--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't read much in high school, maybe…" description: "\"I didn't read much in high school, maybe because I didn't go to high school. Instead, I worked.\" — Tara Westover" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/tara-westover-8275_books_i-didn-t-read-much-in-high-school-maybe_909762.jpg" --- # I didn't read much in high school, maybe because I didn't… ![“I didn't read much in high school, maybe because I didn't go to high school. Instead, I worked.” quote by Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/tara-westover-8275_books_i-didn-t-read-much-in-high-school-maybe_909762.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/tara-westover-8275_books_i-didn-t-read-much-in-high-school-maybe_909762.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a4d/tara-westover-8275_books_i-didn-t-read-much-in-high-school-maybe_909762.jpg) > “I didn't read much in high school, maybe because I didn't go to high school. Instead, I worked.” [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She skipped formal schooling, focusing on work instead, reflecting a non‑traditional path to knowledge. **In simple terms:** She learned through work, not school. Key Takeaway Seek learning wherever it occurs. Themes education self‑directed learning work experience non‑traditional paths Mood reflective inspirational Type memoir motivational When to use this quote - career development - self‑education - life choices Key Concepts personal growth resilience Questions to Reflect On - How does informal learning shape identity? - What value does formal education hold? A Different Perspective May lack formal credentials; risk of limited opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I read 'The High Frontier' in high school. I read it multiple times, and I was already primed. As soon as I read it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/i-read-the-high-frontier-in-high-school-i-read-it-multiple-times-and/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [“And all I did was read, and when I was too high to read I stared out the windows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/and-all-i-did-was-read-and-when-i-was-too-high-to-read-i-stared-out/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [I loved school, maybe too much, really. I was summa cum laude in high school. I was driven that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-loved-school-maybe-too-much-really-i-was-summa-cum-laude-in-high/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [I always wanted to be out of school - and maybe that's the whole point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-always-wanted-to-be-out-of-school-and-maybe-that-s-the-whole-point/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [“This is the first fall that I haven't gone to school. Maybe that's why I feel weird all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-close/this-is-the-first-fall-that-i-haven-t-gone-to-school-maybe-that-s-why/) [Jennifer Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-close/) > [Perhaps a young boy or girl, after watching my video, can go, 'Maybe I don't have to be embarrassed. Maybe I can come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/perhaps-a-young-boy-or-girl-after-watching-my-video-can-go-maybe-i/) Shura > [It was like, let's get a degree in the business school, and maybe I play pro tennis, maybe I coach, we'll see what happens.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eubanks/it-was-like-let-s-get-a-degree-in-the-business-school-and-maybe-i/) [Christopher Eubanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eubanks/) > [When I was younger and in primary school, I'd do maybe a film a year, and I had to adapt to being away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/when-i-was-younger-and-in-primary-school-i-d-do-maybe-a-film-a-year/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [“Reviews? Didn’t read ’em.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/reviews-didn-t-read-em/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [“In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn't read all the time -- none,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-whole-life-i-have-known-no-wise-people-over-a-broad-subject/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I didn't read The Haunting of Hill House until sometime early in the 1990's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/i-didn-t-read-the-haunting-of-hill-house-until-sometime-early-in-the/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I picked up 'On Moral Fiction' in the bookstore and looked up myself in the index, but I didn't read it through. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-picked-up-on-moral-fiction-in-the-bookstore-and-looked-up-myself-in/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I was such a lazy teenager: I didn't read or play the piano beyond the bare minimum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-was-such-a-lazy-teenager-i-didn-t-read-or-play-the-piano-beyond-the/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [“Trump didn't read. He didn't really even skim. If it was print, it might as well not exist...He was postliterate -- total television.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-didn-t-read-he-didn-t-really-even-skim-if-it-was-print-it-might/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [Don't believe something just because you didn't read it in the papers. Wait until you haven't seen it on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-kelly/don-t-believe-something-just-because-you-didn-t-read-it-in-the-papers/) [Walt Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-kelly/) ## More by Tara Westover > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [I get up when I feel like getting up. That's the deal I've made with myself: I can stay in bed as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-get-up-when-i-feel-like-getting-up-that-s-the-deal-i-ve-made-with/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [Anger can be a good thing. It's a mechanism that your brain uses to get you out of situations that are bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/anger-can-be-a-good-thing-it-s-a-mechanism-that-your-brain-uses-to/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [I felt like I needed to come to terms with the decision I'd made to let go of my family. What do you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-felt-like-i-needed-to-come-to-terms-with-the-decision-i-d-made-to/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [Learning in our family was entirely self-directed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/learning-in-our-family-was-entirely-self-directed/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [I think you can change your belief, but sometimes your behavior takes a lot longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-think-you-can-change-your-belief-but-sometimes-your-behavior-takes/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [I'm no longer religious, but the Bible fascinates me. Hardly anyone reads it anymore, but it's got everything: it's a book of poetry, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-m-no-longer-religious-but-the-bible-fascinates-me-hardly-anyone/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [I didn't even have a birth certificate until I was 9 years old, which meant that, according to the state of Idaho and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-didn-t-even-have-a-birth-certificate-until-i-was-9-years-old-which/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [There's a sense of sovereignty that comes from life on a mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/there-s-a-sense-of-sovereignty-that-comes-from-life-on-a-mountain/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“You can’t be a person without a birthday, they seemed to say.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/you-can-t-be-a-person-without-a-birthday-they-seemed-to-say/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [I had to be - I was in school for probably three or four years before I began taking courses in history and political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-had-to-be-i-was-in-school-for-probably-three-or-four-years-before-i/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [BYU was a really positive place for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/byu-was-a-really-positive-place-for-me/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [For a long time, I didn't think I had the right to walk away from my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/for-a-long-time-i-didn-t-think-i-had-the-right-to-walk-away-from-my/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“This moment would define my memory of that night, and of the many nights like it, for a decade. In it I saw myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/this-moment-would-define-my-memory-of-that-night-and-of-the-many/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [We think about education as a stepping stone into a higher socio-economic class, into a better job. And it does do those things. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/we-think-about-education-as-a-stepping-stone-into-a-higher-socio/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) [Explore all 82 Tara Westover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I didn't read much in high school, maybe because I didn't go to high school. 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