--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America had shifted from what the…" description: "\"“America had shifted from what the influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality”\" — Susan Cain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/susan-cain-647_culture-identity_america-had-shifted-from-what-the-influe_1140845.jpg" --- # America had shifted from what the influential cultural… ![“America had shifted from what the influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality” quote by Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/susan-cain-647_culture-identity_america-had-shifted-from-what-the-influe_1140845.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/susan-cain-647_culture-identity_america-had-shifted-from-what-the-influe_1140845.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/082/susan-cain-647_culture-identity_america-had-shifted-from-what-the-influe_1140845.jpg) > ““America had shifted from what the influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality”” [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America moved from valuing character to emphasizing personality, shifting social expectations. **In simple terms:** Society now prizes personality over character. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of this cultural shift. Themes culture character personality society values Mood analytical concerned Type sociological observational When to use this quote - leadership expectations - media portrayal - education systems - personal branding Key Concepts social dynamics cultural change identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How does this shift affect personal relationships? - Can character be cultivated in a personality‑driven culture? A Different Perspective Some still value character highly despite the trend. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture-identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-identity/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ## Related quotes > [“America had shifted from what the influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a Culture of Character to a Culture of Personality—and opened up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/america-had-shifted-from-what-the-influential-cultural-historian-2/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [America had shifted from what influential cultural historian Warren Susman called a culture of character to a culture of personality, and opened up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/america-had-shifted-from-what-influential-cultural-historian-warren/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“At the onset of the Culture of Personality, we were urged to develop an extroverted personality for frankly selfish reasons—as a way of outshining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/at-the-onset-of-the-culture-of-personality-we-were-urged-to-develop/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [What does it say about our culture that personality is now considered a technology, a tool of the trade, not only in politics but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-gore/what-does-it-say-about-our-culture-that-personality-is-now-considered/) Albert Gore > [It seems reasonable to expect that beauty will emerge from a fusion of the individual character and culture of the potter,with the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-leach/it-seems-reasonable-to-expect-that-beauty-will-emerge-from-a-fusion/) Bernard Leach > [The cool thing about doing a voice-over into a different language is that you get to bring the character of your own culture into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridgit-mendler/the-cool-thing-about-doing-a-voice-over-into-a-different-language-is/) [Bridgit Mendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridgit-mendler/) > [“My kinfolks thought more about character than about culture. They said culture could be acquired but character had to be formed. Character had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-robertson/my-kinfolks-thought-more-about-character-than-about-culture-they-said/) [Ben Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-robertson/) > [When I was growing up, I didn't realize that the idiosyncrasies of my mother's character had something to do with our culture. After growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/when-i-was-growing-up-i-didn-t-realize-that-the-idiosyncrasies-of-my/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [Women are mere "beauties" in men's culture so that culture can be kept male. When women in culture show character, they are not desirable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/women-are-mere-beauties-in-men-s-culture-so-that-culture-can-be-kept-2/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Also, worldbuilding touches all aspects of your story. 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When women in culture show character, they are not desirable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/women-are-mere-beauties-in-men-s-culture-so-that-culture-can-be-kept/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [Winning begins with culture and character matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vlade-divac/winning-begins-with-culture-and-character-matters/) [Vlade Divac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vlade-divac/) > [“The few weeks I have had at my disposal have not given me the chance to revive and to work through my old memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aby-warburg/the-few-weeks-i-have-had-at-my-disposal-have-not-given-me-the-chance/) Aby Warburg > [“If arts and music, precious gifts in themselves, were akin to memory, literature was the self-knowing of the species; the human mind accumulated, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cantrell/if-arts-and-music-precious-gifts-in-themselves-were-akin-to-memory/) [Mark Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cantrell/) ## More by Susan Cain > [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. 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Talkative people, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/the-extrovert-ideal-has-been-documented-in-many-studies-though-this/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“introverts prefer to work independently, and solitude can be a catalyst to innovation. 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Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [“We are free falling backward through time, reincarnating ourselves from our past, reflecting the chaotic energy of the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-morgan-richards/we-are-free-falling-backward-through-time-reincarnating-ourselves/) [Lorin Morgan-Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-morgan-richards/) > [“At the steamy train station in New Orleans, horrifying signs above drinking fountains announce: COLORED. WHITE. Confused, I drink out of both. Why should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margarita-engle/at-the-steamy-train-station-in-new-orleans-horrifying-signs-above/) [Margarita Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margarita-engle/) > [“She tried to explain to them it wasn't the place that made people uncultured but their attitudes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-arend/she-tried-to-explain-to-them-it-wasn-t-the-place-that-made-people/) [Vivian Arend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-arend/) > [“We are nothing but bricks from our cultural molds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/we-are-nothing-but-bricks-from-our-cultural-molds/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“We are all a part of a culture of violence that dominates every aspect of our lives.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/we-are-all-a-part-of-a-culture-of-violence-that-dominates-every/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“In Shanghai's prime, no city in the Orient, or the world for that matter, could compare with it. 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