--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My record was so bad that I was first…" description: "\"My record was so bad that I was first rejected by the Peace Corps as a poor risk and possible troublemaker and was accepted as a volunteer only after a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/paul-theroux-913_accepted_my-record-was-so-bad-that-i-was-first-re_1021139.jpg" --- # My record was so bad that I was first rejected by the… ![“My record was so bad that I was first rejected by the Peace Corps as a poor risk and possible troublemaker and was accepted as a volunteer only after a great deal of explaining and arguing.” quote by Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/paul-theroux-913_accepted_my-record-was-so-bad-that-i-was-first-re_1021139.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/paul-theroux-913_accepted_my-record-was-so-bad-that-i-was-first-re_1021139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2a/paul-theroux-913_accepted_my-record-was-so-bad-that-i-was-first-re_1021139.jpg) > “My record was so bad that I was first rejected by the Peace Corps as a poor risk and possible troublemaker and was accepted as a volunteer only after a great deal of explaining and arguing.” [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He struggled to join the Peace Corps, initially rejected as a risk, but succeeded after persistent explanation and advocacy. **In simple terms:** Initial rejection turned into acceptance after persistent effort. Key Takeaway Persistence can overcome early setbacks. Themes perseverance determination career Mood determined reflective Type inspirational realistic When to use this quote - volunteer applications - career changes - personal advocacy Key Concepts selfadvocacy riskassessment bureaucracy Questions to Reflect On - What barriers have you faced and how did you address them? - How can you prepare for institutional resistance? A Different Perspective Persistence may not guarantee success in every context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace corps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-corps/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Troublemaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troublemaker/) [Volunteer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volunteer/) ## Related quotes > [I think I am typical in believing that the Peace Corps trained us brilliantly and then did little more except send us into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/i-think-i-am-typical-in-believing-that-the-peace-corps-trained-us/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I wanted the Peace Corps to be something very vague and unorganized, and to a large extent it was. It did not run smoothly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/i-wanted-the-peace-corps-to-be-something-very-vague-and-unorganized/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I think the Peace Corps is a fine thing, don't you?" he said. "Well," I replied, "it's certainly better than War Corps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/i-think-the-peace-corps-is-a-fine-thing-don-t-you-he-said-well-i/) [Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/) > [I grew up on a dairy farm in Southeastern Connecticut, and I went into the Peace Corps right after college. I went to Ghana.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/i-grew-up-on-a-dairy-farm-in-southeastern-connecticut-and-i-went-into/) [Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/) > [My mother went into the Peace Corps when she was sixty-eight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-carter/my-mother-went-into-the-peace-corps-when-she-was-sixty-eight/) [Billy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-carter/) > [To me, one of the best faces America has ever projected is the face of a Peace Corps volunteer. That face symbolizes this country:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-heinz/to-me-one-of-the-best-faces-america-has-ever-projected-is-the-face-of/) [Teresa Heinz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-heinz/) > [Some taxpayers may object to a print journalism bailout on the grounds that it mostly benefits the liberal elite. 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