--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans are not terribly intelligent…" description: "\"Americans are not terribly intelligent people. They need to read important things several times.\" — Ted Rall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/ted-rall-13770_americans_americans-are-not-terribly-intelligent-p_2840407.png" --- # Americans are not terribly intelligent people. They need… ![“Americans are not terribly intelligent people. They need to read important things several times.” quote by Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/ted-rall-13770_americans_americans-are-not-terribly-intelligent-p_2840407.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/ted-rall-13770_americans_americans-are-not-terribly-intelligent-p_2840407.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/345/ted-rall-13770_americans_americans-are-not-terribly-intelligent-p_2840407.png) > “Americans are not terribly intelligent people. They need to read important things several times.” [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans need repeated reading of important material due to limited intelligence. **In simple terms:** Americans require repeated reading. Key Takeaway Promote critical reading habits. Themes education intelligence reading Mood satirical critical Type social educational When to use this quote - schools - self‑study - media consumption Key Concepts media criticism public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can reading comprehension be improved? - What factors affect information retention? A Different Perspective Generalizes national intelligence unfairly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Intelligent people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [ \[To become a poet\] The most important thing is to pay attention. The next would probably be to read; it's so important to pay… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-giovanni/to-become-a-poet-the-most-important-thing-is-to-pay-attention-the/) [Nikki Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-giovanni/) > [The movies I watch and the music I listen to and the books I read - those are important to me. It's very important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/the-movies-i-watch-and-the-music-i-listen-to-and-the-books-i-read/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [No matter who you are, no matter where you live, and no matter how many people are chasing you, what you don't read is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-who-you-are-no-matter-where-you-live-and-no-matter-how-many/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can read about yourself but what's important is how you feel about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/you-can-read-about-yourself-but-what-s-important-is-how-you-feel/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [What you don't read is often as important as what you do read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-you-don-t-read-is-often-as-important-as-what-you-do-read/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You must take a year off, one of these days, before you’re old and tired and weighed down by responsibility. Go away somewhere, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helon-habila/you-must-take-a-year-off-one-of-these-days-before-you-re-old-and/) [Helon Habila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helon-habila/) > [It is astonishing how many books I find there is no need for me to read at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/it-is-astonishing-how-many-books-i-find-there-is-no-need-for-me-to/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Give yourself to reading.’... You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/give-yourself-to-reading-you-need-to-read-renounce-as-much-as-you/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Some are born who never need them, Others still who never read them, signs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/some-are-born-who-never-need-them-others-still-who-never-read-them/) [Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/) > [I always write out of a need to read something, rather than a need to write something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-always-write-out-of-a-need-to-read-something-rather-than-a-need-to/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Go on thinking that you don't need to be read and you'll find that it may become quite true: no one will feel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/go-on-thinking-that-you-don-t-need-to-be-read-and-you-ll-find-that-it/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) > [You need to read more science fiction. Nobody who reads science fiction comes out with this crap about the end of history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/you-need-to-read-more-science-fiction-nobody-who-reads-science/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Reality is overrated to me. Everyone spends enough time on the computer, eating, going out to bars. Why do I need to read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-butler/reality-is-overrated-to-me-everyone-spends-enough-time-on-the/) [Blake Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-butler/) > [It is one of the misfortunes in life that one must read thousands of books only to discover that one need not have read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-quincey/it-is-one-of-the-misfortunes-in-life-that-one-must-read-thousands-of/) [Thomas de Quincey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-quincey/) > [I think that it's not enough to do the little Band-Aid things of having celebrities come and read to children. Not that we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-think-that-it-s-not-enough-to-do-the-little-band-aid-things-of/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) ## More by Ted Rall > [I was reading through all these NSA programs that Snowden has revealed, and one of the ones that fascinated me was that smart TVs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-was-reading-through-all-these-nsa-programs-that-snowden-has/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [What people don't seem to ever understand is that any infrastructure that exists under your regime, in your current government, will be appropriated and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/what-people-don-t-seem-to-ever-understand-is-that-any-infrastructure/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [“What you read at Columbia is Plato's Republic and Homer's Iliad. What you learn at Columbia is that reading isn't education. Education is figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/what-you-read-at-columbia-is-plato-s-republic-and-homer-s-iliad-what/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I'm a better editorial cartoonist by default because so many editorial cartoonists out there are so awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-m-a-better-editorial-cartoonist-by-default-because-so-many/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [“I suppose I could have been nicer when I was at Columbia. I could have been polite, respectful, turned in my papers on time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-suppose-i-could-have-been-nicer-when-i-was-at-columbia-i-could-have/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [Imagine foreign troops sitting idly, laughing as hooligans trashed the Smithsonian, stole the gold from Fort Knox and burned down the Department of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/imagine-foreign-troops-sitting-idly-laughing-as-hooligans-trashed-the/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I think Maus I is better than Maus II. The standard here is whether or not it's as good as a great book of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-think-maus-i-is-better-than-maus-ii-the-standard-here-is-whether-or/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [When you have birds you stare at them a lot and their eyes are recessed on their head. When they look at something they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/when-you-have-birds-you-stare-at-them-a-lot-and-their-eyes-are/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [Anyone should be able to read comics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/anyone-should-be-able-to-read-comics/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [The best thing about being a cartoonist is to walk into a bar or someone's apartment and they don't know you, but they've taped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/the-best-thing-about-being-a-cartoonist-is-to-walk-into-a-bar-or/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [The experts who managed the original Marshall Plan say Afghanistan needs a commitment of at least $5 to $10 billion over 5 to 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/the-experts-who-managed-the-original-marshall-plan-say-afghanistan/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [Up until 1995, I still had a day job that I hated. I was still personally involved in things in the 90s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/up-until-1995-i-still-had-a-day-job-that-i-hated-i-was-still/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I never consciously do any work directly influenced from any movie, unless I'm doing a parody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-never-consciously-do-any-work-directly-influenced-from-any-movie/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I don't think anyone has written a great graphic novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-don-t-think-anyone-has-written-a-great-graphic-novel/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I think Dilbert is actually a radical strip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/i-think-dilbert-is-actually-a-radical-strip/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) [Explore all 49 Ted Rall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) ## 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. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/americans-will-put-up-with-anything-provided-it-doesn-t-block-traffic/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [Most Americans believe in fairness; we believe that people should work hard but there should be a safety net. We believe in saving the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/most-americans-believe-in-fairness-we-believe-that-people-should-work/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walker/the-americans-say-that-we-are-ungrateful-but-i-ask-them-for-heaven-s/) [David Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walker/) > [So many Korean Americans like me came to this country with the hope of achieving their own American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/so-many-korean-americans-like-me-came-to-this-country-with-the-hope/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [You are Americans. 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": "Americans are not terribly intelligent people. 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