--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's like we're suffering from an…" description: "\"It's like we're suffering from an identity crisis, and that identity is in our arts and the fact that we don't find it chief amongst our agendas to tea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/wynton-marsalis-1721_agendas_it-s-like-we-re-suffering-from-an-identi_2963542.jpg" --- # It's like we're suffering from an identity crisis, and… ![“It's like we're suffering from an identity crisis, and that identity is in our arts and the fact that we don't find it chief amongst our agendas to teach our kids who we are as a nation and the battles we've had on this ground and how they've been successfully resolved. We can't enjoy the fruits…” quote by Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/wynton-marsalis-1721_agendas_it-s-like-we-re-suffering-from-an-identi_2963542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/wynton-marsalis-1721_agendas_it-s-like-we-re-suffering-from-an-identi_2963542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/wynton-marsalis-1721_agendas_it-s-like-we-re-suffering-from-an-identi_2963542.jpg) > “It's like we're suffering from an identity crisis, and that identity is in our arts and the fact that we don't find it chief amongst our agendas to teach our kids who we are as a nation and the battles we've had on this ground and how they've been successfully resolved. We can't enjoy the fruits of the labor of our ancestors.” [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that cultural neglect erodes national identity and hampers teaching history. **In simple terms:** Neglecting culture harms identity. Key Takeaway Preserve and teach cultural heritage. Themes culture identity nation Mood concerned urgent Type political educational When to use this quote - curriculum design - community programs - public arts funding Key Concepts heritage preservation education policy Questions to Reflect On - How can we integrate arts into education? - What obstacles exist in teaching national history? A Different Perspective Balancing diverse narratives can be contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agendas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agendas/) [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefs/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Crisis Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis-identity-2993785/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Identity Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-arts-276374/) [Identity crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-crisis/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-identity-2313502/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Who we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-we-are/) ## Related quotes > [Forget about having an identity crisis and get some identity capital. ¦ Do something that adds value to who you are. Do something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forget-about-having-an-identity-crisis-and-get-some-identity-capital/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our identity is not in our joy, and our identity is not in our suffering. Our identity is in Christ, whether we have joy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/our-identity-is-not-in-our-joy-and-our-identity-is-not-in-our/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [The arts, instead of quaking along the periphery of our policy concerns, must push boldly into the core of policy. The arts are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-jordan/the-arts-instead-of-quaking-along-the-periphery-of-our-policy/) [Barbara Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-jordan/) > [It’s hard to find backbone.I never had crisis of identity. But I think many Americans have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-makarova/it-s-hard-to-find-backbone-i-never-had-crisis-of-identity-but-i-think/) [Natalia Makarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-makarova/) > [When you invest in something for so long and you stop and have nothing to fill that space, it can be more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/when-you-invest-in-something-for-so-long-and-you-stop-and-have/) [Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/) > [The musicians, Duke Ellington, his thing was not about separating himself from the rest of America. Louis Armstrong - go to the forefathers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-musicians-duke-ellington-his-thing-was-not-about-separating/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [The self divided is precisely where the self is authentically located. . . We all have identity crises because a single identity is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/the-self-divided-is-precisely-where-the-self-is-authentically-located/) [James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/) > [As far as the industries go, in the North, they think I'm a South Indian actress; down South, I've always been thought of as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamannaah/as-far-as-the-industries-go-in-the-north-they-think-i-m-a-south/) [Tamannaah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamannaah/) > [“Atoms at such low temperatures lost their individuality and physical properties, going through an identity crisis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-meeks/atoms-at-such-low-temperatures-lost-their-individuality-and-physical/) [Christopher Meeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-meeks/) > [I did community theater and kids programs at professional theaters and plays at school and voice lessons for seven years. I stopped because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-did-community-theater-and-kids-programs-at-professional-theaters/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [I've suffered from an identity crisis my entire life. It's why I went into acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-ve-suffered-from-an-identity-crisis-my-entire-life-it-s-why-i-went/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“It’s really amazing, isn’t it? Someone can trigger your sexual identity crisis and not have a clue they’re doing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-albertalli/it-s-really-amazing-isn-t-it-someone-can-trigger-your-sexual-identity/) [Becky Albertalli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-albertalli/) > [“IF A PROBLEM PERSISTS for generations, it is no longer a crisis. It’s a condition. The identity crisis facing our faith, our families, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/if-a-problem-persists-for-generations-it-is-no-longer-a-crisis-it-s-a/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [The issue of "who we are" has been an ongoing one. It's part of the ongoing identity crisis of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-l-eck/the-issue-of-who-we-are-has-been-an-ongoing-one-it-s-part-of-the/) [Diana L. Eck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-l-eck/) > [Error ... is less an intellectual problem than an existential one - a crisis not in what we know, but in who we are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/error-is-less-an-intellectual-problem-than-an-existential-one-a/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) ## More by Wynton Marsalis > [I never minded giving my opinions. They are just opinions, and I had studied music and I had strong feelings. I was happy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-never-minded-giving-my-opinions-they-are-just-opinions-and-i-had/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I always read all these books about the slaves. My mother is very educated. My father would talk to us like we were grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-always-read-all-these-books-about-the-slaves-my-mother-is-very/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“The best musicians know this music isn't about "schools" at all. Like my father says, "There's only one school, the school of 'Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-best-musicians-know-this-music-isn-t-about-schools-at-all-like-my/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Louis Armstrong is jazz. He represents what the music is all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/louis-armstrong-is-jazz-he-represents-what-the-music-is-all-about/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [And that's the soulful thing about playing: you offer something to somebody. You don't know if they'll like it, but you offer it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/and-that-s-the-soulful-thing-about-playing-you-offer-something-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Ethics are more important than laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/ethics-are-more-important-than-laws/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I'm not a person who writes really abstract things with oblique references. I look at abstraction like I look at condiments. Give me some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-m-not-a-person-who-writes-really-abstract-things-with-oblique/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Many a revolution started with the actions of a few. Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. A few hanging together can lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/many-a-revolution-started-with-the-actions-of-a-few-only-56-men/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“Today you go into make a modern recording with all this technology. The bass plays first, then the drums come in later, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/today-you-go-into-make-a-modern-recording-with-all-this-technology/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [In the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra we play such a diversity of music, with 10 arrangers in the band, we don't really worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/in-the-jazz-at-lincoln-center-orchestra-we-play-such-a-diversity-of/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Commercialism that has absolutely no relationship to quality whatsoever, only quantitative assessment of a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/commercialism-that-has-absolutely-no-relationship-to-quality/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Instead of imposing your will on every situation...focus on including everyone else, and just that little adjustment of attitude gives you the space to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/instead-of-imposing-your-will-on-every-situation-focus-on-including/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I'm not afraid of you being yourself. That's America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-m-not-afraid-of-you-being-yourself-that-s-america/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“I noticed that religion gave some people a way to escape dealing with the world: “Things will be better when you die,” the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-noticed-that-religion-gave-some-people-a-way-to-escape-dealing-with/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [Trumpet players see each other, and it's like we're getting ready to square off or get into a fight or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/trumpet-players-see-each-other-and-it-s-like-we-re-getting-ready-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) [Explore all 213 Wynton Marsalis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) ## More Agendas quotes > [There's a dishonest tyranny in the liberal/progressive/socialist agenda that comes down and says 'we are here because we care about you; we want what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/there-s-a-dishonest-tyranny-in-the-liberal-progressive-socialist/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [At home we didnt talk about religion. So gradually the question faded away by itself and disappeared from the agenda. When I was nineteen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergei-prokofiev/at-home-we-didnt-talk-about-religion-so-gradually-the-question-faded/) [Sergei Prokofiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergei-prokofiev/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [In our system of government, the judicial and legislative branches have different roles. Judges are not politicians. Judges must decide cases, not champion causes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/in-our-system-of-government-the-judicial-and-legislative-branches/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [It's when someone has an agenda of their own for the record that it doesn't work for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/it-s-when-someone-has-an-agenda-of-their-own-for-the-record-that-it/) [Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/) > [The problem with merely writing so that you can be understood is that the wrong people, in advancing their agendas, are only too ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/the-problem-with-merely-writing-so-that-you-can-be-understood-is-that/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [If we allow our self-congratulatory adoration of technology to distract us from our own contact with each other, then somehow the original agenda has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/if-we-allow-our-self-congratulatory-adoration-of-technology-to/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [We have to consider who is going to be the best prime minister to take on a "one nation" agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/we-have-to-consider-who-is-going-to-be-the-best-prime-minister-to/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [There certainly are situations where I feel not empowered or uninspired. Particularly when the person's agenda is to intimidate through abusing their position or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/there-certainly-are-situations-where-i-feel-not-empowered-or/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Strong states and blocs of strong states are the only source of power and legitimacy capable of driving an international agenda in today's world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bremmer/strong-states-and-blocs-of-strong-states-are-the-only-source-of-power/) [Ian Bremmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bremmer/) > [He felt safe with her. He'd never been safe with another human being, not since he'd been taken as a child from his home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/he-felt-safe-with-her-he-d-never-been-safe-with-another-human-being/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [I sometimes find that my family's emphasis on stories, characters, and art that appeals directly to children rather than over their heads to adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/i-sometimes-find-that-my-family-s-emphasis-on-stories-characters-and/) [Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/) > [The forces of immorality and Marxism and evil count on one thing: Us not showing up. And often, they're justified in that. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-shea/the-forces-of-immorality-and-marxism-and-evil-count-on-one-thing-us/) [Matt Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-shea/) [Browse all 985 Agendas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agendas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's like we're suffering from an identity crisis, and that identity is in our arts and the fact that we don't find it chief amongst our agendas to teach our kids who we are as a nation and the battles we've had on this ground and how they've been successfully resolved. 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