--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never knew what to do with a paper…" description: "\"I never knew what to do with a paper except to put it in a side pocket or pass it to a clerk who understood it better than I did.\" — Ulysses S. Grant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ulysses-s-grant-1793_civil-war_i-never-knew-what-to-do-with-a-paper-exc_1315867.jpg" --- # I never knew what to do with a paper except to put it in a… ![“I never knew what to do with a paper except to put it in a side pocket or pass it to a clerk who understood it better than I did.” quote by Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ulysses-s-grant-1793_civil-war_i-never-knew-what-to-do-with-a-paper-exc_1315867.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ulysses-s-grant-1793_civil-war_i-never-knew-what-to-do-with-a-paper-exc_1315867.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/ulysses-s-grant-1793_civil-war_i-never-knew-what-to-do-with-a-paper-exc_1315867.jpg) > “I never knew what to do with a paper except to put it in a side pocket or pass it to a clerk who understood it better than I did.” [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He struggled with handling paper, relying on others for understanding. **In simple terms:** Paper overwhelmed; needed help. Key Takeaway Seek assistance with complex tasks. Themes communication delegation literacy Mood practical historical Type advice reflective When to use this quote - office work - military orders - administrative duties Key Concepts paperwork bureaucracy Questions to Reflect On - When should you delegate? - How to improve personal literacy? A Different Perspective Reliance on others may limit personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Clerk Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clerk-understood-4368357/) [Clerks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clerks/) [Knew Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-paper-1589324/) [Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper/) [Paper Pocket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper-pocket-4368358/) [Pass Clerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pass-clerk-4368359/) [Pockets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pockets/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Who knew paper and ink could be so vicious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/who-knew-paper-and-ink-could-be-so-vicious/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) > [“As far as magic went, she knew it was paper or nothing, and she’d rather be a Folder than a failure. 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My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-dad-was-a-bartender-my-mom-was-a-cashier-a-maid-and-a-stock-clerk/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [ Gonna rain like a cow pissin' on a flat rock" \[drugstore clerk to detective Virgil Flowers\] Dark of the Moon, p.7 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/gonna-rain-like-a-cow-pissin-on-a-flat-rock-drugstore-clerk-to/) [John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/) ## More by Ulysses S. 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Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [I would suggest the taxation of all property equally whether church or corporation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/i-would-suggest-the-taxation-of-all-property-equally-whether-church/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [I know only two tunes: one of them is 'Yankee Doodle,' and the other isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/i-know-only-two-tunes-one-of-them-is-yankee-doodle-and-the-other-isn-t/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“I could have allowed myself more time. I have used my best efforts, with the aid of my eldest son, F. D. Grant, assisted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/i-could-have-allowed-myself-more-time-i-have-used-my-best-efforts/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) [Explore all 208 Ulysses S. 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