--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most Americans have never seen the…" description: "\"Most Americans have never seen the ignorance, degradation, hunger, sickness, and futility in which many other Americans live...They won't become involv..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png" --- # Most Americans have never seen the ignorance, degradation… ![“Most Americans have never seen the ignorance, degradation, hunger, sickness, and futility in which many other Americans live...They won't become involved in economic or political change until something brings the seriousness of the situation home to them.” quote by Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png) > “Most Americans have never seen the ignorance, degradation, hunger, sickness, and futility in which many other Americans live...They won't become involved in economic or political change until something brings the seriousness of the situation home to them.” [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many Americans ignore severe hardships of fellow citizens until they feel it personally. **In simple terms:** Ignorance persists without personal impact. Key Takeaway Raise awareness to inspire action. Themes social justice empathy political engagement Mood hopeful urgent Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - community outreach - education campaigns Key Concepts systemic inequality civic duty Questions to Reflect On - What triggers personal concern for distant suffering? - How can media bridge empathy gaps? A Different Perspective Change is slow despite awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Degradation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degradation/) [Futility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/futility/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-change/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness/) [Sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickness/) ## Related quotes > [Public attitudes follow real life experience, and as marriage equality has spread to more communities, Americans have seen more freedom, stronger families, more protection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/public-attitudes-follow-real-life-experience-and-as-marriage-equality/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [Most Americans don't live their lives solely as Democrats or Republicans or conservatives or liberals. Most Americans live their lives that are just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/most-americans-don-t-live-their-lives-solely-as-democrats-or/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [We'd like to believe that Americans live longer than most other people in the world. Sadly, that is not the case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/we-d-like-to-believe-that-americans-live-longer-than-most-other/) [Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/) > [Although the United States has made tremendous progress cleaning up its water by removing billions of pounds of pollutants and doubling the number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-browner/although-the-united-states-has-made-tremendous-progress-cleaning-up/) [Carol Browner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-browner/) > [Americans live in a country where African-American young men are twenty-five times more likely to lose their lives at the hands of the police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-william-brooks/americans-live-in-a-country-where-african-american-young-men-are/) Cornell William Brooks > [Americans may not always live up to the Bill of Rights, but Americans do not ban books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-a-smith/americans-may-not-always-live-up-to-the-bill-of-rights-but-americans/) [Bradley A. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-a-smith/) > [“Americans live not by facts, but by a lengthy list of myths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-champion/americans-live-not-by-facts-but-by-a-lengthy-list-of-myths/) [Dave Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-champion/) > [Many Americans have a 'live it up!' mentality. We've all been there. You eat and drink to your heart's content and then you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-rosenthal/many-americans-have-a-live-it-up-mentality-we-ve-all-been-there-you/) [Joshua Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-rosenthal/) > [The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert... I don't live inside buildings because buildings are dead places where nothing grows, where water doesn't flow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eustace-conway/the-last-american-man-by-elizabeth-gilbert-i-don-t-live-inside/) [Eustace Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eustace-conway/) > [The bungalow had more to do with how Americans live today than any other building that has gone remotely by the name of architecture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-lynes/the-bungalow-had-more-to-do-with-how-americans-live-today-than-any/) [Russell Lynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-lynes/) > [We live in this era that has benefited from the Industrial Revolution, and we live with a kind of luxury and plenty that even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-liss/we-live-in-this-era-that-has-benefited-from-the-industrial-revolution/) [David Liss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-liss/) > [The desire of Lain Americans to live in just and egalitarian societies is too strong; it cannot be destroyed overnight. There were some serious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-desire-of-lain-americans-to-live-in-just-and-egalitarian/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [Americans can live with the fact that good people sometimes give their lives for this country, but what they can't take, what they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jordan/americans-can-live-with-the-fact-that-good-people-sometimes-give/) [Jim Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jordan/) > [We Americans live in a great house that democracy built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-warnock/we-americans-live-in-a-great-house-that-democracy-built/) [Raphael Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-warnock/) > [The problem with our role is Americans live in a world of illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/the-problem-with-our-role-is-americans-live-in-a-world-of-illusion/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) ## More by Shirley Chisholm > [It is obvious that discrimination exists. Women do not have the opportunities that men do. And women that do not conform to the system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-obvious-that-discrimination-exists-women-do-not-have-the/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [Legal discrimination between the sexes is, in almost every instance, founded on outmoded views of society and the pre-scientific beliefs about psychology and physiology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/legal-discrimination-between-the-sexes-is-in-almost-every-instance/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [Tremendous amounts of talent are lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/tremendous-amounts-of-talent-are-lost-to-our-society-just-because/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality. There are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/it-is-not-heroin-or-cocaine-that-makes-one-an-addict-it-is-the-need/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [I love America not for what she is, but for what she can become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-love-america-not-for-what-she-is-but-for-what-she-can-become/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [I am and always will be a catalyst for change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-am-and-always-will-be-a-catalyst-for-change/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [The liberals in the House strongly resemble liberals I have known through the last two decades in the civil rights conflict. When it comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/the-liberals-in-the-house-strongly-resemble-liberals-i-have-known/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [I am not antiwhite, because I understand that white people, like black ones, are victims of a racist society. They are products of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-am-not-antiwhite-because-i-understand-that-white-people-like-black/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: It's a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/the-emotional-sexual-and-psychological-stereotyping-of-females-begins/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [I had met far more discrimination because I am a woman than because I am black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-had-met-far-more-discrimination-because-i-am-a-woman-than-because-i/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [Some fine men are in Congress, too few, trying to do a responsible job. But they are surrounded and almost neutralized by a greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/some-fine-men-are-in-congress-too-few-trying-to-do-a-responsible-job/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [“Following along the path of her role models, Shirley knew that if she waited for permission, she’d never receive her turn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/following-along-the-path-of-her-role-models-shirley-knew-that-if-she/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [I ran because somebody had to do it first. In this country, everybody is supposed to be able to run for president, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-ran-because-somebody-had-to-do-it-first-in-this-country-everybody/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [“The most tragic error into which older people can fall is one that is common among educators and politicians. It is to use youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/the-most-tragic-error-into-which-older-people-can-fall-is-one-that-is/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [I have never cared too much what people say. What I am interested in is what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-have-never-cared-too-much-what-people-say-what-i-am-interested-in/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) [Explore all 103 Shirley Chisholm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most Americans have never seen the ignorance, degradation, hunger, sickness, and futility in which many other Americans live...They won't become involved in economic or political change until something brings the seriousness of the situation home to them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shirley Chisholm" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignorance-degradation-hunger/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Americans" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignorance-degradation-hunger/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55a/shirley-chisholm-5073_americans_most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignor_3051159.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most Americans have never seen the ignorance, degradation, hunger, sickness, and futility in which many…” — Shirley Chisholm", "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": "Shirley Chisholm", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most Americans have never seen the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignorance-degradation-hunger/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/most-americans-have-never-seen-the-ignorance-degradation-hunger/#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 } } ] } ```