--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never met an American who wanted to…" description: "\"I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire.\" — Tom Wolfe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg" --- # I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire. ![“I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire.” quote by Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg) > “I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire.” [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests that Americans rarely aspire to dominate or control others on a grand scale. **In simple terms:** Americans rarely want to build empires. Key Takeaway Focus on personal achievement rather than domination. Themes individualism power ambition Mood reflective critical Type observational cultural When to use this quote - business leadership - political campaigns - personal goals - community projects Key Concepts American culture political ambition Questions to Reflect On - Do you value personal success over large-scale influence? - How does this view affect your leadership style? A Different Perspective Some may argue certain sectors do pursue empire-like dominance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) ## Related quotes > [I want to build an empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nle-choppa/i-want-to-build-an-empire/) [NLE Choppa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nle-choppa/) > [Build an empire by building yourself first](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-worlu/build-an-empire-by-building-yourself-first/) [EDNA WORLU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-worlu/) > [For me, I do not wish to build an empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ripert/for-me-i-do-not-wish-to-build-an-empire/) [Eric Ripert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ripert/) > [A man does not automatically become a public figure because he happens to build an empire out of chicken fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-pinckney-miller/a-man-does-not-automatically-become-a-public-figure-because-he/) James Pinckney Miller > [I'm going to build an empire. 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He sounded like the airline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/well-things-are-beginning-to-stack-up-a-little-said-gordo-it-was-the/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [“Everything in everybody’s life is … significant. And everybody is alert, watching for the meanings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/everything-in-everybody-s-life-is-significant-and-everybody-is-alert/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > ['Back to Blood' really took it out of me. While I was writing it, I just never went out anywhere, except to the gym.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/back-to-blood-really-took-it-out-of-me-while-i-was-writing-it-i-just/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [In the U.S., the term 'general aviation' means its exact opposite, the way 'public school' does in England. 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Which may be because they think more highly of themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/i-read-somewhere-that-writers-as-they-get-older-become-more-and-more/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) [Explore all 177 Tom Wolfe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. 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The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Wolfe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to-build-an-empire/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to-build-an-empire/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0c/tom-wolfe-2191_american_i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to_2552881.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire.” — Tom Wolfe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Wolfe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never met an American who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to-build-an-empire/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/i-ve-never-met-an-american-who-wanted-to-build-an-empire/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```