Abandon Quote by Peter Hessler
“Sometimes I thought of the Peace Corps as a reverse refugee organization, displacing all of us lost Midwesterners, and it was probably the only government entity that taught Americans to abandon key national characteristics. Pride, ambition, impatience, the instinct to control, the desire to accumulate, the missionary impulse - all of it slipped away.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The River at Night, 2018
The Peace Corps can transform Americans by eroding familiar traits, fostering new perspectives through immersion.
In simple terms: Peace Corps reshapes identity by challenging familiar habits.
Key Takeaway
Embrace discomfort to grow beyond cultural defaults.
Themes
cultural immersion
identity
adaptation
national traits
personal growth
Mood
reflective
nostalgic
challenging
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- volunteer service
- overseas assignment
- cross‑cultural training
- personal development
Key Concepts
anthropology
social change
self‑reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of identity are most vulnerable abroad?
- How does loss of familiar traits affect reintegration?
A Different Perspective
Some may resist loss of familiar values, causing inner conflict.
![“I was in a two-person show [with Oliver Ralli] called the Midwesterners where we wrote all of our own stuff and we traveled the country with it. That's what eventually led me to L.A.” quote by Jake M. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/267/jake-m-johnson-19385_country_i-was-in-a-two-person-show-with-oliver-r_1536515.jpg)
