--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must acknowledge, of course, that what…" description: "\"We must acknowledge, of course, that what looks like failure to us Americans outside the privileged elite may not actually be failure for our overlords..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18c/sheldon-richman-22286_acknowledge_we-must-acknowledge-of-course-that-what_1283257.png" --- # We must acknowledge, of course, that what looks like… ![“We must acknowledge, of course, that what looks like failure to us Americans outside the privileged elite may not actually be failure for our overlords.” quote by Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18c/sheldon-richman-22286_acknowledge_we-must-acknowledge-of-course-that-what_1283257.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18c/sheldon-richman-22286_acknowledge_we-must-acknowledge-of-course-that-what_1283257.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18c/sheldon-richman-22286_acknowledge_we-must-acknowledge-of-course-that-what_1283257.png) > “We must acknowledge, of course, that what looks like failure to us Americans outside the privileged elite may not actually be failure for our overlords.” [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perceived failure among marginalized groups may actually serve the interests of dominant powers, challenging conventional judgments. **In simple terms:** Failure can be a tool for the elite. Key Takeaway Question whose standards define success. Themes politics class perception Mood critical reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - community organizing - media literacy Key Concepts power structures social critique elite manipulation Questions to Reflect On - Who decides what counts as failure? - How might power benefit from others' struggles? A Different Perspective Not all setbacks are genuine failures; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acknowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acknowledge/) [Actually Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually-failure-4154093/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Elites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elites/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-americans-4154089/) [Failure Overlords](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-overlords-4154091/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Outside Privileged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-privileged-4154092/) [Privileged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileged/) [Privileged Elite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileged-elite-4154090/) ## Related quotes > [There are actually two separate issues here. 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These are dangerous people who make dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hyde/the-anger-i-felt-when-the-aclu-tried-to-disenfranchise-me-because-my/) [Henry Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hyde/) > [Above all, the listener should be able to understand the poem or the song, not be forced to unravel a complicated, self-indulgent puzzle. Offer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-williams/above-all-the-listener-should-be-able-to-understand-the-poem-or-the/) [Lucinda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-williams/) > [The majority of Arab people would side with Russia and China, not with the West. And they'd throw their 'elites' groomed in and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-would-side-with-russia-and-china-not-with/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [This is the culmination of a lot of people's vision. I think this is just another step towards making Central Michigan football among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/this-is-the-culmination-of-a-lot-of-people-s-vision-i-think-this-is/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [The idea of a bowed and terrified liberal minority during McCarthy's 'reign of terror' is poppycock. Then as now, all elite opinion was against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/the-idea-of-a-bowed-and-terrified-liberal-minority-during-mccarthy-s/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [This is what I say about the scorn of the media elite: I wear their scorn as a badge of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/this-is-what-i-say-about-the-scorn-of-the-media-elite-i-wear-their/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) ## More by Sheldon Richman > [The alternative to the market process is government control, and we know where that principle leads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-richman/the-alternative-to-the-market-process-is-government-control-and-we/) [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) > [Those who create the wealth naturally want to keep it and devote it to their own purposes. 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Rather, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-richman/when-government-creates-jobs-by-taking-money-from-the-private-sector/) [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) > [No matter how much the government controls the economic system, any problem will be blamed on whatever small zone of freedom that remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-richman/no-matter-how-much-the-government-controls-the-economic-system-any/) [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) > [Apologists for activist government never tire of telling us that the benevolent state is our protector and that without it wed be at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-richman/apologists-for-activist-government-never-tire-of-telling-us-that-the/) [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) > [It should go without saying that even the most narrowly construed eminent-domain power would violate individual rights. Either a person owns his legitimately acquired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-richman/it-should-go-without-saying-that-even-the-most-narrowly-construed/) [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) > [In an unmolested market economy - one where all dealings are consensual - the 'allocation' of wealth and income is the result of transactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-richman/in-an-unmolested-market-economy-one-where-all-dealings-are-consensual/) [Sheldon Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-richman/) > [Some conservatives are surprised to find people on the Left supporting the war in Afghanistan. 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I acknowledge that there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-schroder/conservative-feminism-is-such-an-artificial-term-that-doesn-t-mean/) [Kristina Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-schroder/) > [We must acknowledge that bearing and raising children is not some pesky, peripheral activity that we engage in, but the whole point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-maushart/we-must-acknowledge-that-bearing-and-raising-children-is-not-some/) [Susan Maushart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-maushart/) > [When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-farrer/when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving-god-in-full-and-vigorous/) [Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-farrer/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. 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