---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My athleticism was really the core to…"
description: "\"My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance, because in those days the overwhelming number of students came from more of a public school ba..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png"
---

#  My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance…

![“My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance, because in those days the overwhelming number of students came from more of a public school background than I did.” quote by Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png)

> “My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance, because in those days the overwhelming number of students came from more of a public school background than I did.”

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

## About This Quote

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

Athletic ability once determined social status, reflecting class divisions in education.

**In simple terms:** Sports gave social acceptance, but class mattered.

Key Takeaway

Recognize talent beyond background.

Themes

social class athletics acceptance

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

sociological observational

When to use this quote

- school sports
- college admissions
- career networking

Key Concepts

meritocracy social mobility

Questions to Reflect On

- How does sport influence social standing today?
- What other talents can bridge class gaps?

A Different Perspective

Modern societies value diverse achievements, not just sport.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Athleticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athleticism/) [Athleticism Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athleticism-really-4224238/) [Backgrounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backgrounds/) [Core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Overwhelming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overwhelming/) [Public school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Background](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-background-3414020/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-acceptance/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Students Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students-came-469904/)

## Related quotes

> [I've been blessed with some luck, great ability and athleticism. That's really what's made me a great player, but I think the reason I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/champ-bailey/i-ve-been-blessed-with-some-luck-great-ability-and-athleticism-that-s/)

[Champ Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/champ-bailey/)

> [I have an art-school background, not a fashion background where it's like, 'Oh, we're going on holiday to Miami.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-deacon/i-have-an-art-school-background-not-a-fashion-background-where-it-s/)

[Giles Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-deacon/)

> [I come from an art-school background, and I still feel that in my music, it's about exploration and challenging myself, about putting myself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-come-from-an-art-school-background-and-i-still-feel-that-in-my/)

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

> [I went to a middle-class school, but my background is working class. I got the best of both worlds, I saw both classes, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-to-a-middle-class-school-but-my-background-is-working-class-i/)

[David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/)

> [Until these college students came into town, we were all very poor and didn't have money to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-durango/until-these-college-students-came-into-town-we-were-all-very-poor-and/)

[Santiago Durango](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-durango/)

> [Their families helped them realize that there was more out there for them. These students came to Delaware State because of its inexpensive tuition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-n-castle/their-families-helped-them-realize-that-there-was-more-out-there-for/)

[Michael N. Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-n-castle/)

> [I decided to find out how people at school might react if one of the students never came back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/i-decided-to-find-out-how-people-at-school-might-react-if-one-of-the/)

[Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/)

> [On my first day at Yale Law School, there were posters in the hallways announcing an event with Tony Blair, the former British prime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/on-my-first-day-at-yale-law-school-there-were-posters-in-the-hallways/)

[J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/)

> [“Remember and Share - Action is the second step in The Hook. - The action is the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward. -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/remember-and-share-action-is-the-second-step-in-the-hook-the-action/)

[Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/)

> [Never sacrifice your own individuality for superficial social acceptance. No amount of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-sacrifice-your-own-individuality-for-superficial-social/)

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

> [I believe we have become paralyzed, paralyzed by our desire to be loved. Now our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-believe-we-have-become-paralyzed-paralyzed-by-our-desire-to-be/)

[Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/)

> [Fogg states that all humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain; to seek hope and avoid fear; and finally, to seek social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/fogg-states-that-all-humans-are-motivated-to-seek-pleasure-and-avoid/)

[Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/)

> [A lot of poets too live on the margins of social acceptance, they certainly aren't in it for the money. William Blake - only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jarmusch/a-lot-of-poets-too-live-on-the-margins-of-social-acceptance-they/)

[Jim Jarmusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jarmusch/)

> [“BL series play an important role in creating a space where people feel they're not alone. Seeing characters on screen who reflect your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noeul-nuttarat-tangwai/bl-series-play-an-important-role-in-creating-a-space-where-people/)

[Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noeul-nuttarat-tangwai/)

> [“all humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain, to seek hope and avoid fear, and finally, to seek social acceptance and avoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/all-humans-are-motivated-to-seek-pleasure-and-avoid-pain-to-seek-hope/)

[Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/)

## More by Roger Bannister

> [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Mothers, unless they were very poor, didn't work. Both of my parents had to leave education. My mother had to work in a cotton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/mothers-unless-they-were-very-poor-didn-t-work-both-of-my-parents-had/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [My concentration was really on getting to university and becoming a doctor. My parents let me know that school marks were important. Achievement was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-concentration-was-really-on-getting-to-university-and-becoming-a/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [If there was the opportunity to climb a mountain, or to go ballooning, or some adventurous activity, I would always be keen to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/if-there-was-the-opportunity-to-climb-a-mountain-or-to-go-ballooning/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/sport-is-not-about-being-wrapped-up-in-cotton-wool-sport-as-about/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [The mile has all the elements of a drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/the-mile-has-all-the-elements-of-a-drama/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [May is a very early time in the year and the weather is usually bad. You cannot run a fast mile race if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/may-is-a-very-early-time-in-the-year-and-the-weather-is-usually-bad/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [My family actually lived in the same village for about 400 years. They had great stability until the last century. People lived and intermarried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-family-actually-lived-in-the-same-village-for-about-400-years-they/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [The human spirit is indomitable. No one can ever say you must not run faster than this or jump higher than that. There will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/the-human-spirit-is-indomitable-no-one-can-ever-say-you-must-not-run/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Doctors and scientists said breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/doctors-and-scientists-said-breaking-the-four-minute-mile-was/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [Beating John Landy was my defining race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/beating-john-landy-was-my-defining-race/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [I had always wanted to become a neurologist, which is one of the most demanding vocations in medicine. Where do you stop, after all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/i-had-always-wanted-to-become-a-neurologist-which-is-one-of-the-most/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/the-man-who-can-drive-himself-further-once-the-effort-gets-painful-is/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [I was playing rugby and the other games English school children do, and there was an event in which races were run, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/i-was-playing-rugby-and-the-other-games-english-school-children-do/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [If a man coaches himself, then he has only himself to blame when he is beaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/if-a-man-coaches-himself-then-he-has-only-himself-to-blame-when-he-is/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

[Explore all 59 Roger Bannister quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

## More Acceptance quotes

> [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/)

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

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/)

[Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/)

> [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/)

[Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/)

> [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/)

[Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/)

> [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/)

[Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/)

> [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/)

[Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/)

> [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/)

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

> [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/)

[Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/)

> [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/)

[Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/)

> [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/)

[Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/)

> [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/)

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

[Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance, because in those days the overwhelming number of students came from more of a public school background than I did.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Roger Bannister"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-social-acceptance-because-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acceptance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-social-acceptance-because-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecf/roger-bannister-11572_acceptance_my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-so_1293836.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance, because in those days the overwhelming number of…” — Roger Bannister",
                "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": "Roger Bannister",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My athleticism was really the core...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-social-acceptance-because-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/my-athleticism-was-really-the-core-to-social-acceptance-because-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
