---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded…"
description: "\"I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded human being, with a degree from the University of Life, a diploma from the School of Hard Knocks, and three go..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png"
---

#  I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded human being, with…

![“I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded human being, with a degree from the University of Life, a diploma from the School of Hard Knocks, and three gold stars from the Kindergarten of Getting the shit Kicked Out of Me.” quote by Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png)

> “I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded human being, with a degree from the University of Life, a diploma from the School of Hard Knocks, and three gold stars from the Kindergarten of Getting the shit Kicked Out of Me.”

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker humorously describes his life as educated by real‑world experiences, emphasizing resilience and hard‑won lessons.

**In simple terms:** Life lessons come from hard experiences; humor helps cope.

Key Takeaway

Embrace challenges as learning opportunities.

Themes

humor resilience self‑deprecation life education hardship

Mood

lighthearted inspirational

Type

comedic motivational

When to use this quote

- stand‑up comedy
- self‑help workshops
- motivational talks

Key Concepts

informal learning personal growth psychological resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- What “hard knocks” have shaped you?
- How can humor aid personal development?

A Different Perspective

Humor may mask deeper struggles.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Diploma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diploma/) [Diploma School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diploma-school-4549119/) [Graduation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduation/) [Human Degree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-degree-4549118/) [Life Diploma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-diploma-4549117/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-hard-465584/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don't have my diploma from Columbia up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-don-t-have-my-diploma-from-the-university-of-nebraska-hanging-on-my/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [Seeing my family have it all took the place of that desire for diplomas on the wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/seeing-my-family-have-it-all-took-the-place-of-that-desire-for/)

[Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/)

> [I just want to show the world it's never too late to get your diploma, and show kids they should stay in school and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavor-flav/i-just-want-to-show-the-world-it-s-never-too-late-to-get-your-diploma/)

[Flavor Flav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavor-flav/)

> [I was never educated to be an actor. I went to a regular college. It was a great thing for me because I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-price/i-was-never-educated-to-be-an-actor-i-went-to-a-regular-college-it/)

[Vincent Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-price/)

> [Where most men work for degrees after their names, we work for one before our names: 'St.' It's a much more difficult degree to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-angelica/where-most-men-work-for-degrees-after-their-names-we-work-for-one-2/)

[Mother Angelica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-angelica/)

> [When I was girl, you could still get certain jobs if you didn't have a diploma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/when-i-was-girl-you-could-still-get-certain-jobs-if-you-didn-t-have-a/)

[Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/)

> [Graduation is a big deal-bigger than getting a hole-in-one while golfing. People might think you're lying about the hole-in-one, but when you graduate, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/graduation-is-a-big-deal-bigger-than-getting-a-hole-in-one-while/)

[Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/)

> [“But I don't know how I'll ever get a college degree and rise in the world with no high school diploma and eyes like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/but-i-don-t-know-how-i-ll-ever-get-a-college-degree-and-rise-in-the/)

[Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/)

> [The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-fireworks-begin-today-each-diploma-is-a-lighted-match-each-one-of/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [My parents wanted to make sure I at least had the high school diploma, so I got a GED.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-isaacman/my-parents-wanted-to-make-sure-i-at-least-had-the-high-school-diploma/)

[Jared Isaacman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-isaacman/)

> [Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money-in that order; it is a process, a never-ending one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/education-is-not-a-product-mark-diploma-job-money-in-that-order-it-is/)

[Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/)

> [“Anyway, that's what life is, just one learning experience after another, and when you're through with all the learning experiences you graduate and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/anyway-that-s-what-life-is-just-one-learning-experience-after-another/)

[Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/)

> [The pupil is ... 'schooled' to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-pupil-is-schooled-to-confuse-teaching-with-learning-grade/)

[Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/)

> [At the moment of death we will not be judged according to the number of good deeds we have done or by the diplomas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/at-the-moment-of-death-we-will-not-be-judged-according-to-the-number/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [Before the Ink dries on your college Diploma the concepts and technology you learned has already changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/before-the-ink-dries-on-your-college-diploma-the-concepts-and/)

[Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/)

## More by Rowan Atkinson

> [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [Get that right, then- if you get the quality right, then the marketability or whatever; your ability to sell videos or your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/get-that-right-then-if-you-get-the-quality-right-then-the/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [Funny things tend not to happen to me. I am not a natural comic. I need to think about things a lot before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/funny-things-tend-not-to-happen-to-me-i-am-not-a-natural-comic-i-need/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [Nope, I don't enjoy work generally. Not because I'm lazy; it's just all so stressful and worrying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/nope-i-don-t-enjoy-work-generally-not-because-i-m-lazy-it-s-just-all/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [A law which attempts to say you can criticise and ridicule ideas as long as they are not religious ideas is a very peculiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/a-law-which-attempts-to-say-you-can-criticise-and-ridicule-ideas-as/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [The path of my life is strewn with cow pats from the devil's own satanic herd!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/the-path-of-my-life-is-strewn-with-cow-pats-from-the-devil-s-own/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [I would never be a television presenter. It's not something I could ever do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-would-never-be-a-television-presenter-it-s-not-something-i-could/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [To criticise a person for their race is a manifestly irrational and ridiculous. But to criticise their religion - that is a right. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/to-criticise-a-person-for-their-race-is-a-manifestly-irrational-and/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [But I always feel that whatever I do, I could do better. I suppose it is perfectionism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/but-i-always-feel-that-whatever-i-do-i-could-do-better-i-suppose-it/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [Apart from the fact that your physical ability starts to decline, I also think someone in their fifties being childlike becomes a little sad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/apart-from-the-fact-that-your-physical-ability-starts-to-decline-i/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [“To criticize a person for their race is manifestly irrational and ridiculous, but to criticize their religion, that is a right. That is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/to-criticize-a-person-for-their-race-is-manifestly-irrational-and/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [But, actually, so many of the clerics that I've met, particularly the Church of England clerics, are people of such extraordinary smugness and arrogance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/but-actually-so-many-of-the-clerics-that-i-ve-met-particularly-the/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [I'm not really a writer, so my main problem always is finding the writing talent to write something of the caliber that you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-m-not-really-a-writer-so-my-main-problem-always-is-finding-the/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [I'm not a collector. I don't like the toy cupboard syndrome that causes so many good cars to evaporate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-m-not-a-collector-i-don-t-like-the-toy-cupboard-syndrome-that/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [If you're a serious actor, it's when you know you're going to die tomorrow that you really start to feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/if-you-re-a-serious-actor-it-s-when-you-know-you-re-going-to-die/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

[Explore all 120 Rowan Atkinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

## More Diploma quotes

> [Illiteracy does not impede the practice of democracy, as witnessed by the success of democracy in India despite the high illiteracy rate. One doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaa-al-aswany/illiteracy-does-not-impede-the-practice-of-democracy-as-witnessed-by/)

[Alaa Al Aswany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaa-al-aswany/)

> [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [Art is a course in personal development that has no reliable diploma and no known end. The pursuit of art instructs in beauty as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/art-is-a-course-in-personal-development-that-has-no-reliable-diploma/)

[Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/)

> [I don't have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don't have my diploma from Columbia up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-don-t-have-my-diploma-from-the-university-of-nebraska-hanging-on-my/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [Cities are broke, there are no jobs, people without a high school diploma and sometimes even with a college degree can't get jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cities-are-broke-there-are-no-jobs-people-without-a-high-school/)

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

> [When it was availed to me that I had free time, I chose to go to cooking school every day, six hours a day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-hatcher/when-it-was-availed-to-me-that-i-had-free-time-i-chose-to-go-to/)

[Teri Hatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-hatcher/)

> [At the moment of death we will not be judged according to the number of good deeds we have done or by the diplomas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/at-the-moment-of-death-we-will-not-be-judged-according-to-the-number/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [The pupil is ... 'schooled' to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-pupil-is-schooled-to-confuse-teaching-with-learning-grade/)

[Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/)

> [“Anyway, that's what life is, just one learning experience after another, and when you're through with all the learning experiences you graduate and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederik-pohl/anyway-that-s-what-life-is-just-one-learning-experience-after-another/)

[Frederik Pohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederik-pohl/)

> [Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money-in that order; it is a process, a never-ending one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/education-is-not-a-product-mark-diploma-job-money-in-that-order-it-is/)

[Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/)

> [My parents wanted to make sure I at least had the high school diploma, so I got a GED.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-isaacman/my-parents-wanted-to-make-sure-i-at-least-had-the-high-school-diploma/)

[Jared Isaacman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-isaacman/)

> [The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-fireworks-begin-today-each-diploma-is-a-lighted-match-each-one-of/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [“Granted, not all uneducated women are prostitutes, and, not all prostitutes are uneducated. However, where building a family is employment, an uneducated woman's womb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/granted-not-all-uneducated-women-are-prostitutes-and-not-all/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“But I don't know how I'll ever get a college degree and rise in the world with no high school diploma and eyes like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/but-i-don-t-know-how-i-ll-ever-get-a-college-degree-and-rise-in-the/)

[Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/)

> [Graduation is a big deal-bigger than getting a hole-in-one while golfing. People might think you're lying about the hole-in-one, but when you graduate, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/graduation-is-a-big-deal-bigger-than-getting-a-hole-in-one-while/)

[Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/)

[Browse all 153 Diploma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diploma/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded human being, with a degree from the University of Life, a diploma from the School of Hard Knocks, and three gold stars from the Kindergarten of Getting the shit Kicked Out of Me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rowan Atkinson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-human-being-with-a-degree-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Diploma"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-human-being-with-a-degree-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/rowan-atkinson-3883_diploma_i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-h_1343922.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I, on the other hand, am a fully-rounded human being, with a degree from the University of Life, a diploma…” — Rowan Atkinson",
                "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": "Rowan Atkinson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I, on the other hand, am...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-human-being-with-a-degree-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-on-the-other-hand-am-a-fully-rounded-human-being-with-a-degree-from/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
