--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oh, I don't know. Is it that we…" description: "\"“Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or mayb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/sam-esmail-5206_children_oh-i-don-t-know-is-it-that-we-collective_481651.jpg" --- # Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve… ![“Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit? The world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our running commentary of…” quote by Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/sam-esmail-5206_children_oh-i-don-t-know-is-it-that-we-collective_481651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/sam-esmail-5206_children_oh-i-don-t-know-is-it-that-we-collective_481651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/sam-esmail-5206_children_oh-i-don-t-know-is-it-that-we-collective_481651.jpg) > ““Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit? The world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our running commentary of bulls\*\*t, masquerading as insight, our social media faking as intimacy. Or is it that we voted for this? Not with our rigged elections, but with our things, our property, our money. I'm not saying anything new. We all know why we do this, not because Hunger Games books makes us happy, but because we wanna be sedated. Because it's painful not to pretend, because we're cowards.”” [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques how society idolizes flawed figures, perceives authenticity as a façade, and uses media and consumerism to numb discomfort, leading to collective cowardice. **In simple terms:** We idolize false heroes, hide behind media, and avoid truth. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge superficial narratives. Themes authenticity media hero worship consumerism avoidance Mood cynical reflective critical Type observational philosophical commentary When to use this quote - political discourse - personal reflection - media consumption - activism - education Key Concepts social critique psychology political economy Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine influence from hype? - What steps can you take to confront uncomfortable truths? A Different Perspective It overlooks individual agency and the potential for positive change through collective action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big Hoax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-hoax-1458161/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Hoax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoax/) [Hunger Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger-game/) [Hunger games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger-games/) [Hunger games book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger-games-book-86183/) [Mr-robot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mr-robot-126465/) [Social media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-media/) [Steve Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steve-job/) [Steve jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steve-jobs/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thought Steve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-steve-2161800/) ## Related quotes > [I've never written a song in my life. It's all a big hoax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/i-ve-never-written-a-song-in-my-life-it-s-all-a-big-hoax/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [I read the three 'Hunger Games' books in a week and because I liked them so much I wrote 'Just a Game.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdy/i-read-the-three-hunger-games-books-in-a-week-and-because-i-liked/) [Birdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdy/) > [ We didn't want to dilute or soften the material because that would really be irresponsible, in its own way. The \[Hunger Games\] books are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/we-didn-t-want-to-dilute-or-soften-the-material-because-that-would/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [There is a young fella who works for me, named Brian Unkeless, who's very smart. We're a very small company that has been Brian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/there-is-a-young-fella-who-works-for-me-named-brian-unkeless-who-s/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [ Being able to just stick to our instincts and honor the \[Hunger Games\] books and find a way to stay the course of trying… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/being-able-to-just-stick-to-our-instincts-and-honor-the-hunger-games/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [I love the Hunger Games books. Certainly, the fans are there. They're grown enormously since the beginning. When I first brought the books to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/i-love-the-hunger-games-books-certainly-the-fans-are-there-they-re/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [ We both \[with Suzanne Collins \] felt strongly that you wouldn't want to age up the characters, no matter the age of the actors… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/we-both-with-suzanne-collins-felt-strongly-that-you-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [“Is that what God does? He helps? Tell me, why didn't God help my innocent friend who died for no reason while the guilty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-alderson/is-that-what-god-does-he-helps-tell-me-why-didn-t-god-help-my/) [Elliot Alderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-alderson/) > [A lot of people thought Steve Jobs was a CEO of Apple but he never was until he came back to Apple in 1997.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hertzfeld/a-lot-of-people-thought-steve-jobs-was-a-ceo-of-apple-but-he-never/) [Andy Hertzfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hertzfeld/) > [Larry Brown thought Steve Francis was a Larry Brown type of player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/larry-brown-thought-steve-francis-was-a-larry-brown-type-of-player/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So…you're not going to tell me what they mean? C'mon. What's the Hob? Why Forks?” When I stand, I switch to my blatantly rude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-eliot/so-you-re-not-going-to-tell-me-what-they-mean-c-mon-what-s-the-hob/) [Anne Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-eliot/) > [The 'Fake News Alert' Chrome extension, created by 'New York Magazine' journalist Brian Feldman, identifies hoax news articles. However, cutting out fake news source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrizio-moreira/the-fake-news-alert-chrome-extension-created-by-new-york-magazine/) [Fabrizio Moreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrizio-moreira/) > [In a secular age, an authentic miracle must purport to be a hoax, in order to gain credit in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/in-a-secular-age-an-authentic-miracle-must-purport-to-be-a-hoax-in/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [President Obama is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/president-obama-is-the-greatest-hoax-ever-perpetrated-on-the-american/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [“No one can know, of course, accurate population figures from an era before there was a census, but many officials on the ground at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/no-one-can-know-of-course-accurate-population-figures-from-an-era/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) ## More by Sam Esmail > [The experience you're going to take the audience on is as important as the story you're trying to tell. And that experience needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/the-experience-you-re-going-to-take-the-audience-on-is-as-important/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [With TV season structures - and I'm a huge TV watcher - you look at shows like 'Breaking Bad,' which is my favorite show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/with-tv-season-structures-and-i-m-a-huge-tv-watcher-you-look-at-shows/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Even great actors who transform who they are still go to a really honest place; I think that's sort of that special skill that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/even-great-actors-who-transform-who-they-are-still-go-to-a-really/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I'm not in the business of adapting things that are popular for the sake of just getting it on the screen. I think there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-adapting-things-that-are-popular-for-the/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [If your loved ones are far away, and they're uploading pictures, you feel like that's enough: these loose strands through email, through social media,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/if-your-loved-ones-are-far-away-and-they-re-uploading-pictures-you/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I had a funny last name, and I didn't look like everybody else, and I got faced with a lot of racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-had-a-funny-last-name-and-i-didn-t-look-like-everybody-else-and-i/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Movies and television show build on top of each other, succeed one another. In a large way, in terms of filmmaking aesthetics, they evolve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/movies-and-television-show-build-on-top-of-each-other-succeed-one/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [The story of 'Mr. Robot' is really about this guy who's lonely - who's alone and feels so disconnected from the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/the-story-of-mr-robot-is-really-about-this-guy-who-s-lonely-who-s/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Music is everything to me. It's the heart and soul of a movie or TV show to me because it can be such an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/music-is-everything-to-me-it-s-the-heart-and-soul-of-a-movie-or-tv/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [I use voiceover just like I use dialogue. There's a way to give out information or give out insight to the character or give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/i-use-voiceover-just-like-i-use-dialogue-there-s-a-way-to-give-out/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [It's weird; my fascination with tech was kind of combined with the fact that my parents would never pay for anything. It got me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/it-s-weird-my-fascination-with-tech-was-kind-of-combined-with-the/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Growing up, my parents were very much about the Egyptian culture. They never really wanted to assimilate in American culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/growing-up-my-parents-were-very-much-about-the-egyptian-culture-they/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [Girls rejected me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/girls-rejected-me-a-lot/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [It's not necessarily bad that you have angst or you have anger - it's what you do with it, how you interpret it into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/it-s-not-necessarily-bad-that-you-have-angst-or-you-have-anger-it-s/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) > [You have to have that core creative team around you who's going to support your vision, and challenge and evolve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-esmail/you-have-to-have-that-core-creative-team-around-you-who-s-going-to/) [Sam Esmail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) [Explore all 102 Sam Esmail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-esmail/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit? The world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our running commentary of bulls**t, masquerading as insight, our social media faking as intimacy. Or is it that we voted for this? Not with our rigged elections, but with our things, our property, our money. I'm not saying anything new. We all know why we do this, not because Hunger Games books makes us happy, but because we wanna be sedated. 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