--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest generation was formed first…" description: "\"The greatest generation was formed first by the Great Depression. They shared everything - meals, jobs, clothing.\" — Tom Brokaw" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/tom-brokaw-2402_generation_the-greatest-generation-was-formed-first_2307194.png" --- # The greatest generation was formed first by the Great… ![“The greatest generation was formed first by the Great Depression. They shared everything - meals, jobs, clothing.” quote by Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/tom-brokaw-2402_generation_the-greatest-generation-was-formed-first_2307194.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/tom-brokaw-2402_generation_the-greatest-generation-was-formed-first_2307194.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/tom-brokaw-2402_generation_the-greatest-generation-was-formed-first_2307194.png) > “The greatest generation was formed first by the Great Depression. They shared everything - meals, jobs, clothing.” [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The generation shaped by the Depression learned to share resources and support each other, forging a collective resilience. **In simple terms:** Shared hardship built strong community bonds. Key Takeaway Value communal support during crises. Themes history community resilience shared hardship Mood reflective hopeful Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - disaster relief - community building - social policy Key Concepts economic hardship social solidarity collective identity Questions to Reflect On - What modern crises can unite people similarly? - How does shared struggle affect social trust? A Different Perspective Not all individuals embraced sharing; some pursued self‑interest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Formed Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formed-great-5467163/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generation Formed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-formed-5467162/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-depression/) [Greatest generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-generation/) ## Related quotes > [My parents, like others of "The Greatest Generation" who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, wanted to provide the best possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/my-parents-like-others-of-the-greatest-generation-who-lived-through/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [The response to 'The Greatest Generation' and the books that followed has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/the-response-to-the-greatest-generation-and-the-books-that-followed/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/it-is-i-believe-the-greatest-generation-any-society-has-ever-produced/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [Think of it as your ticket to change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/think-of-it-as-your-ticket-to-change-the-world/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [I often think that the Greatest Generation gave birth to the Crappiest Generation, the stinky hippies with their slacktivism and demand for government welfare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-often-think-that-the-greatest-generation-gave-birth-to-the/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [Your grandparents came of age in the Great Depression, when everyday life was about deprivation and sacrifice, when the economic conditions of the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/your-grandparents-came-of-age-in-the-great-depression-when-everyday/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [The year of my birth, 1940, was the fulcrum of America in the twentieth century, when the nation was balanced precariously between the darkness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/the-year-of-my-birth-1940-was-the-fulcrum-of-america-in-the-twentieth/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [From a generation that came of age during the Great Depression, millions of our country's best and bravest took up arms in a worldwide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buyer/from-a-generation-that-came-of-age-during-the-great-depression/) [Steve Buyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buyer/) > [“Through enjoyment we endure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-ditlow/through-enjoyment-we-endure/) [Florence Ditlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-ditlow/) > [If someone tries to tell you you are the greatest generation in the history of America, don't believe them. 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The overwhelming one is that it takes over your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/there-are-lots-of-dimensions-to-being-a-cancer-patient-the/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) [Explore all 168 Tom Brokaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) ## More Generation quotes > [If every nation gets the government it deserves, every generation writes the history which corresponds with its view of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/if-every-nation-gets-the-government-it-deserves-every-generation/) [Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/) > [“More than anything, Boomer influence is a story of sheer numbers. 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