Born Quote by Robert Benchley
“We are constantly being surprised that people did things well before we were born. We are constantly remarking on the fact that things are done well by people other than ourselves. "The Japanese are a remarkable little people," we say, as if we were doing them a favor. "He is an Arab, but you ought to hear him play the zither." Why "but"?”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, 1935
Observing that people often excel before our time, yet we treat them as curiosities or favors.
In simple terms: We admire past achievements but see them as exotic.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and respect others' expertise without condescension.
Themes
humility
culture
recognition
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
observational
cultural commentary
When to use this quote
- education
- cross‑cultural collaboration
- media commentary
Key Concepts
historical perspective
ethnocentrism
bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we celebrate achievements without exoticizing?
- What biases affect our perception of others' work?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all cultures are comparable in a single metric.
![“What kind of people do they [the Japanese] think we are?” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/495/winston-churchill-95_inspirational_what-kind-of-people-do-they-the-japanese_776646.jpg)
