--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great thing about America is that…" description: "\"The great thing about America is that people take its history and mythologise it.\" — Steven Knight" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/steven-knight-2205_about_the-great-thing-about-america-is-that-pe_1876227.jpg" --- # The great thing about America is that people take its… ![“The great thing about America is that people take its history and mythologise it.” quote by Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/steven-knight-2205_about_the-great-thing-about-america-is-that-pe_1876227.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/steven-knight-2205_about_the-great-thing-about-america-is-that-pe_1876227.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/steven-knight-2205_about_the-great-thing-about-america-is-that-pe_1876227.jpg) > “The great thing about America is that people take its history and mythologise it.” [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It observes that societies often turn historical events into legends, reshaping facts into narratives that serve cultural identity. **In simple terms:** People turn history into myths. Key Takeaway Recognize myth vs fact. Themes culture identity history Mood reflective critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - education - media analysis - political discourse - tourism - public policy Key Concepts mythmaking collective memory Questions to Reflect On - How does myth influence national policy? - When does myth become harmful? A Different Perspective Myths can obscure truth and bias decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-people-231177/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Mythologise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-mythologise-2621560/) [Mythologise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythologise-689813/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thing America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-america-241670/) ## Related quotes > [What Westerns did was to take a world and mythologise it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/what-westerns-did-was-to-take-a-world-and-mythologise-it/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [“That was the thing about America, people always moving on, so that a girl had to snap up a beau as fast as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/that-was-the-thing-about-america-people-always-moving-on-so-that-a/) [Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/) > [In America they really do mythologise people when they die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/in-america-they-really-do-mythologise-people-when-they-die/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [“I have great hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalise and mythologise their science to such an extent that what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-have-great-hopes-that-we-shall-learn-in-due-time-how-to/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [All children mythologise their birth. It is a universal trait. You want to know someone? Heart, mind and soul? Ask him to tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-setterfield/all-children-mythologise-their-birth-it-is-a-universal-trait-you-want/) [Diane Setterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-setterfield/) > [We will invest in our people, quality education, job opportunity, family, neighborhood, and yes, a thing we call America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/we-will-invest-in-our-people-quality-education-job-opportunity-family/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I think that's what we really need in America, for people to hear each other. And I think philosophy could do a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-c-nussbaum/i-think-that-s-what-we-really-need-in-america-for-people-to-hear-each/) [Martha C. Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-c-nussbaum/) > [I don't know if a country (America) where the people are so ignorant of reality and of history, if you can call that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/i-don-t-know-if-a-country-america-where-the-people-are-so-ignorant-of/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [The interesting and inspiring thing about America is that she asks nothing for herself except what she has a right to ask for humanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-interesting-and-inspiring-thing-about-america-is-that-she-asks/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [If you disagree with me, fine! Because that's the great thing about America, we can disagree!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/if-you-disagree-with-me-fine-because-that-s-the-great-thing-about/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [The great thing about America is that you can come from the worst circumstances and become something remarkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-great-thing-about-america-is-that-you-can-come-from-the-worst/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [The worst thing to be in America and anywhere on the planet is poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/the-worst-thing-to-be-in-america-and-anywhere-on-the-planet-is-poor/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [I've been wanting to do a book about baseball for the longest time, and nobody will let me do it. It's the one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-ve-been-wanting-to-do-a-book-about-baseball-for-the-longest-time/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I've said many a time that I think the Un-American Activities Committee in the House of Representatives was the most un-American thing in America!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/i-ve-said-many-a-time-that-i-think-the-un-american-activities/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) ## More by Steven Knight > [There's a convention in English stuff that if something is more than 100 years old, people have to say 'do not' instead of 'don't.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-convention-in-english-stuff-that-if-something-is-more-than/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's lots of different ways of writing stuff and lots of different mindsets to have, but I think when it's your own creation, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-lots-of-different-ways-of-writing-stuff-and-lots-of-different/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [It's such a gift when you know who you're writing for and you know that that actor is capable of so much that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-s-such-a-gift-when-you-know-who-you-re-writing-for-and-you-know/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I'm not a great film-goer, and I never have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-m-not-a-great-film-goer-and-i-never-have-been/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's no writers room, or any other writer involved. I write everything from beginning to end. Maybe it's just me not being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-no-writers-room-or-any-other-writer-involved-i-write/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I've realized that the only thing I'm interested in is the performance. If the performance is right, then I'm happy. You offer up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-ve-realized-that-the-only-thing-i-m-interested-in-is-the/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [“It seems to me, that if there is a bad taste in your mouth, you spit it out. You don't constantly swallow it back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-seems-to-me-that-if-there-is-a-bad-taste-in-your-mouth-you-spit-it/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [With FX in particular, they've been fantastic and were really hands off. I mean, it helps that you've got Ridley Scott on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/with-fx-in-particular-they-ve-been-fantastic-and-were-really-hands/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I often find in the film world, that it's very self-referring. If you talk to someone about films, they talk about them in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-often-find-in-the-film-world-that-it-s-very-self-referring-if-you/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Whenever I went to L.A. the first thing people said in the meeting, no matter what it was about, was how much they loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/whenever-i-went-to-l-a-the-first-thing-people-said-in-the-meeting-no/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [ I've spent three hours with Snoop Dogg, talking about how he loved \[Peaky Blinders series\]. And David Bowie loved it. The late Leonard Cohen… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-ve-spent-three-hours-with-snoop-dogg-talking-about-how-he-loved/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [I think the best research is people you meet and things that they say, rather than second hand accounts of something. I think when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-think-the-best-research-is-people-you-meet-and-things-that-they-say/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Writing, when it works, one needs to access whatever it is that creates dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/writing-when-it-works-one-needs-to-access-whatever-it-is-that-creates/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [Making a film is hard because you're not dealing with the intangible. When you're writing, it's perfect because it's only in your head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/making-a-film-is-hard-because-you-re-not-dealing-with-the-intangible/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [There's a grown-upness about television now that wasn't there before. You do know you're doing stuff for adults who can tell the difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/there-s-a-grown-upness-about-television-now-that-wasn-t-there-before/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) [Explore all 179 Steven Knight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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