--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My \"degree\" has done nothing for me at…" description: "\"My \"degree\" has done nothing for me at all. But that I've learned - the critical thought processes I've tried to keep sharp - these things were further..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b36/ted-leo-17826_art_my-degree-has-done-nothing-for-me-at-all_2297934.jpg" --- # My "degree" has done nothing for me at all. But that I've… ![“My "degree" has done nothing for me at all. But that I've learned - the critical thought processes I've tried to keep sharp - these things were furthered along by college. I hated so much of my life "at university," but I also loved so much of it, and the things that I loved about it have kept me…” quote by Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b36/ted-leo-17826_art_my-degree-has-done-nothing-for-me-at-all_2297934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b36/ted-leo-17826_art_my-degree-has-done-nothing-for-me-at-all_2297934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b36/ted-leo-17826_art_my-degree-has-done-nothing-for-me-at-all_2297934.jpg) > “My "degree" has done nothing for me at all. But that I've learned - the critical thought processes I've tried to keep sharp - these things were furthered along by college. I hated so much of my life "at university," but I also loved so much of it, and the things that I loved about it have kept me in a sort of "scholarly pursuit" to this day. Maybe it messed me up because I believe that there are things like truth and beauty, and that art and discussion can help us find them and enhance our lives.” [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. College sharpened critical thinking and appreciation for truth, beauty, art, and discussion, despite mixed feelings about university life. **In simple terms:** College taught critical thought and love of truth and beauty. Key Takeaway Value lifelong scholarly pursuit. Themes education critical thinking art truth beauty Mood reflective thoughtful inspirational Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career development - personal growth - academic pursuits - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy humanism intellectual growth Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply critical thinking daily? - What truth or beauty do you seek? A Different Perspective May overlook practical skills needed for certain jobs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth and beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-and-beauty/) ## Related quotes > [I started running after I left university and have loved it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-dennis/i-started-running-after-i-left-university-and-have-loved-it-ever-since/) [Hugh Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-dennis/) > [I tried college and I hated that. I seem to quit everything I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harmony-korine/i-tried-college-and-i-hated-that-i-seem-to-quit-everything-i-do/) [Harmony Korine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harmony-korine/) > [I would have been miserable in college. I always hated school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zosia-mamet/i-would-have-been-miserable-in-college-i-always-hated-school/) [Zosia Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zosia-mamet/) > [A book I would take with me to a desert island is 'Paradise Lost,' which I studied in college and hated so much by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/a-book-i-would-take-with-me-to-a-desert-island-is-paradise-lost-which/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [Everyday we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heartache when we read the lines written by the hand of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/everyday-we-slaughter-our-finest-impulses-that-is-why-we-get-a/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [All you need in life is truth and beauty and you can find both at the Public Library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/all-you-need-in-life-is-truth-and-beauty-and-you-can-find-both-at-the/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [“Our plans and designs should be so perfect in truth and beauty, that in touching them the world could only mar. We should thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/our-plans-and-designs-should-be-so-perfect-in-truth-and-beauty-that/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [In the society of men the truth resides now less in what things are than in what they are not. Our social realities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/in-the-society-of-men-the-truth-resides-now-less-in-what-things-are/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [“It's not a collection! You know nothing of inspiration. Of beauty. From the hands and heart flow eternal truth and beauty. And from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-spindler/it-s-not-a-collection-you-know-nothing-of-inspiration-of-beauty-from/) [Erica Spindler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-spindler/) > [ Perhaps the greatest lesson \[Huxley\] learned from reading Carlyle was that real religion, that emotive feeling for Truth and Beauty, could flourish in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-desmond/perhaps-the-greatest-lesson-huxley-learned-from-reading-carlyle-was/) Adrian Desmond > [The all-round liberally educated man, from Palaeolithic times to the time when the earth shall become a cold cinder, will always be the same,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fairfield-osborn/the-all-round-liberally-educated-man-from-palaeolithic-times-to-the/) [Henry Fairfield Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fairfield-osborn/) > [“There are some who say that Time is itself a hammer; that each slow second marks another tap that makes big rocks into little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-stover/there-are-some-who-say-that-time-is-itself-a-hammer-that-each-slow/) [Matthew Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-stover/) > [Peter Cooper looks at the world with an artist's eye and a human heart and soul. His songs are the work of an original,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/peter-cooper-looks-at-the-world-with-an-artist-s-eye-and-a-human/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [“...their heathen fingers understand truth and beauty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/their-heathen-fingers-understand-truth-and-beauty/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/love-like-truth-and-beauty-is-concrete-love-is-not-fundamentally-a/) [Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/) ## More by Ted Leo > [The obsessive documentation is itself adjacent to hyper-consumption in our society. The desire to just have everything all the time and adjacent to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/the-obsessive-documentation-is-itself-adjacent-to-hyper-consumption/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [Someone once said that "The Waste Land" was a scum of poetry floating on a sea of footnotes. That resonated with me, because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/someone-once-said-that-the-waste-land-was-a-scum-of-poetry-floating/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [I am the stereo-typical classic lapsed Catholic. Religious themes crop up in my songs sometimes as metaphors and other kinds of touchstones for getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/i-am-the-stereo-typical-classic-lapsed-catholic-religious-themes-crop/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [Though I know for a fact that some of my fans would be happy for me to do anything that's going to help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/though-i-know-for-a-fact-that-some-of-my-fans-would-be-happy-for-me/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [I actually enjoy Instagram. I enjoy seeing what people who I have some connection to are doing around the globe. I'm even old-school Instagram.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/i-actually-enjoy-instagram-i-enjoy-seeing-what-people-who-i-have-some/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [It's almost weirder sometimes when you don't have a full life experience with someone's ups and downs, knowing what they've been through. Sometimes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/it-s-almost-weirder-sometimes-when-you-don-t-have-a-full-life/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [When I started playing solo 10 years ago, I had some ham-fisted idea about trying to subvert the "singer-songwriter" tag/genre, and I tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/when-i-started-playing-solo-10-years-ago-i-had-some-ham-fisted-idea/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [I used to think success would be sustainability. Not being behind the eight ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/i-used-to-think-success-would-be-sustainability-not-being-behind-the/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [You play the one song that people want to hear the most every night, and for every audience that's a special thing. And usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/you-play-the-one-song-that-people-want-to-hear-the-most-every-night/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [When you're traveling on a body of songs that you have played for many, many years, for most nights of your life - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/when-you-re-traveling-on-a-body-of-songs-that-you-have-played-for/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [Bands-- enough with the crayon face-paint-- you're better than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/bands-enough-with-the-crayon-face-paint-you-re-better-than-that/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [I do feel like at the end of anger I have to have something that grounds it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/i-do-feel-like-at-the-end-of-anger-i-have-to-have-something-that/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [Despite the fact that I trust the people at major labels who tell me that they want to offer me a home as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/despite-the-fact-that-i-trust-the-people-at-major-labels-who-tell-me/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [When you make a record and have to go out on tour for it, you have to go out on tour for it. Whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/when-you-make-a-record-and-have-to-go-out-on-tour-for-it-you-have-to/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [I actually dream a lot of songs, and I try to be good about voice-memoing ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/i-actually-dream-a-lot-of-songs-and-i-try-to-be-good-about-voice/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) [Explore all 36 Ted Leo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My \"degree\" has done nothing for me at all. 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