civilization/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Whether you're talking about Chris Christie, or you're talking about Rick Perry or Scott Walker or John Kasich, there's more interesting evolution at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/whether-you-re-talking-about-chris-christie-or-you-re-talking-about/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

[Explore all 367 Newt Gingrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

## More Generations quotes

> [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/)

[Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/)

> [“The fact that you are born means you have the potential of benefiting yourself and generations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abegunde-sunday-o/the-fact-that-you-are-born-means-you-have-the-potential-of-benefiting/)

[Abegunde Sunday O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abegunde-sunday-o/)

> [The Beat Generation, that was a vision that we had, John Clellon Holmes and I, and Allen Ginsberg in an even wilder way, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-beat-generation-that-was-a-vision-that-we-had-john-clellon-holmes/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [If every nation gets the government it deserves, every generation writes the history which corresponds with its view of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/if-every-nation-gets-the-government-it-deserves-every-generation/)

[Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/)

> [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/)

[Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/)

> [“Will this generation be able to turn things around and learn a valuable lesson from all of this? I hope so, but I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-b-powell/will-this-generation-be-able-to-turn-things-around-and-learn-a/)

[Aaron B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-b-powell/)

> [David Cronenberg is the most provocative, original, and consistently excellent North American director of his generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-hoberman/david-cronenberg-is-the-most-provocative-original-and-consistently/)

J. Hoberman

> [The Next Generation Space Telescope, which will be located much further away from the Earth than the Hubble Space Telescope presently is, will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-nicollier/the-next-generation-space-telescope-which-will-be-located-much/)

[Claude Nicollier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-nicollier/)

> [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I think we've all had enough of Coltrane saxophonists. There's a case of someone ruining a generation of saxophonists, as Louis Armstrong may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/i-think-we-ve-all-had-enough-of-coltrane-saxophonists-there-s-a-case/)

[Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/)

> [Politics...You see, it depends on what kind of politics. What we did during my father's generation was a duty. And it was beautiful because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/politics-you-see-it-depends-on-what-kind-of-politics-what-we-did/)

[Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/)

> [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [Progress is the injustice each generation commits with regard to its predecessors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/progress-is-the-injustice-each-generation-commits-with-regard-to-its/)

[Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/)

> [Pay no heed to the passing religious vogue. Go back to the grass roots. Open your hearts and search the Scriptures. Bear your cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/pay-no-heed-to-the-passing-religious-vogue-go-back-to-the-grass-roots/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

[Browse all 5,661 Generations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Our generation had been told that life had seriousness, and we came in (to politics) with purpose. We were serving history.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Newt Gingrich"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-had-seriousness-and-we-came-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Generations"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-had-seriousness-and-we-came-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/newt-gingrich-792_generations_our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-h_471300.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our generation had been told that life had seriousness, and we came in (to politics) with purpose. We were…” — Newt Gingrich",
                "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": "Newt Gingrich",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Our generation had been told that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-had-seriousness-and-we-came-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/our-generation-had-been-told-that-life-had-seriousness-and-we-came-in/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
